Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

I'm disappointed - Zoe Williams on language

113 replies

Pinkfairylights · 15/10/2021 09:30

An infuriating article smearing women for not wanting the word mother to be excised from discussions around childbirth. We're apparently right wingers who don't believe trans people exist.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/14/language-society-trans-people-tolerance-debate-words

OP posts:
Thulian · 15/10/2021 09:51

I've never liked her writing at all - it gives the strong impression of being cobbled together in 25 mins and is often internally incoherent. She will say anything off the top of her head IMO and it doesn't surprise me she's not on the scientific side of this argument.

One side of the debate doesn’t think trans people are real; they might feel what they feel, but the rest of us don’t have to join them in that reality.

This is one of many untruths in that article that show a massive misunderstanding of the issue, failure to look into the facts, and willingness to lap up anything trans ideology teaches without questioning it.

If we wrote this sentence about, for example, Christians, it would instantly be clear that you can disagree with someone's unevidenced beliefs and feelings, while still respecting that they are entitled to have those beliefs and feelings, and of course that they exist.

"You don't think we exist/have a right to exist" is absolutely classic genderist projection and straw-manning but Williams lacks the critical thinking capacity to interrogate it.

Tedimhoardingrightsosaur · 15/10/2021 09:50

Reading the Guardian is like being in an abusive relationship. They will publish the odd article, like the Susanna Rustin one the other day, that makes you think, "They're not so bad, this reminds me of the good old days, I'll stay and hope this is a sign of real change." Next thing you know, they are punching you in the head - again.

EdgeOfACoin · 15/10/2021 09:49

According to Wikipedia she has two children. I bet she has always been referred to as 'mother' and has no idea what it is like to be referred to as a 'birthing person'.

I do. It makes me feel like a piece of meat or a breeding animal.

Reallybadidea · 15/10/2021 09:45

It's a really badly-argued piece, lots of contradictions and non sequiturs. Her light-hearted amusing columns are very funny, but she's not as good at the serious stuff IMO.

UpshittsCreek · 15/10/2021 09:45

Mixed view on it. In some ways I think the concern about language as been amplified by those who deny genuine trans people exist.
I also think that some people are falling over themselves to appear woke and are making changes when nobody asked them to. Reminds me of when the local community centre proposed no more Halloween or Christmas decorations out of respect for other religions. Parents up in arms and it fed into racist tensions in the area. The Muslim families in the area thought that was ridiculous and didn't ask, let alone demand changes to be made and now they were the target of abuse for something they never wanted.
I think the average trans person would be just as concerned at men pulling out the trans card to get into a female prison and may find the term chestfeeding unnecessary. It's the people on both extremes of the left and right stirring up tensions and making it very difficult to have a proper civil conversation.
It is extremely frustrating to not be able to discuss concerns about changes to language and women's rights without being immediately labelled a far right bigot.

Fariha31 · 15/10/2021 09:40

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

MiladyBerserko · 15/10/2021 09:40

That article, is 'the' example of Vichy Feminism

OrangeJuiceAndNoodles · 15/10/2021 09:40

Zoe Williams is an infuriating writer in any case. I always struggle to follow her articles. When I think about how much I dislike The Guardian, I think of her and Owen Jones.

No idea how she's managed to get to her position in life.

Fariha31 · 15/10/2021 09:39

I went to primary school with her. Before I was sent off to the local mixed sex comperhensive and witnessed and experiances horrific sexist bullying from the boys, and she went off to her private girls school, to become, well what she is now.

She was the archtype popular cool girl, then and now it seems.

MsPavlichenko · 15/10/2021 09:38

I am surprised you’re disappointed. She’s been spouting the Hand maiden line for quite some time.

littlbrowndog · 15/10/2021 09:38

I know.

Scottish government taking the word women out of a public health campaign for cervical smears

Scottish government taking the word mother out of maternity services

And we are just mean bitches for saying it’s wrong to do these things

And she said in her piece. As a cis woman 🤣🤣🤣🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

zanahoria · 15/10/2021 09:36

And Zoe Williams, the worst of the Guardian

Gncq · 15/10/2021 09:32

It's the guardian 🤷🏻‍♀️

Swipe left for the next trending thread