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Original poster

Birmimgham MAC and "Womxn"

33 replies

MACrage · 07/03/2020 14:43

The Midlands Art Centre (MAC) in Edgbaston, Birmingham, has sent me an email to advertise their upcoming "Directed by Womxn" season. Showcasing films directed by, er, "womxn". I presume this means "people".

I have emailed to explain why I find the term offensive and why it erodes biological women's hard-won rights. Posting here in case anyone wants to do the same. I don't expect a good response, but I think they need to know what their customers think. I will no longer be a customer if this doesn't change.

Birmimgham MAC and "Womxn"
OP posts:
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Doobigetta · 10/03/2020 18:46

I’ve never understood why removing a vowel and replacing it with an x makes a word more inclusive. It’s not like the male version of a woman is a womin. It doesn’t make sense.

JollyYellaHumberElla · 10/03/2020 18:05

They would do well to remember that they are very heavily subsidised through government arts funding and that is tax payers money.

As such they are legally required to uphold the Equality Act as an organisation in receipt of our money.

The EA refers to Sex as a protected characteristic. So they need to collect data specifically to show this (a requirement of all publicly funded bodies, without exception).

A particularly pointed question for any letter writers might be:

“Please explain how you are creating equal opportunities in regard to the protected characteristic of sex? If your opportunities to show and promote women are inclusive of men, how are you measuring your data accurately to demonstrate equal and fair representation in regard to sex?”

They have to answer you. They are required to collect the data in their reporting.

Lordfrontpaw · 10/03/2020 17:29

I’ve just spotted I have incorrectly spelled womxn! Oh the shame!

Lordfrontpaw · 10/03/2020 17:27

I would ask them to please make sure that every item was correctly labelled as by a women or by a womxyn.

The wellcome institute was going to run some event that had womxyn in the title and there were a lot of complaints and it was cancelled (not sure if that was the reason).

They can’t just make up words!

Fandoozle1 · 10/03/2020 17:17

Hi MACrage,
Yes I noticed that they haven't bothered to update their website. Please do let us know if they respond, I haven't had a chance to write back as yet but will do this week.

Original poster
MACrage · 10/03/2020 13:31

I too received this reply, and do not find it acceptable. I don’t know if the team at the MAC are unaware that it has been taken over, and can now include biological males?

I have written back to them to explain this, with a discussion of how disadvantaged female film directors are, and included the example of the Wachowski brothers and Philip Bunce as men who are accepting credit for being successful females, despite only transitioning after their male privilege got them to the top.

Although their email says they will now use both Women and Womxn, their website is still only advertising “Directed by Womxn”.

OP posts:
GrumpyGran8 · 09/03/2020 19:50

What is womxn actually supposed to mean?
Like 'wimmin' and 'womyn', it was a word coined by early feminists to remove the 'men' out of 'women' and make it clear that women are not a subbset of men.
Naturally, the woke brigade has appropriated it so that it now pretty much means anyone who identifies as a woman.

Whatsnewpussyhat · 09/03/2020 15:50

How exactly are these males marginalised exactly?

WhereYouLeftIt · 09/03/2020 15:11

I'd love to know which "point of view", which MAC already had on board, thinks 'womxn' is the correct term to use; and what exactly MAC thinks this non-word means.

Fandoozle1 · 09/03/2020 14:22

I don't feel I can use the MAC after this again either. Which is truly a shame as it brings something valuable to the area, but it is what it is.
I will have to find somewhere else to roam.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 09/03/2020 14:17

That's a slight improvement, Fandoozle - animated discussion is a good start, I'd say! Well done.

tiredanddangerous · 09/03/2020 14:14

Well that’s going to put me off visiting the MAC (which is down the road from my house.) Are they on a mission to erase women completely?

CadburysTastesVileNow · 09/03/2020 14:10

What are they doing for transmen though?

Fandoozle1 · 09/03/2020 14:07

I received a response, did anyone else?

Birmimgham MAC and "Womxn"
PearsMorgan · 08/03/2020 07:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
MACrage · 08/03/2020 07:15

For how much longer I wonder.

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TheProdigalKittensReturn · 07/03/2020 23:13

Still read this as being pronounced "wim-zin". I note that it's still International Women's Day not wim-zin's day.

Deathgrip · 07/03/2020 22:23

I raised this in a very woke feminist group once - how is it okay for the most successful film directors in history to have been perceived as male while making those films. Nobody had much of a response, except that I shouldn’t be worrying about the low percentage of female directors and should be more worried about the fact that women do all the low paid shit work in the film industry.

And here I was thinking you could worry about both simultaneously.

The percentage of studio films directed by women (and written by women, and having female protagonists) is alarmingly tiny. We definitely need to be placing emphasis on female film makers. The Wachowskis don’t cut it.

Original poster
MACrage · 07/03/2020 22:14

@Deathgrip. Yes, beyond infuriating. I hope historical records are returned to normal once this madness is behind us,

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Deathgrip · 07/03/2020 20:52

Will it be The Matrix - you know, where a couple of men used their male privilege to get their films made, then came out as trans women years later and are now recorded as the most successful female directors in film history? Infuriating.

Fandoozle1 · 07/03/2020 20:48

Our family and extended family spends a fair bit of money there (the cafe, courses, screenings), I would be sad to have to withdraw my custom but I will do if needs be. The decimation of words and meanings is beyond ridiculous.

Original poster
MACrage · 07/03/2020 20:40

Great @mintich and @Fandoozle1

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Fandoozle1 · 07/03/2020 20:26

I use the MAC loads and will complain

mintich · 07/03/2020 19:57

I've complained too

RuffleCrow · 07/03/2020 16:48

I can just picture the sad little troop who will actually show up for this misogynistic nonsense. Like God's waiting room, but younger and more male. Grin

A shame for any actual women who might have somehow elbowed their way on to the bill though.

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