Linda Bellos is on Newsnight

[ftw]

Talking about being no platformed.

(The piece is about free speech/safe spaces.)

[inchyrablue]

I'm fuming by myself on the sofa.

[highinthesky]

I’m not happy about the way that Paris one attacked Smurfitt.

[inchyrablue]

No, that was vile. But the comedian stood her ground well I thought.

[northender]

Same here High

[Feelslikecrystal]

Raging here too. Can't find the words to express how very angry this has made me. I've had to switch it off, Paris Lee's making me boil with rage.

[Datun]

Oh dear. I’m not sure she realises quite how nasty and unprofessional she came across

[ftw]

Yeah but sparkly eyeshadow...

I'm using it to educate DH about why I rant.

[Datun]

She came out of that looking bad.

The disingenuousness is so manipulative. Yes of course I want to no platform people who think we’re all rapists (no one ever said that), it’s the same as when they said gays would be paedophiles -co-opting completely unrelated historical homophobia.

Then trying to tell that woman the reason Goldsmiths cancelled was because no ticket sales. She wasn’t having it though. Good for her.

[hipsterfun]

The young man in the suit talked a lot without managing to say anything at all.

Toughen up, kids. Really.

[Datun]

I know. Completely incoherent.

[WitchBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe]

I too thought the comedienne was astute and spot on. The boy student was just giving airy fairy platitudes.

Paris was shouty but not very credible.

The tide is turning. I do believe that. For all the students and TRAs watching for some validation there was Linda Bellos talking straightforward truth.

[Datun]

Unfortunately I missed the very beginning where Bellos was speaking. Anyone got the time to give me the gist?

[sanssoleil]

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b099wykn/newsnight-17102017

The first piece

[DamnDeDoubtanceIsSpartacus]

That was good, at least this issue is starting to be addressed.

seriously, if people are so mentally fragile then maybe they shouldn't be at university at all.

[reallybadidea]

Loved it when the university representative said: "with knobs on"

[Wincy79]

Hi I'm new here and have been reading the Feminism chats for a few weeks and have found true critical thought from you all. I watched Paris last night and asked myself have i ever heard a women defending rape jokes? The ladies in my life would not question a women who signed a petition to stop rape jokes. I have daughters and i was just so angry i had to put the kettle on, sugar at 10.50pm is a sleepless night.

[ShrewShrew]

Utterly depressing and intellectually flaccid discussion. So often on social media I see transwomen being more vicious and misogynist towards other women than anyone else. Talk about a straw man argument. And why wasn't Linda Bellos in the studio?

[highinthesky]

I watched Paris last night and asked myself have i ever heard a women defending rape jokes?

A classic case of female appropriation. Well Paris clearly has a lot more research to do. I'll be damned before I take lessons from someone who clearly thinks they know more about being female than I do by virtue of gender reassignment.

There's a place for us all, it's some of the more vocal TS' that seem to be turning it into a competition.

[Ereshkigal]

Paris always comes across badly. I don't think Paris perceives that.

[Ereshkigal]

There was a doc on C4 with Sir Trevor Phillips a while ago about political correctness. It was quite good. And Paris was similarly dismissive and awful.

[highinthesky]

^^ I saw the one with Trevor Phillips- my hero! - so assume this is a different documentary?

[creamycake]

I am new to all this stuff but for goodness sake - I feel women don't have a chance.

Paris was just awful and spiteful and attacking the comedian.

Also please tell me what the proof is behind the suicide statistic....

[just5morepeas]

That was really interesting, and kind of hopeful in that I think the people in favour of "safe spaces" came across very badly.

I agree with the guy who said that they ought to talk about these things in freshers week - I still can't help thinking this is quite a niche view that just gets shouted out very loudly and people don't want to speak against for worry of being shouted down. Surely most students get that the whole bloody point of uni is to make you think and challenge you.

And as for trigger warnings on lecture content. Bloody hell. I can't help thinking if they did the reading they'd know the content of the bloody books.

I think Linda Bellos and the comedian came across really well, that student was unwatchable nearly and Paris is fucking vile.

[Datun]

I don’t know how long this special snowflakery has been going on in universities, but these students are now entering the workplace.

They will be formulating policy and directing guidelines.