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Original poster

Academics - WTF is going on?

86 replies

FloraFox · 02/02/2015 22:09

www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/feb/02/goldsmiths-comedian-kate-smurthwaite-free-speech-show-feminist-campaigners

What fresh hell is this? Members of the feminist society at Goldsmith threatened to picket this feminist comedian because they disagree with her views in prostitution. So the SU cancelled the show.

See also the article that's linked about universities going mad banning things.

What's going on?

OP posts:
DadWasHere · 03/02/2015 02:08

I think it's pretty outrageous to accuse a feminist comedian of breaching safe space.

Not what happened. If an individual becomes aware of a potential event hazard (protest) people should be informed about it. Things like this then go to security. The organisers are bound by what security demands be done for the event to legally go ahead. Extra security to maintain safe space guidelines is generally not a free service. So, who will pay for it then becomes an issue.

The performer/speaker does not breech safe space, not unless they intend to protest their own performance/speech.

SunshineBossaNova · 03/02/2015 00:05

There has been some good work around advertising imagery on campus and helping women in the SU. But there's a definite 'atmosphere' around certain subjects. I knew that trans issues were very important, but didn't realise until today how sex work was considered.

cadno · 02/02/2015 23:47

Intolerance in feminist circles found to be shocking - you're have a laugh.

Original poster
FloraFox · 02/02/2015 23:32

Thanks for your perspective Sunshine. The intolerance is quite shocking. Do they do any actual positive campaigning or is it just bashing RFs?

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SunshineBossaNova · 02/02/2015 23:17

I'm a student at the university and am tangentially involved with student politics. It turns out that I'm not the right kind of feminist... I support the Nordic model and (thankfully) avoided a vote at the SU where there was a huge bunfight about it.

IMO feminism at GS is very 'sex-positive' / 'choice' feminism and intolerant of any ideas whatever related to radical feminism. I keep quiet so I'm not accused of being a TERF / SWERF.

Original poster
FloraFox · 02/02/2015 22:38

scallops I saw Kate Smurtheaite's blog earlier. It seems they care very little about being truthful. It's a very strange ethos.

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Original poster
FloraFox · 02/02/2015 22:36

I think it's pretty outrageous to accuse a feminist comedian of breaching safe space.

Are students really so thin skinned they can't be in the same room as someone they disagree with? What are they going to be like in the workforce?

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schoolclosed · 02/02/2015 22:31

It's not academics - it's students out of their depths. They don't want to upset anyone and think upsetting a professional is a lower order offence than upsetting a student.

And then we come on to the Goldsmiths femsoc... Being generous, perhaps they have found themselves frequently under attack (not atypical for feminists to find themselves under attack) and some of them are now a little gun-shy. Hence worrying that a feminist lefty comedian might breach their safe space policy.

scallopsrgreat · 02/02/2015 22:22

And I'd bet they'd have someone like Jimmy Carr.

scallopsrgreat · 02/02/2015 22:21

I saw this earlier. Outrageous! Goldsmiths SU also wilfully misrepresented the facts. This is what Goldsmiths said. This is what actually transpired.

They've been pretty shitty all round.

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