To encourage Ocado shoppers to read this

[Estellesylvia]

If you are an Ocado customer, you should be aware that they consider defining ‘woman’ as an adult human female to be hate speech and not ‘in line with their values’.

They threatened to pull advertising from Primesite unless Primesite took down a billboard with the OED definition of woman on it.

They have received hundreds of complaints from women since, but have refused to apologise.

Just in case you might want to consider not giving your money to a company who consider the word woman to not be in line with their values.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3376466-ocado-boycott-after-support-of-primesight-action

And if you do decide to boycott, tell them why.

The CEO of Ocado was at the Presidents Club event where hostesses were sexually harassed.

I'm not surprised that he's a weapons grade misogynist.

Good point, finnmcool.

Well said @babysharksmummy

people can be born in the wrong body

Unscientific hogwash.

The message is that trans women are not women, which isn't acceptable in 2018. It's prejudiced crap. 'adult human female' clearly implies that to be a 'woman' you have to be 'female' (ie have female genetalia) when it's well documented that people can be born in the wrong body and still identify as a woman.

The message is that in 2018, women cannot define themselves as adult human females and that this is absurd.

People cannot be born in the wrong body, they ARE their body.

it's well documented that people can be born in the wrong body

Is it?

Whose body are they born into then?

TERF is not a slur. It is a clear academic term which accurately represents the views of transphobic feminists. Don't like being called a TERF? Stop being a TERF.

Weird how people manage to point that slur at Adult Human Females though don't you think?

The preferred delivery company of handmaidens everywhere.

Bibijayne Sat 29-Sep-18 08:58:56

Great to see companies standing up to hysterical transphobia.

Great to see women colluding in their own erasure, and handing their money over to people who think the proper description of women is menstruators, pregnant people, people with cervixes, bleeders. Meanwhile, transwomen are women.

I was born into the body of a short-legged average-looking female when, in reality, I identify as a lithe long-legged Swedish supermodel. Anyone who doesn't treat me as such is a bigot.

Ocado pulled the advertising because the billboard is clearly trolling. Grow up.

Ocado pulled the advertising because the billboard is clearly trolling. Grow up.

People with penises are clearly men.

Some of you need a word with yourselves.

I object most to girls who aren't feminine enough being made to feel that they are trans. There's a girl at my DD's school who says she's trans, though she's said she doesn't feel male, it's just that she doesn't feel female. You're a girl or a woman because of your biology not because you follow stereotypes. I presented as a boy when I was younger but I'm now happy as a woman. I hate the thought I might have been encouraged into a lifetime of medical and surgical treatments.

@DisrespectfulAdultFemale loving the username and the comment

Thank you, Dartmoor! That made my day.

Christ, does Ocado think the great shopping public really care where they stand on this? Personally, I always read the mission statements of a retailer before I make any purchase ....ethical trading, testing on animals I understand, but this?

Babyshark If woman meaning adult human female isn’t acceptable in 2018 then can you please supply your definition of woman? Knowing, of course, that a definition can’t reference the word it’s defining to be meaningful (so woman= anyone who identifies as a woman isn’t a definition, so you’ll need to come up with something else).

I’d actually really appreciate a response to this as it would help me understand your point of view. I’ve been asking this question for years now with no response so it would be brilliant if you could help.

Thanks.

"They threatened to pull advertising from Primesite unless Primesite took down a billboard with the OED definition of woman on it."

Not true.

They basically just repeated Primesight's statement that they would take the bill board down because of the motivations behind the campaign, without looking into what it was actually about. They played no role in Primesight's decision.

Totally agree the tweet was inappropriate but it was clearly not due to the company actually having a defined stance on this, but a customer service person trying to placate a complaint on Twitter and inadvertently walking into a debate they weren't aware of.

I don't think exaggerating things like this helps the argument at all and diverts attention from doing things that actually could make a difference.

I wonder if a poster with the dictionary definition of man would also be seen as transphobic? I will never betray another woman by saying that men can be women.

The billboard was deliberately provocative and has actually been immensely successful in provoking debate. It also stated a simple, dictionary definition.
Women's sexed rights are being seriously and insidiously undermined and the support of that by companies like Ocado is widespread. Women need to know this, but how you feel about that is up to you.
Ocado have been contacting customers who are offended by their response and apologising, yet while displaying their inclusivity, listed the areas they support but omitted sex. Sex, a legally protected characteristic under the Equalities Act.

babysharksmummy are you not concerned about the legal ramifications for women and girls if the legal definitions - and hence protections - are eroded/changed?

It is possible to be sympathetic to those suffering distress because they feel they are in the wrong body and also to be worried about the effect on women and girls, if anyone who asserts they are a woman is unquestionably allowed all the rights of being one, often without any changes to the body being made.

I don't believe that the rights of trans individuals trump those of women. I don't believe it is progressive to give one group rights by depriving another of them, especially when those rights were hard fought for.

It can feel uncomfortable to 'not be nice' if we decide not to roll over on this. Many of us are used to being concerned about social disadvantage, and may have campaigned on it. I have campaigned for disability rights. I don't personally want anybody to be in distress about their gender identity, and feel sympathy for those that do. But unfortunately this distress cannot be given a higher priority over the safety of women and girls.

TERF is not a slur

@MNHQ disagree with you.

but a customer service person trying to placate a complaint on Twitter and inadvertently walking into a debate they weren't aware of

How do you know this and if that were the case its a simple enough job to issue a follow up clarifying statement. They haven't, I am now an ex-Ocado customer.

If woman meaning adult human female isn’t acceptable in 2018 then can you please supply your definition of woman? Knowing, of course, that a definition can’t reference the word it’s defining to be meaningful (so woman= anyone who identifies as a woman isn’t a definition, so you’ll need to come up with something else).

I’d actually really appreciate a response to this as it would help me understand your point of view. I’ve been asking this question for years now with no response so it would be brilliant if you could help.

Thanks.

Me too please. If someone can supply a non-circular definition of the word, ‘woman’, I genuinely would like to hear it.