The Mary Beard Appreciation Society

[ArcheryAnnie]

Professor Mary Beard was one of about 130+ people who signed a letter to the Guardian this weekend, saying broadly that universities should be a place of discussion and debate, and the current habit of "no-platforming" women (it's almost always women) some students disagree with was inimical to the very purpose of education.

Out of these 130+ signatories, Mary Beard was the one the usual suspects piled on to, and she dealt with the barrage with such grace. The attacks were mostly divided between the "OMG transphobe" type" and the "very sad to see this nice old dear who didn't understand what she was signing" type, which is breathtakingly patronising when referring to one of the most brilliant academics we have. Most of the other signatories weren't attacked at all in the same way or in the same volume, although some signatories who are PoC were labelled "tokens" by the usual suspects, which is also amazingly patronising and dismissive of their choices and their expertise.

When I grow up, I want to be Professor Mary Beard. (But I would probably have to grow an extra couple of brains to do it.)

[ArcheryAnnie]

letter in the Guardian here: www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2015/feb/14/letters-censorship?CMP=twt_gu

[ApocalypseThen]

I wonder where the protests and harassment against violent aggressive men are; as those are the people who actually hurt transpeople and people selling sex.

Well, you know, it's a bit risky to attack them. They've a tendency to violence and don't really just give in to threats. Whereas women are very unlikely to be physically violent so they bring it on themselves, really. When you think about it properly.

[ArcheryAnnie]

I think you are right, Buffy - hurt and also exhausted with responding to the sheer volume, plus the evidence-free accusations against her, and all the vitriol. She said she feels an obligation to respond after signing a letter, but blimey, most people would have told the lot of them to fuck off after that sort of attack.

(I am forever irritated by people who say "my feelings are hurt by xyz so you are violent for saying xyz" and at the same time pour such bile at other people, and egg other people on to pour the same bile, and then completely dismiss the effect it has on the target of that bile.)

[ArcheryAnnie]

The reaction to the letter also includes that old chestnut, guilt by association: "You agree with x on y subject, so you therefore agree with everything x has ever said and done, OMG you horrible bigot who wants me dead. My friends threatening to kill you and posting pictures of themselves with knives, that's just hyperbole, you stupid woman, so why would I say anything about it? Anyway it's totally justified anyway because how hurt I am."

[ArcheryAnnie]

There are a lot of trans women on that list, including Miranda Yardley, who has also been totally MAGNIFICENT and indefatigable in standing up to the bullshit.

[ArcheryAnnie]

And yes, Buffy, agree again. Am so tired at this thing of some people's identities, feelings and safety being all-important, and some (women's) not being worth a candle.

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

buffy, I broadly agree with you, but I would say, I think most trans people do feel the same as you.

Most people in all of this are just trying to live their lives.

Oddly, the only people who've engaged with me over this have been women who are neither trans, nor (I'm fairly sure) sex workers, but who claim to speak for them.

Anyway, I'm paying my dues as a member - MB rocks.

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

(Mind you, get the irony of me sniping at people speaking for other people, and claiming I reckon I know how most trans people feel. I know. But, I do think I'm right all the same.)

[tribpot]

more Beard's blog.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Just read the comments, tribpot (I know, I know), and saw the usual guff about (I paraphrase) "if I say something upsets me then that is a terrible, terrible violent act against me, but you getting several thousand vitriolic tweets in the course of one evening can't even be called bullying, even though you have clearly stated how much it has affected you".

There is no respect from the people attacking her for any kind of evidence or intellectual rigor at all. I also see some people are still repeating the lie that Kate Smurthwaite's gig was cancelled because "only 8 tickets were sold".

Anyway, I've taped a few Prof. Beard programmes and look forward to sitting down with my DS to watch them.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Mary Beard has been a complete star over this. Knowing that she has been in tears over the relentless abuse and haranguing she's been subject made me see red slightly.

I have a tiny inkling that she might have been the main target as she is probably the only well known person on the list who hasn't been block botted (although I suspect she might have been now, for her terrible transphobia )

That certain sections of Twitter refused to take the letter at face value is not surprising, what did shock and surprise me slightly was the threats made to people like Peter Tatchell, who signs a letter deploring the way that free speech is being curtailed in Universities, and then gets non stop abuse saying that, despite the fact that he's always worked for the entire LGBT community, he no longer has anything to say....

[ApocalypseThen]

She's excellent, her programmes are a treat to watch, she's a most personable and infectious presence. I really envy her students.

[ArcheryAnnie]

I'm not a big fan of Tatchell, Puffins, but I did laugh at tweets attacking him as a "cishet" "politician".

They are such babies, and know so little (and care to know less) about movement history.

[FloraFox]

The abuse doled out this weekend to Mary Beard and Peter Tatchel makes it clear that nothing other than complete capitulation to the cult of trans is enough to satisfy these transactivists, including by only associating with approved cultists. It's a modern day McCartyism / Stalinism and it doesn't bode well for politics in the future as these young activists move into politics. We can see the impact of 80s student politics (rise of the career politicians) in government today. I dread to think of the impact this intolerance will have in 20 years.

The language used by some of the main culprits clearly echoes male abuse. We've had the "you made be so angry it's your fault" for a long time. Mary Beard has been getting "it's because I love you I'm so angry". The overall message to women is "if you don't validate me as a woman, you will suffer".

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I am boggled by the misrepresentations of the letter that I have seen online.

It's not like it's long and hard to read...

As for the comments on Twitter and elsewhere calling Mary Beard a bigot, I literally had to go and look up bigot in a dictionary in case I was misunderstanding the word. Which I wasn't. Basically instead of bothering to construct an argument people just throw the word 'bigot' around like mud and hope it sticks.

As ever - impressed and inspired by Mary's grace and resilience, depressed beyond measure by the way debate is conducted on the internet.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Not a big fan of him myself, but the accusations made against him would have been bloody laughable, if they hadn't been so relentless and, in a couple of cases, scary.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Him being Peter Tatchell obvs.

[FloraFox]

countess an unrepentant bigot no less!

Agree puffins I'm not a huge PT fan. In his case I'm somewhat amused that he has been turned on by this mob as he possibly thought his standing as a transactivist would put him ahead of that.

Buffy I'd be interested in reading more about post-structuralism.

On a side note, I see I'm on the blockbot. It strikes me as a useful way to see who is dim-witted enough to use it. So far only four people that I have noticed. One seems to be a Graham Linehan, which seems surprising. Maybe he blocked me personally but I can't think of any tweets he would have particularly noticed. I'm not a prolific tweeter.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Good for you Flora! Level 1 or level 2?

Have they put Beard and Tatchell on there yet?

[ArcheryAnnie]

The language used by some of the main culprits clearly echoes male abuse. We've had the "you made be so angry it's your fault" for a long time. Mary Beard has been getting "it's because I love you I'm so angry".

My god, FloraFox, you are right. I hadn't looked at it that way before.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Beard has now been labelled an unrepentant bigot because she signed a letter about free speech.

Read that sentence through a few times and just let it sink in how bloody ironic it is.

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

This makes me aware of how lucky I am to know about MN. I could very easily not know, not having kids. On here, nobody thinks I am evil or mad for believing that we ought (at the very least) to be able to discuss issues around sex work/prostitution.

I thought I know all the flashpoints for feministy discussions, but that one's really shocked me. Just had someone say sneeringly that Rachel Moran is probably lying about having been a prostitute, because I'd said I was influenced by her.

I'm just stunned.