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Original poster

Solidarity in Aldi today!

583 replies

JaneyHenderson · 13/02/2021 18:08

This is my first thread in a very long time but I wanted to share the uplifting and fabulous experience I had today in Aldi😂

I reached 'peak' during the last lockdown and lurk regularly on here while trying to make sense of the madness.
DH is supportive to a degree but very nervous of me being vocal about my GC views as we are both teachers. I am a middle leader in a secondary school and he worries about me getting sackedConfused
So I can't discuss this much IRL.

Anyway, queing outside Aldi today and saw a woman a few people ahead of me with a 'Woman
Noun
adult human female' tote bag. I was thrilled and as soon as there was an opportunity (by the fruit and vegWink) I told her I liked her bag and that I knew what it meant.
She said I had made her day; I replied I she had made mine. Then she said 'Solidarity sister and see you on the next march'
We went on our separate ways but bloody hell it was brilliant. To vocalise it and be recognised. Felt a bit emotional and even now re-writing it, am a bit teary.

Just wanted to share. It was wonderful.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Original poster
JaneyHenderson · 14/02/2021 09:20

Wow so many repossess while I was gone!
Thank you to

@MoleSmokes @TalkingtoLangClegintheDark
@Wearywithteens
@Highwind
for their excellent summaries and everyone else who linked/explained to new posters.

You have all made me brave enough to buy the bag! And do some discreet stickering when the world re-opens.

As for GC teachers, there’s probably lots of us tucked away. My experience is the younger teachers (am an ex ITT & NQT co-ordinator) are much more likely to be TWAW and vocal about it. I typed out an example of a young teacher ‘helping a student transition’ but deleted. I wouldn’t want to out the student in the example however unlikely that is. But suffice to say that the pervading narrative that living as the opposite sex means you become that sex is alive and kicking. And that it cures young people of any and all other mental health/behavioural issues which I find the most troubling.

I won’t respond directly to Mocklate (although that’s a Friends reference is ever I saw one so we do have some common ground 😉) except to say I didn’t understand your point really. When you are silenced in RL from discussing something which you feel strongly about, recognition and connection with a like minded person feels good for your soul.

Solidarity sisters 👊🏻😍

OP posts:
FamilyOfAliens · 14/02/2021 09:18

@EmpressWitchDoesntBurn

A friend who used to live in Hackney went into a cafe in her AHF T-shirt & a couple of women said “We find your T-shirt offensive.”

She wasn’t sure what to say so she just said “Thank you” & that was apparently that Grin

That’s the only way to answer people who are that far up their own arses.
ValancyRedfern · 14/02/2021 09:11

Love it Empress! I am inspired by this thread to add to my T shirt with a book and bag as well.

Birdy Rose does some beautiful GC art work as well. I have a picture and quote from Keira Bell.

Winesalot · 14/02/2021 09:11

@Downunderduchess

Just came on to say I have learnt so much from reading these types of posts. Turns out I am GC also, I just never realised. I support facts & science. I’m not sure this issue has the same coverage in Australia as I don’t hear too much about it other than people who like to show how woke they are.
Sadly, it probably doesn’t get the coverage it should with the state government’s quietly voting in laws like the conversion therapy laws now in ACT, QLD and Vic.

However, senator Claire Chandler has been vocal on this. And journo Bernard Lane is consistent in keeping it in the news.

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 14/02/2021 08:56

A friend who used to live in Hackney went into a cafe in her AHF T-shirt & a couple of women said “We find your T-shirt offensive.”

She wasn’t sure what to say so she just said “Thank you” & that was apparently that Grin

WeeTorag · 14/02/2021 08:55

Aw I love this story, thanks for sharing OP!!

I actually wanted to get the I ❤️ JK Rowling tote as my way signalling solidarity to other GC's. Out of stock though. But I'm inspired to get something, anything else just to get my message out there. 😉

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 14/02/2021 08:51

@TinselAngel

Also, I have the Leeds Spinners "Wrong Side of History, my Arse" tote bag, which is a thing of beauty.
I’ve got a Wrong Side of History, My Arse T-shirt Grin
legalseagull · 14/02/2021 08:45

She's brave! I live in Brighton - If I wore that bag I'd be stoned to death with avocados.

oscarandelliesdad · 14/02/2021 08:36

Lovely experience. I am steeling myself to buy one of the bags, or a Jkrowling one. Appalling to feel anxiety over it but I'm a teacher too and although I know lots of my colleagues secretly agree, we have all been so socialised into 'be nice, be kind' that it would be perceived as an act of aggression. I would totally have done what you did @JaneyHenderson and been just as eleated.

chestnutSquash · 14/02/2021 08:36

Early Christians were persecuted and killed because of their faith. The fish was a symbol that they could recognise and indentify each other.

Igneococcus · 14/02/2021 08:36

I think the very much depends where in Germany you talk about malahaha Where I grew up, smallish Catholic village in Lower Frankonia, it's still very much considered the norm to belong to a church and do baptisms and first communion, confirmation, etc. I'm sure that is different in the bigger cities.

WarOnWomen · 14/02/2021 08:29

Malahaha

Yup, I didn't know what the fish meant either.

For most people AHF merch is just another slogan amongst thousands, it won't mean much.

ErrolTheDragon · 14/02/2021 08:27

@Mrsmorton

Hitler youth comment was from *@12frogsincoats* on page 5 or 6. Very strange take on things!
Yes... well, it's true there are young people accusing older ones of 'wrong think', including students trying to hound academics out of their posts but the state isn't actually putting them up to it. Confused So it's not remotely clear what that poster meant in that random Godwin contribution. Possibly not even to themself.
FamilyOfAliens · 14/02/2021 08:25

My favourite bit of the Kellie-Jay / Adrian Harrop interview is when the interviewer is talking about KJ’s comments on Susie Green and asks,
“Don’t you think you’re being deliberately provocative?”

And KJ answers,
“No, I’m being deliberately truthful “.

Genius Grin

Malahaha · 14/02/2021 08:24

@WarOnWomen

There are plenty of cars in UK with fish signs on the back. Also plenty o OM symbols, Khanda symbols dangling off the mirrors in cars too. Nothing secret about it.
It's all the same, isn't it, like Trump stickers too: just people wanting to declare themselves, secretly or not. To me, back then it was "secret" as I didn't know what it meant (in the 80's/90's). Just like some newcomers here don't know what GC or AHF mean.

But the story goes that the fish WAS a secret in early Christianity.

Whatnameisgood · 14/02/2021 08:21

I was struggling to understand the implications here too. Does this article summarise it?
gfreesam.medium.com/finding-a-slogan-to-combat-twaw-a638c1545e8b

Malahaha · 14/02/2021 08:20

@Igneococcus

I'm not sure if that's a myth, but there was a time about 20 years ago in Germany when you used to see the "fish" symbol on some cars -- I assume they were Christians wanting to identify themselves, and that was the explanation.

I've seen fish stickers on cars in Germany and also plenty with the Darwin fish (with the little feet) but I never considered it to be a secret sign. Being a Christian isn't something you have to be secret about in Germany, maybe in some neighbourhoods now.

No, they don't have to be secret about it. But just like in the UK atheism is pretty much standard there, and people of faith like to be able to recognise each and maybe talk about things important to them, without risking mockery or rolled eyes.
Mrsmorton · 14/02/2021 08:19

Hitler youth comment was from @12frogsincoats on page 5 or 6. Very strange take on things!

Malahaha · 14/02/2021 08:15

@AnyOldPrion

Sounds very Hitler youthy

Middle aged women chatting about tote bags with the dictionary definition of woman on?

Or is it the having to hide our beliefs and moral values as we fight in secret against our rights being taken away that makes you think that?

Did someone really say that? (I didn't see the original post).

I'd say it is more like the underground Resistance in France, Germany and other European countries during the authoritarian Nazi rule. People ready to betray you for being "on the wrong side of history", wanting to keep in with the established doctrine...

ErrolTheDragon · 14/02/2021 08:14

The fish symbol isn't a myth en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys
... certainly not a secret in modern times, just a form of bumper sticker really, and the Darwin fish is a subversion of it...reptiles evolved from fish so here we are.

The shirt cranberries shows, otoh, is a pretty silly attempt at subversion of the AHF one. I don't believe any dictionary in the world has that definition or ever will. It would obviously also require the redefinition of 'female', and while some transactivists do attempt it, it's even more ridiculous than trying to appropriate 'woman'. 'Female' relates to biology, and mammals can't change sex.

WarOnWomen · 14/02/2021 08:09

[quote MoleSmokes]Oops! Lime Soda Films

youtube.com/channel/UClpH0qtkazjiVFjP4LF3Jkg[/quote]

Thanks for this.

chestnutSquash · 14/02/2021 08:07

One of the great things about MN is that we can all read and learn.

WarOnWomen · 14/02/2021 08:07

There are plenty of cars in UK with fish signs on the back. Also plenty o OM symbols, Khanda symbols dangling off the mirrors in cars too. Nothing secret about it.

HowManyToes · 14/02/2021 08:04

@Viviennemary

Never heard of GC. I googled it and got golf clubs. I wish people wouldn't use these obscure acronyms.
Just because you don’t know what it means doesn’t make it obscure.
Melroses · 14/02/2021 08:03

I need a "like" button for all the wonderful posts on here.

It is lovely to see Kelly-Jay in that video again. The joy never wears out. ❤

KOKO Brew

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