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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Dr EM on Twitter

30 replies

Innocenta · 20/07/2021 17:52

Does anyone folllow Dr EM on Twitter, or have a better understanding than I do of why she's so upset? It seems to be about some sort of social exclusion, but I'm not really getting it.

Just curious because the terms being used are so highly dramatic and I feel like I'm missing something. Hope there isn't a problem in the coven!

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R0wantrees · 21/07/2021 14:48

Apologies for scrambling link above

twitter.com/PankhurstEM/status/1263746652055187456

R0wantrees · 21/07/2021 14:47

timeisnotaline Dr Em's Medium account was targetted and closed a while ago. This has happened to many writers who do not believe in gender identity. Uncommonground Media hosted all of the articles and has published more of work since:

uncommongroundmedia.com/a-rebuttal-to-ms-black-ms-rayner-anti-feminist-politicians-with-lazy-thinking-part-i/
uncommongroundmedia.com/a-rebuttal-to-ms-black-ms-rayner-anti-feminist-politicians-with-lazy-thinking-part-ii/

Dr Em has a pinned tweet with a full list of her essays: [https://twitter.com/PankhurstEM/status/1263746652055187456]][

timeisnotaline · 21/07/2021 14:10

Did dr Em get banned from medium? The link to her articles isn’t working (from the old thread linked above) . Or Is it just old links?
Link: medium.com/@doctorEm/a-rebuttal-to-ms-black-ms-rayner-anti-feminist-politicians-with-lazy-thinking-part-ii-ac4273506247

RedDogsBeg · 21/07/2021 13:45

Fair enough @timeisnotaline.

R0wantrees · 21/07/2021 13:41

ThatDoctorEM wrote (on thread above) Mon 01-Jul-19:

"Part two, sorry for these posts being so long.

I’m not going to comment on individuals or name names. This is not intended as a cop out it is just I see it as anything that is done to me can be weathered for the greater good of women & girl’s rights. There is no point in diminishing my voice even further when I am trying to raise the alarm about this ideology, queer theory and child safeguarding because I have put noses out of joint or upset the wrong people. I am sucking it up.

I deactivated because I was frustrated, exasperated and despairing. I had given up the fight, I don’t think I’m alone in reaching a stage when it feels pointless and undermined. I need to re-charge. I’m still deciding if I will go back to Twitter, some things have come to my attention over recent days which I am both heartbroken, horrified and angry about which puts me off returning and means I must cool off. It has also set my recovery back, I was meant to be clearing my mind. As some people may know I am disabled due to brain damage and I was at a stage where something was going wrong and I was essentially shutting down/losing certain abilities – I was very wobbly on my feet and I was finding speech increasingly difficult. This is a sign that I need to give my brain a rest and it is over worked.

I am a feminist, the real kind. Feminists are having to work alongside non-feminists in this cause which is always going to need tongues to be bitten sometimes and conflicts will arise. It is tougher when those who do not express or maintain feminist principles take your name – ‘feminist’ – while they demoralise you. It is not a tote bag or label, it is a theory and practice for women's liberation =).

In the GC movement I do believe that there is not only space but it is also necessary for all approaches and a coalition of perspectives. The feminist, the socialist, the conservative, the political, the protest, the work within power structures and the louder, blunter voices. However, I place a caveat on that – you should not consider yourself part of the movement if you routinely reinforce that which you claim to fight against. It undermines everything everyone has collectively worked for. It highlights how you are in it for yourself and not for the right reasons.

We must all question how we interact with gender (the system of oppression) – do we place male voices over women’s? Do we treat men and women differently in the name of kindness? Kindness to whom, because it is often not kindness to women and girls. I am of the opinion that if you do not centre women and girl’s rights or if you place male feelings above these, then you are actively working to damage and destroy what should be our shared goals.

I think the jostling, back biting and point scoring to promote oneself maybe human but is both tiresome and dangerous to the collective goal. At some point the best interests of women and girls must be put above one’s own desires. Do not build your reputation off the backs of other people’s misery, if you are not aiding an end to suffering you are perpetuating it.

I am staunch in my idea that nobody is above question. I am committed to the principle that one should practice what one preaches: deeds not words.

To end positively, all the nastiness and shit pales in comparison to the amazing women I have met, learnt from and the friendships I have made."

timeisnotaline · 21/07/2021 13:40

Totally agree in usual circs @RedDogsBeg I’d eyeroll and scroll on. But I think you need to make allowances and others are very clear this is a particularly difficult to navigate issue for people with brain injuries.

potniatheron · 21/07/2021 13:36

I saw this too and have mixed feelings about it. I believe it was the book launch, which I presume would have had pretty heavy restrictions on numbers attending as most offices are still restricting numbers in one room. So I imagine there were a number of people who would otherwise have got invites but been left off. As with all of these things, I'm sure there's no absolute right or wrong, just grey area and nuance, but I was sad to see it aired on Twitter. Important I think for GC women to show a united front given the number of men on Twitter with large platforms who are devoted to ad hominem attacks.

R0wantrees · 21/07/2021 13:33

Additional relevant thread (2019)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3624063-Is-twitter-having-a-purge-today

RedDogsBeg · 21/07/2021 13:25

timeisnotaline okay, but merely posting things like you have broken me without any context is designed to receive a certain set of responses and I'm afraid I find that rather cynical and manipulative whoever is doing it.

timeisnotaline · 21/07/2021 13:13

I think you should make allowances for the responses. Dr Em is not a snowflake, it’s a brain injury so despite being usually fairly deal with it, I too would think of something sympathetic to say if I were in her tweet circle. (not anything referencing ‘those bitches’ etc etc!!)

RedDogsBeg · 21/07/2021 13:09

I saw this and tbh found it all a bit embarrassing, especially the mystery about what had actually happened. I realise that having a brain injury or disability may play a part in Dr Em's tweets. But everyone else going along with the pressure to take sides, bitch about people, suck up etc. We're not 12 and as feminists, learning when not to give a shit is essential. Though I'm happy to stand corrected if I've misunderstood it all.

My feelings too. It does appear to be about not being invited to Helen Joyce's book launch. I don't know what, if any, relationship Dr Em and Helen Joyce have nor who complied the list of guests for the launch nor why Dr Em didn't take it up with Helen Joyce directly outside of twitter, all the vague hints read rather like those FB statuses designed to receive the response Aw what's up, hun, you ok?.

Happy to be corrected if there is some back story I'm not aware of between Helen and Dr Em.

beastlyslumber · 21/07/2021 13:04

This is why I'm not really a joiner-inner and although I'd love more GC friends I'd hesitate to go along to social events

Every GC thing I've been to has been extremely cliquey. Which must be lovely if you're in the clique.

R0wantrees · 21/07/2021 13:02

Dr Em's articles can be found here and are really worth reading and bookmarking. Her work is meticulously researched and provides an important wider context than many of those with higher profiles manage. I very much admire her unflinching centring of girls and women and am sorry if/when she is not accorded the respect her work deserves:

twitter.com/PankhurstEM/status/1263746652055187456

Flowers

2019 relevant thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3624694-Has-DrEM-been-banned-from-twitter

StuntNun · 21/07/2021 12:48

Of course she can @littlbrowndog I'm just saying there might be a knock on effect

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 21/07/2021 10:02

Forgot to say there that Dr Em's writings have been extremely illuminating. I hope she does go to lunch with the Baroness.

LadyBonnibel · 21/07/2021 10:01

I saw this and tbh found it all a bit embarrassing, especially the mystery about what had actually happened. I realise that having a brain injury or disability may play a part in Dr Em's tweets. But everyone else going along with the pressure to take sides, bitch about people, suck up etc. We're not 12 and as feminists, learning when not to give a shit is essential. Though I'm happy to stand corrected if I've misunderstood it all.

This is why I'm not really a joiner-inner and although I'd love more GC friends, I'd hesitate to go along to social events that seems to often involve mutual appreciation clubs and twitter displays of who's friends with who. There ARE many great and admirable people involved in resisting genderism but it's not a popularity contest, or shouldn't be. I kind of hoped radical feminism would be a place where that wouldn't happen but hey ho.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 21/07/2021 10:00

Haven't seen any of this on Twitter, but I did see the other day that Maya Forstater tweeted a series of selfies taken with lots of people invited to the launch of Helen Joyce's book - at, or sponsored by, The Economist? So not an open event, invitation only, and there were a lot of extremely high profile GC people there (mostly women in the selfies).

I find it dispiriting when people who are all on the same side start sniping at each other for personal reasons. It puts me off getting further involved, so I don't know what effect it has on people still working their way through the issues.

littlbrowndog · 21/07/2021 09:45

She can block who she wants 🤷‍♀️

StuntNun · 21/07/2021 09:41

Bit cheeky of Dr Em to complain about social exclusion when she blocks any feminists she doesn't agree with.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 21/07/2021 09:10

I think it would be great for the Baroness and Dr Em to go to lunch. She has an unflinching take on what is really driving all this.

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 20/07/2021 22:58

It's difficult and confusing on a lot of different levels dealing with social exclusion when you have some kind of cognitive difference (hers due to brain injury, mine ASD), and more likely to happen to you as well. I hope she's okay. I met her once and she seemed cool.

Mollyollydolly · 20/07/2021 22:08

That's why if I ever get married I'm just going to go and do it. The stress of invites and social events brings me out in hives.

KittenKong · 20/07/2021 20:45

Invited not incited... oy...🙄

ScreamingMeMe · 20/07/2021 20:33

@KittenKong

I saw the baroness had incited her for lunch. Hope she ok. She seemed really cut up.
She is pure class isn't she?

I also hope Dr E is ok - she's fabulous.

KittenKong · 20/07/2021 20:31

I saw the baroness had incited her for lunch. Hope she ok. She seemed really cut up.