Julie Bindel article on children in public spaces

[CallaLilli]

I've long had regard for Julie Bindel for the work she's done in combating VAWG and for standing up to trans activists, but I'm utterly disappointed in this article of hers that appeared in the Guardian yesterday. Because by not wanting children in public spaces, she's basically saying she doesn't want mothers in public spaces. Why are mothers of young children so looked down upon? On the other hand the article could just be clickbait or a parody as the Guardian seems to be heading that way lately!

[almondpudding]

She's written more explicitly anti-mother articles before.

It does really bother me because she's great in other ways.

[WhisperingLoudly]

Another disappointed to read it.

Her feminist writing really interests me, she is an important advocate against the insanity of trans rights but this article is Katy Hopkins troll-esque.

[CallaLilli]

Her comment about how people shouldn't breed because there's so many kids in care who they could adopt was just bizarre. There isn't some child equivalent of Battersea Dogs Home where you can go and take your pick!

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

As far as I'm concerned Julie Bindel has always come across as a person who has no time for anyone other than people exactly like Julie Bindel; basically any one who is not a desperately plain looking , bonkers-left , working-class, childless lesbian has no merit.

That article is such a load of over-blown rubbish, with lashings of her usual inverted snobbery. Although I'm surprised, given how snotty she usually is about corporations/ capitalism etc that she would taint the purity of Bindel by ever setting foot in a Starbucks in the first place.

[AntiHop]

I was so sad to read this and to see some if feminist friends share it on Facebook. I've always had such huge admiration for her. How can she have such blindspot? Totally agree with you op.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

which carriage was designated for bad-tempered middle-aged lesbians who want to kill anyone eating crisps or apples?
"It's down the front Madam, just behind The Guardian readers who prefer to sit on the floor

Love this comment from the comments section.(although strictly speaking it was Private Eye)

[IPityThePontipines]

How can she have such blindspot?

Because she likes being "right" more than she actually likes women, as people.

Anyone with 5 minutes thought knows that anti-child attitudes are hostile and restrictive to children's mothers. That she chooses not to make that connection speaks volumes.

[LuckySantangelo1]

Yes it was really disapointing though its just click bait for the Guarduan; any anti kids article has posters piling in to complain about entitled modern parents. It's very divisive.

[flippinada]

Yes, I saw this article too and thought it was bloody awful. How can anyone who considers themselves a feminist write such a nasty, anti-women piece of click bait?

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

How can she have such blindspot?

A blindspot? On that article alone her blindspot includes, children, mothers, posh people and anyone whose hairstyle she disapproves of.

[Gowgirl]

Tbh, I dislike badly behaved kids, if mine are playing up they are taken home but a lot of people seem to think inflicting little octavias tantrum on an entire restaurant is ok, but a bit of child noise is hardly offensive....

[CallaLilli]

If she'd got into the quiet carriage and it was overrun with noisy children then I might see her point, but what did she expect from the family carriage?

[VashtaNerada]

Oh god I hate people like that. Even in my ignorant child-free days I was vaguely aware that it was probably hard to be a parent and that we were all children once, so I should probably do my best to tolerate annoying children in public places.

[flippinada]

Lucky yy to all the predictably awful comments about entitled parents, brats, feral children etc.

[almondpudding]

I don't know how she justifies her anti-mother position but campaigns against violence against women and girls.

Surely part of protecting girls from violence is advocating for them to be raised in households that are included in and supported by society?

So she would need some stance on how children should be raised, beyond complaining that women have children at all.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Lucky yy to all the predictably awful comments about entitled parents, brats, feral children etc

I didn't read all the comments but of what I did I didn't see many of them. There were plenty pointing out that annoying travellers come in all shapes and sizes ; plenty making the point that children are "the public" too; plenty commenting on how exaggerated and self-entitled she is.

Oh and apparently you can add cyclists to the list of non -Bindel approved people.

[flippinada]

Yes, the two positions are completely contradictory - obviously so.

[Beebeeeight]

She isn't a feminist.

She is a lesbian separatist who has a deep loathing for het women.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Badly behaved posh kids are the worst on buses. They kick and scream, and are often indulged by parents who glare at you with sheer hatred if you do anything other than bill and coo at them

If you changed "posh" to "Council estate"

I wondered which carriage was designated for bad-tempered middle-aged lesbians who want to kill anyone eating crisps or apples,

and "lesbian" to "people"

the entire article could have been written by Katie Hopkins.

[Grimarse]

I think it's a shame as it makes the vast majority of women outsiders from her strand of feminism but I doubt she cares.

So she is just like every other feminist then. My way or the highway.

[flippinada]

"There were plenty pointing out that annoying travellers come in all shapes and sizes ; plenty making the point that children are "the public" too; plenty commenting on how exaggerated and self-entitled she is"

Ah ok, that's good to know. I only skim read them myself.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

You get badly behaved posh kids but not travelling with their parents on buses, unless Julie Bindel lives in a parallel universe.

Given that you're posting in Feminism Chat, Grimarse, your comment is bizarre. I'd go so far as to describe it as bigoted.

[ftw]

It was just shockingly lazy. They must have had a column to fill urgently. I mean the thing about could her mum still use the p&c parking. You only been near one once to know they all give some kind of guideline as to their intended use. Lazy.

And the adoption thing. Omfg, can you imagine her 'sensitively asking' why you chose to make a baby instead of adopt one?

And there aren't lots of unwanted children in care - there are lots of approved adopters waiting to be matched with children and there are lots of children in care who will not be adopted because it's not right for them. Not because Julie's friends decided to 'breed'. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

[Fantome]

As a child myself I'd much rather ban adults from public spaces, they cause far more issues than a bit of noise.