A transcript of the Laurie Penny on Piers Morgan shit show. They/them is truly the grift that keeps on giving:
(Piers Morgan)
Blaire's a trans woman. Why don't we let her answer?
(Laurie Penny)
I'm also transgender.
(Piers Morgan)
Which trans are you, if you don't mind me asking?
(Laurie Penny)
I'm non -binary.
(Piers Morgan)
What does that mean?
(Laurie Penny)
I'm a non -binary person. I use they, them pronouns. Sorry, are we going to spend... Do we really want to spend the rest of this discussing my personal gender identity?
(Piers Morgan)
You're the one who mentioned it. I didn't even know.
(Blaire White)
This is a nightmare.
(Piers Morgan)
Okay, so now I know. I'm just asking you what that means.
(Laurie Penny)
Like, do you really want to discuss this?
(Piers Morgan)
You raised the subject of yourself being trans. I'm simply asking...
(Blaire White)
Can I finish my point? It's always a non -binary person speaking over a transsexual.
(Piers Morgan)
It's really interesting to me. You raised it, not me. I didn't even know. So now you've raised it. What does that actually mean? What do you mean, you're non -binary?
(Laurie Penny)
Are you really, really just gonna...
(Piers Morgan)
Can you explain it?
(Laurie Penny)
Are you gonna cut Blaire off now?
(Piers Morgan)
I'm just asking you to explain. I'll come back to Blaire in a moment.
(Blaire White)
Well, you were the one that cut me off, Sis, but I will say...
(Piers Morgan)
Sorry, Blaire, wait one second. I just want to ask, what do you mean by non -binary?
(Laurie Penny)
When I say I'm non -binary, I'm expressing my identity in a way that I have a right to do. What does that mean?
(Piers Morgan)
I'm sorry?
(Piers Morgan)
What's your sexuality?
(Laurie Penny)
My sexuality? It doesn't have anything to do with my sexuality.
(Piers Morgan)
Actually, the UK government now says that people are male or female. The British Prime Minister says people are male or female.
(Laurie Penny)
I don't think the UK government should have the final say on how I express myself and how I'm treated. Well, they determine the laws of the country. I'm just curious what you mean by non -binary.
(Piers Morgan)
What does that mean?
(Laurie Penny)
I go by they/them pronouns.
(Piers Morgan)
What does that mean? This is only one of you. What does they, them...
(Laurie Penny)
Actually, they, them has been... The collective they has been used to refer to individual people for centuries and still is. So, if you don't understand basic grammar, that's on you.
(Piers Morgan)
I don't understand. I've got to be honest with you. I don't understand the concept of what non -binary means or why you would use a plural pronoun to describe a singular person. To me, this is the problem with the whole woke thing. It's inexplicable.
Nobody really knows what it means. I don't know what you mean by non -binary, they, them. There's one of you sitting here, and you look to me, female. You're a female.
Are you a female?
(Laurie Penny)
If you don't understand what non -binary means...
(Piers Morgan)
Are you a female?
(Laurie Penny)
If you don't understand what non -binary means, then I'm not sure you're in a position to lead a debate.
(Piers Morgan)
So just tell me. But if you can't explain it in simple language, then what's the point?
(Blaire White)
Explain what non -binary is. I can tell you exactly what being a transsexual is.
(Laurie Penny)
It means that my gender identity is something other than man or woman. I'm a non -binary individual.
(Piers Morgan)
But you accept you're a female?
(Laurie Penny)
I don't think that I'm here to discuss the contents of my underpants.
(Piers Morgan)
You raised this whole thing. I didn't mention anything about what you were. You did. You said, I'm trans.
(Laurie Penny)
This has really become uncomfortably personal. Has it?
(Piers Morgan)
You said it, not me.