“Bonus hole” instead of vagina?: Shrill “culture war” breaks out in Great Britain

“Bonus hole” instead of vagina?
Shrill “culture war” breaks out in Great Britain

7/12/2023 8:53 am

Conservative forces in Britain are intensifying a grotesque “culture war” against everything that is too liberal for them. Recent excitement concerns the debate about gender identity. Do we have to say “bonus hole” in the future? Shrill sounds – but what is behind them?

It’s a small word, but the outrage is great. “Bonus hole” – “bonus hole” – should be called the female sex organ in the future, so as not to alienate trans men or non-binary people, British newspapers quoted a charity organization as saying. Alternatively, “front hole” is also possible. The political correctness has struck once again, it said in comments. The excitement fits seamlessly into an increasingly strident “culture war”.

The expression, which has been criticized as misogynistic, has been online since 2020. “Bonus hole – an alternative word for vagina. It’s important to consider what words someone would prefer to use,” writes the charity Joy’s Trust in a glossary aimed at doctors and nurses who support trans men or non-binary people . Trans people or transgender people are people who do not feel they belong to the gender they were assigned at birth. Non-binary people do not classify themselves as male or female, or only partially so.

There is no mention in the glossary of a requirement to use one word instead of the other. Rather, Joy’s Trust makes it clear, “Using the right language when referring to someone’s gender identity is a simple and powerful way to show support and appreciation.” Activists emphasized that it was a tip from a single organization that affected a small part of the population.

The craziest euphemism of the trans debate?

But conservative commentators were outraged. “The word ‘vagina’ is now so offensive that we have to use the term ‘bonus hole’,” columnist Annabelle Sanderson fumed in the Daily Express newspaper. The “Daily Mail” etched: “Is ‘bonus hole’ the craziest euphemism in the trans debate so far?”

Just a short time before, a similarly bizarre case had caused a stir: a student allegedly identified herself as a cat. The trigger was a Tiktok recording. Two girls could be heard arguing with their social studies teacher about gender issues. One of the two 13-year-olds had apparently asked a classmate how she could identify as a cat when she was a girl. During the conversation, the students emphasized that there were only two genders. The teacher called this view “disgusting”.

Although the school was quick to point out that there was no student who identified “as a cat or any other animal,” the conservative government jumped on the wave of outrage. In a letter, Equal Opportunities Minister Kemi Badenoch called on the Ofsted Schools Inspectorate to conduct an investigation. By teaching controversial political beliefs as facts without any scientific basis, the teacher violated political impartiality, Badenoch wrote, also addressing the cat saga.

“Smack of Arrogance”

Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders called Badenoch’s intervention “unnecessary, unhelpful,” with a “smack of hubris.” Activist Natasha Devon said the case was being hyped up. The conservative government wants to deny the legitimacy of young transsexual people. This also includes plans according to which all-girls and boys-only schools will in future be able to reject trans students without having to fear legal consequences. Critics accuse Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of politically exploiting the emotional debate about gender identification.

Prominent conservative politicians admit that their party has few arrows left in its quiver. In polls, the Tories are far behind the Social Democrat Labor Party. In the general election planned for 2024, the Tory campaign should focus on “a mixture of culture wars and trans debate,” said Deputy Secretary General Lee Anderson recently. Promising “ingredients” like 2019 no longer exist. “The Tories must fight the Kulturkampf – or die,” commented columnist Tim Stanley in the Telegraph newspaper. The Tories see themselves on the side of the much-touted little man. “In the Conservative Party we listen to real people, not leftist so-called charities and activists,” Anderson said.

Tories as victims of political correctness?

The Conservatives have been in government in Britain for 13 years. But again and again they show themselves to be the victims of an allegedly predominantly left-wing society that would enforce politically correct language. “For years we have seen people lose their jobs, be silenced or be investigated by the police for saying something ‘inappropriate’ online,” wrote the conservative magazine Spectator recently. “Today we not only live in a culture of censorship, but also of self-censorship, in which people are afraid to speak their mind in everyday life.”

Opponents accuse the conservatives of double standards. They have criticized alleged restrictions on freedom of expression, but have themselves cracked down on those who disagree. The government has recently repeatedly tightened the right to demonstrate. Now the police can already take action against people who they believe could disrupt public events. Before the parliamentary elections, the British “culture war” is likely to intensify.