The Rachel Divide - netflix

It was an interesting documentary. She was not paid for it allegedly.
They began filming over the course of two years pretty much straight away. She wanted to get her side over as she still wanted to be actively involved in activism/teaching. The book was the same reason/because she was on food stamps.
From interviews, the female director seemed to be somewhat frustrated with her. She was hoping for a journey arc and for Rachel to turn around at some point and renege on what she said. Instead she doubled down. I mention this because the director could not get her to retract and goes on to film her teenage son towards the end of the two years' filming urging him to get things off his chest as he was becoming fed up of her filming him. There has therefore been the usual editing/dramatic arc that all directors do, even documentary makers.

It was clear that by hiring a private detective to muckrake that her parents' motives were intent on undermining her as a credible witness. My utmost sympathy goes towards her sister.

I've just watched this and agree with most posters so far about the parallels.

I watched the women saying that Rachel was appropriating their oppression and that she was given a platform, due to her white privilege, that would never have been available to them.

It made me think of a certain SF, educated at a private boys' school, then Oxford and then into law - and who is now able to represent women from a platform which is not offered to many women.

But one is mocked and the other is celebrated? Male privilege

For me the whole thing hinges on her saying tearfully and determinedly that she doesn't want to be that 18 year old in the Amish dress. That's what this is all about. Society doesn't understand (or support) trauma so how can individuals. She went through protracted trauma and she got out AND got her siblings out then tried her best to look after them and did a relatively ok job. That's actually quite incredible.

But her delusion is causing massive harm to the children - and her - and has done to the black community. Understandably they're angry.

The trans link is so huge from the dysmorphia side. I'm interested to see how the trans community - self-IDing trans women in particular - respond to this. My bet is she'll be vehemently vilified by them.

@SeaWitchly she said it was from a brief relationship she had and that he did not want to be involved in the child's life.

I watched the documentary and was was wondering who her children's father or fathers are?
Her eldest son is her adopted sibling... is that right?
Her second son may be from a previous relationship.... but her newborn child? They did not mention a current or recent relationship in the documentary [unless I missed this]???

I have watched 3/4 of it ( had to make tea then life happened)

She was interviewed by a black guy who says he identifies as a white woman...? Am I correct? Did I hear that right?

Watched the whole doc and haven't RTHT but one thing stood out for me.

An interview with a black lady and she said something about how identifying as black is the ultimate in white privilege. Because basically it wouldn't work the other way around and I'm also thinking how about the trans debate and how self ID doesn't make you biologically different.

It was very thought provoking and ultimately I feel sorry for what she has suffered in her past but that she has made some very bad choices since that she cannot blame on how she self ID's.

The Rachel Divide

I found it incredibly sad and angering at the same time. I saw many parallels between her conversations with the wider African American community, her defense of her position and her wilful denial of reality as I do with TRA lobby. I also felt very sad for her. I feel very sad for her children. She needs help - she’s been through a very tough childhood but it’s doesn excuse her actions - she’s lacking in empathy.

I've watched about half so far and it's very interesting. Her children are lovely so she's obviously done something right there.

I have to say that I'm even more convinced now that being trans-anyone is either OK or it is not. Regardless of whether it is about colour, gender or disability. I think it all stems from the same place and I cannot understand why it is OK to identify as a different gender but not a different race or to be able bodied yet use a disability aid and desire a disability. The same arguments apply to all.

I think all should be treated with compassion and not hostility, that goes without saying. Part of the compassion, in my mind, is providing the relevant support in helping unpick the past and pin pointing what the catalyst was for rejecting the body you were born with. And perhaps that is a lacking area?

Okay....

Where to start?

My overwhelming view is that she's an emotionally damaged individual. It's clear her upbringing was extremely difficult.

I think she did her utmost to support her adoptive siblings (one of whom became her son) and that her relationship with her biological family is toxic.

She's obviously a very talented artist. I thought that some of her work was very beautiful.

I think (until this scandal) she's been a good mother. Her children are a credit to her.

However, I don't feel empathy for the position she's in now.

I feel desperately sad for her children; it's obvious they feel tremendous angst and distress especially about her determination to perpetuate her agenda, whilst still loving and trying to be "loyal" to her.

It feels like a spotlight on how one persons determination to "self identify" creates a massive ripple effect as you throw a rock in a lake, yet the expectation is that they remain in the calm centre, ignoring the tsunami they've created for everyone around them.

Overall, informative but very sad viewing

Thanks for the heads up.

Am about to start watching.....

That is true. But you have to wonder WHY she is damaged enough to be carrying on like this.

she said she is never going to be that 18 year old wearing an amish dress again. It's obviously she is rejecting her parents and rejecting her childhood, but clearly when she does that, she felt so empty that there was nothing left. Like, she had to appropriate something tangible. She couldn't just be a white woman who'd rejected her family.

I've heard that people who've been abused feel like they are RE-claiming their own body back when they have tattoos or piercings and I thought of that. Obviously it is massively disrespectful but she is a damaged person who has never had therapy.

I'm only half way through but despite generally being an empathetic person, I'm really not feeling for her at all. I'm seeing someone narcissistic and someone who is trying to appropriate other peoples' oppression for sympathy. Black women aren't free to decide not to be black. No one would buy that. It was very interesting how free they felt to speak up and say that, when one can't voice the same opinion about wearing woman as a costume. There wasn't any threat of violence hanging over their heads for being disapproving.

I strongly suspect RD wrote the hate mail to herself and when the story broke I read a magazine article about how she'd done various artworks, many of which were copied from famous artists and which she was also passing off as her own. In a way I'm glad she exists because her situation has so many parallels with the transgender argument. But I feel so sorry for her children and for the people in the black community who she lied to before the story broke. Being black isn't a costume anymore than being a woman is.

I drew parallels as well. A trans MtoF has not faced the same obstacles as a woman amd shouldnt have a job to further women's interests.

You can't identify

No it's basically the same isn't it. But instead if things like the black woman in the lecture was saying about being stopped by the police and racial profiling it's being harassed and body shamed slut shamed and rape culture etc. It's just so bloody insulting because you identify out if it.

Maybe the reason it's so acceptable compared to transgender is that racism is a hate crime. And rightfully so but people are usually a bit more careful with how they talk about it what they teach about colour. Almost to the point of being afraid to mention someome is black or Asian or whatever. But no one really cares about women they never have and probably never will. And nothing against women is considered a hate crime.

I watched it last night and am struggling even more to understand why people think trans race issues are significantly different to trans gender ones. I didn't spot anything about race in this show where parallels with gender couldn't be drawn.

Can someone share the arguments that underpin the view that trans gender and trans race are different phenomena.

I feel a lot more understanding towards Rachel now. At such a young age they represented Bad, and were cruel to her and to her black siblings. She picked a side. She REALLY REALLY picked a side.

And when your parents raise you invalidating all of your needs, you feel like a vacuum. She just got it all mixed up in her head.

Going to watch the end now.

Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal have a lot to answer for.

Yes. Disgusting creatures.

Will watch second half tomorrow.

Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal have a lot to answer for.

And it is a constant narrative of 'Me, I, My, Mine'.

I'm just watching this as I type, it came up right at the top of Netflix for me, that's how I saw it (I'm UK).

Agree with so many other posters, whatever's going on with Rachel, her children are being so damaged by this, and they're so astute, emotionally intelligent and deserving of better.

I hope they find their own ways.

She could have been a great ally to the black community and understandably want to given she has black children, but to claim she is actually black is offensive.

I always thought it strange that her parents joined in with the public shaming. This documentary explains why they did that.

It's terribly sad that she and her sister were not able to get justice for the sexual abuse they suffered from their brother. For what it is worth, I believe them both.

Just watching it now, 10 minutes in. Everybody in her life is black but that doesn't justify the delusion, or the deception.

She's pregnant!? She brought another child in to her delusion? Oh dear.