Group on FB

[UnshakenNeedsStirring]

So I joined a group of women on FB. To support each other during lockdown and generally have a chat and a nice time online. Ater a week or so the admin changed a photo of the group to one with 5 women holding hands, the pic was taken from back, so no faces. IT was a painting or so from 50's I think or could've been done in retro style. I pointed out that the picture was not inclusive as it was only showing white women and didn't have other women of colour or ethnic minorities. I got a lot of abuse back. Was I wrong? I am a bit shocked and disheartened that in 2021 I had to raise this and no one really was bothered and nearly all the women asked me to shut up and not talk about it

@yellowmaoampinball wtf are you talking about? Nobody on this thread has been racist. Or a cunt for that matter.

Whilst I do see where your coming from I think you found offense where non was intended, it may have been less antagonistic to have privately messaged the admin. Choose your battles wisely.

@BillyIsMyBunny

I actually think this was a reasonable request. No, of course you can’t necessarily find a photo that is inclusive of everybody, but if the group is open to a range of women from different backgrounds it it is reasonable to expect to have some variation in the sort of women being represented in the photograph.

The argument that it would be impossible to include everyone isn’t really a good excuse not to try and represent more than one of the different demographics within the group.

^^ This. If the responses on here are anything to go by I can only imagine the tone of the facebook ones!

@UnshakenNeedsStirring we’re in the same group! I just caught up on it all. Several people suggested other more inclusive pics and have been ignored.
The pic uploaded wasn’t even a nice one!

@SmudgeButt

Completely reasonable to point it out IMHO. Maybe they intended to post something different every week or so? This week all white women, next week a mixed group, then a group wearing saris? I'd be fine with that.

We are having so many info things via email at work about WFH etc and one included a photo that shocked me - a family in the lounge, Dad working on his laptop, older teen son playing his guitar, younger teen son playing a video game & Mom with the hoover. I sent an email jokingly asking if it was meant to be retro or in an alternate universe. I got a response acknowledging that in retrospect they could see that it was just not right - particular as our company employs more women than men.

What were the other photos used like and what did they replace it with?

Jesus Christ on a bike get over yourself OP. Is this seriously what our world has come to?!!

I actually don’t think it’s unreasonable to suggest something more inclusive.

That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the OP’s attitude that caused issues.

YANBU. The OP pointed the issue out. The admins could have acknowledged that and changed it, job done. I think the reaction to the OP is the problem. Much like the reaction to the OP here.

@mamma3568 It hadnt changed ( last I checked, was a hour or so ago) and everyone said that the photo was ok, I left the group as I realise I have nothing in common with them

@miserableannieI have a lot of hobbies thanks.

@MorganKitten so you know what I am talking about. Im just so annoyed that everyone thought it was ok in 2021 to ignore a large section of the community and not talk about it. Got so wound up that I left. Not good for my mental health.

@mamma3568 I was polite, I didn't swear nor did I say anything offensive. All I said was that the pic needed to be inclusive. And everyone just jumped on me. I needed to get a life or that I was just creating issues. No one, not one of the people on the thread actually acknowledged that there was an issue

@FamBae You are right. I have now left the group as I saw comments from so many that didnt sit right with me.

I actually think this was a reasonable request. No, of course you can’t necessarily find a photo that is inclusive of everybody, but if the group is open to a range of women from different backgrounds it it is reasonable to expect to have some variation in the sort of women being represented in the photograph.

Why? Someone has set up a group and just put up a picture they liked of the back of people's heads. Why on Earth would they be under any obligation to represent different identity groups?

Im just so annoyed that everyone thought it was ok in 2021 to ignore a large section of the community and not talk about it.

There was no-one else in that community being ignored, just you. Unpaid volunteers can ignore what they want when running their little group.

Representation of minority groups is really important in public life; but stuff like this just takes the piss out of it.

Honestly I’m surprised by the reactions on here. 10 -15 years ago it was normal for a lot of TV shows (Eg: comedy panel shows, political shows like QT, interview shows etc) to be made up almost entirely of straight white men. The same with a lot of TV dramas/ sitcoms/ adverts etc - focused on white able bodied middle class people, usually with male protagonists.

It was only because women and people from minorities spoke up that we now see a more diverse representation of people on TV shows. Whilst I don’t deny this could still go further it’s rarer now to see a panel made up entirely of white men because people spoke up and expressed the need to show more women, more people from BAME backgrounds, more LGBT people, more disabled people etc and although of course every show doesn’t include every single demographic over the course of a week you would expect to see good representation of different demographics. That’s only happened because people like the OP spoke up and pointed it out when shows failed to be diverse.

It would be so easy to choose a photo which shows a diverse group of women that it seems bizarre not to do so and I am surprised more people don’t think this is something to speak up about. I wonder whether all of the posters who said OP is BU would feel the same if they were part of a mixed-gender group which chose to use a photo of only men as the advert, or would they be asking why no women were represented in the photo?

This FB group, was it called Karen’s for KKK?

@draughtycatflap

This FB group, was it called Karen’s for KKK?

🤣🤣🤣

YANBU and it saddens me that lots of people think you are.

It doesn’t take ages to have a look for photos which reflect modern society. I do it daily for all my lessons at school.

Was this one suggested? Quite diverse I would have thought

[quote UnshakenNeedsStirring]@WorraLiberty How come you can talk and other have to shut up about racism?[/quote]
Why have you picked on @WorraLiberty when there are 10 posts before?

[quote UnshakenNeedsStirring]@MorganKitten so you know what I am talking about. Im just so annoyed that everyone thought it was ok in 2021 to ignore a large section of the community and not talk about it. Got so wound up that I left. Not good for my mental health.[/quote]
I saw, I was already thinking of leaving and that tipped me over.

What you did is what is irritating people and not helping the issues. Of course you do not understand but that is why you get abuse. Not because people are necessarily racist. People are getting enough of the silliness of being patrolled, cancelled, etc.. for everything.

If you're not happy with the group's response, simply leave the group