Discussion of "White Tears"

I came here to basically say what Tallulah said.

On a feminist board where we centre women's voices and the authenticity of their experiences, it seems strange to then doubt the experience of a black woman because white women don't recognise it.

And as sick as we are of having to say NAMALT, it makes no sense to start having to say NAWWALT. White privilege is a reality - as a white woman I have privilege in ways I probably don't even recognise.

Women on here worry that they might lose their jobs if they come out as gender critical, why would it be difficult to believe that a woman might lose her job for having opinions about racism?

I agree it's appalling (if it's true) that this person has been sacked for sharing the article.

My feeling about the original piece was that there was an underlying misogyny to it. We so often see attacks on white women for being racist or middle-class women for being, well, middle-class, but we rarely see white middle-class men being attacked to the same degree. A lot of the hatred of Mumsnet comes from people who accuse us of being a bunch of "white, middle-class Mummies" as if that were some kind of crime, whereas you just don't see that kind of language used against places where men gather.

I have a problem with white men trying to silence white women on the grounds that we're white (wtf?)

I have no problem at all with BAME women pointing out the structural oppression they face and the ways that white women specifically contribute to this. I haven't personally seen the 'white tears' thing much (the infamous Mary Beard episode excepted) but then again I know plenty of men who think sexual harassment isn't a thing because it doesn't happen in front of them.

You can claim anything though, can't you? On the grounds it happened to 'a friend'. I'd have thought the friend could take her case to an employment tribunal.

I accept the premise of her article, and have seen the white tears thing in action.

I am not surprised that someone had been fired for sharing the article, but I am disgusted. I hope she can take action against her former employees.

I felt the original article was nonsense, and I'm fed up of how 'white woman ' has become a sneering insult used to shut people up - most often by white males.

But no one should be fired for forwarding an article on social media. That is a worrying attack on free speech.

I can believe this happened. It's outrageous

Racism is with us ever.

It's part of the same free speech continuum though; firing someone for sharing it. It's a thoughtful piece about the author's experience, it's not any kind of hate crime or threat.

I am troubled by the way corporations and companies believe they own not only their employees labour but their minds - even their off-duty minds.

Also think it’s terrible but not altogether unsurprising if someone has been fired for retweeting. Bet it wasn’t a person of colour who did the firing.

I read it at the time and remember thinking, I accept her premise.