Letter from the Editor

Freedom: it’s a hot-button word and hotly disputed topic these days. Recently, 153 notable people signed an open letter that claimed: The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted. Among them was J.K. Rowling, who has earned recent infamy for spreading misinformation about and vitriol toward trans people.

What is it, exactly, that makes the information and exchange of ideas free? Some people seem to believe it means that it comes at no cost.

Of course, all action has a consequence—that’s just physics—and therefore, all speech has a cost. The question, then, isn’t whether it has a cost, but rather, who pays the cost?

Anti-trans stigma leads to decreased opportunity, discrimination, and increased risk of violence against trans people. So, when someone uses their “free speech” in ways that increase trans stigma, trans folks pay the cost. Things like boycotts, call-outs, and other accountability mechanisms aren’t violations of free speech; they’re a way to return the cost of harmful speech to the speaker where it rightly belongs. They’re also a way for individuals to stand against and disassociate themselves from that harm.

This issue is comprised of pieces that were conscientiously withdrawn from journals for reasons like those—the editors used their platforms or power in ways that caused harm, and the contributors featured here could not stand by silently. They prioritized their values and convictions over their writing careers, and I’m thrilled to lift their voices.

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