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Original poster

Radfems and transsexuals – an outsider’s view

209 replies

NoviceProFemGuy · 03/06/2012 12:56

I?ve been reading the recent threads discussing feminism and transgender, and pretty challenging I?ve found them too. As an outsider, though, I can?t help thinking a lot of the radfems? concerns aren?t, in reality, an issue when it comes to the practicalities of how men oppress women.

This is going to be a bit of a long post, so to save it all appearing at the top of subsequent pages (assuming there are any) I?ll put the meat of it in a separate post below.

OP posts:
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CarrotsAreNotTheOnlyVegetables · 13/06/2012 19:12

Oh right I see

EthelMoorhead · 13/06/2012 18:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarrotsAreNotTheOnlyVegetables · 12/06/2012 09:20

This thread was supposed to be about MTF transsexuals, but after a few posts on the first page, the issue is ignored and the next 8 pages are all about rape and patriarchy.

How did that happen? Is the issue of the OP not deemed to be of sufficient importance for anyone to consider?

Pan · 03/06/2012 23:35

Well chairman, 'demons in heads' suggests an illness, and in this context an illness that is ascribed to a failing of women to interpret the world through a male-designed prism. So they are 'ill'.
What followed was a brief discussion about various illnesses with a spiritual connection, possibly. And then the sky fell in and we all died.
hth

thechairmanmeow · 03/06/2012 23:11

how did my 'demonds in the head' analogy get to people talking about mental illness?
my sister in law is schizophrenic, i met my oh before she was commited so i was spared that drama, but i have heard the stories, the family being blamed and all that. doesnt sound nice.

Pan · 03/06/2012 23:05

No, my friend had relied on talk therapies in the past, and is now on an anti-depressant. She talks disparagingly of them, but I have noticed a raising of spirit in her. She'd hate to recognise it though.Smile

Alameda · 03/06/2012 22:56

oh right, I think doctors often get them muddled up (as in diagnose one instead of the other) but of course there are no drugs made specifically for bipolar so they use those developed for schizophrenia (and or epilepsy or depression) instead. Except lithium of course!

Pan · 03/06/2012 22:53

Almeda - I just caught up - I noted bi-polar to schizophrenia, as someone up thread had made the poss. link, or just referred to the connection (I think it was Vashti) I was saying it is quite different.

Pan · 03/06/2012 22:10
StarsAndBoulevards · 03/06/2012 21:56

VAW is violence against women.

VAWG is Violence against women and girls

VAWC (I've seen it used, but not as much) is violence against women and children

Pan · 03/06/2012 21:56

Well in that case ( thank you Almeda) I shouldn't think my friend would ascribe her illness to VAW. No doubt patriarchy does fuck with women's heads, but that isn't the causal prescription for all of that experience.

Beachcomber · 03/06/2012 21:55

Bingo Alameda.

Alameda · 03/06/2012 21:51

(that actually is a guess but I think the right one)

Alameda · 03/06/2012 21:51

violence against women? lucky guess

Pan · 03/06/2012 21:48

what's VAW? not entirely up with that. Or at all.

Pan · 03/06/2012 21:47

yes I know, Vashti. A Problem with being schizophrenic and 'talking with your voices' can end up in pretty unpleasant immediate outcomes, IF those voices are not good, esp if the illness is a paranoia.

Beachcomber · 03/06/2012 21:45

Well you see Alameda, women who don't suck up patriarchy are Not Quite Right.

And of course the fucking irony is that VAW and all manner of other patriarchal bullshit does fuck with women's heads.

You couldn't make it up!

Alameda · 03/06/2012 21:44

they are just quite different animals, wondered why you'd linked them unless she has schizoaffective disorder?

or thought maybe you meant she doesn't experience psychosis as part of her bipolar

VashtiBunyan · 03/06/2012 21:43

Pan, I think that there are spiritual ways of looking at the world, that maybe we could say is a kind of immanence of the material world, which doesn't have to involve either madness or belief in the supernatural.

Pan · 03/06/2012 21:42

that she is depressive but doesn't have any schizophrenic characteristics. 'Manic depressive' and 'schizoid' or separate entirely.

Pan · 03/06/2012 21:40

Almeda - my friend may be with you on this i.e. 'I am labelled as 'ill' but I am saner more than most people I meet' sort of thing.

Alameda · 03/06/2012 21:39

fascinated by 'She is bi-polar by diagnosis, but that's not 'schizophrenic' in any way', what do you mean?

Pan · 03/06/2012 21:37

yes, Vashti, it's a candle she has - she has re-lighted it a few times since I've known her (about 8 years). She is bi-polar by diagnosis, but that's not 'schizophrenic' in any way. She is clear and v self-aware, and tells me the clarity of the flame is an inspiration to her. Which I see.
< derailing of thread not meant>

Alameda · 03/06/2012 21:37

I suppose you can't really use physical health complaints to discredit people quite so effectively though?

Alameda · 03/06/2012 21:33

just cartwheeling through thread to announce that I DO have a severe mental disorder, allegedly

is it supposed to be insulting then? Like suggesting someone has diabetes or arthritis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (not quite as catchy is it)

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