Artists work pulled from the Royal Academy for 'transphobic' views

[AliceAbsolum]

This is actually starting to scare me now. How are these institutions so scared of causing offense that they are no-platforming people like this?

'The artist wrote a blog in 2019 which said that a woman is “an adult human female” and “not an identity or feeling”, adding: “I can not accept people’s unsubstantiated assertions that they are in fact the opposite sex to when they were born.”'

"She argued that the “ideology” of gender politics placed people into reductive boxes, enforced censorship akin to that found in her birthplace of East Germany, and had a detrimental impact on the rights of women and girls.

Ms de Wahls, who claims to have been subjected to online abuse over her views, nevertheless expressed support for the rights of transgender people as a marginalised group."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/17/royal-academy-pulls-artists-work-shop-transphobic-views/

How extraordinary. Even if her views were unacceptable ( which they are not) presumably the work of art had nothing to do with them.

It's disgraceful & also unlawful following on from the Maya Forstater decision last week.

Saying that women and men are different biologically should not be controversial and women certainly should not be losing jobs or not be commissioned for believing in scientific reality.

The Royal Academy of Arts will no doubt have been put under immense pressure by TRAs to cancel this artist but I do hope that they are made to put this right.

As many others have pointed out, the RA displays and promotes many male artists with genuinely abusive recorded actions and views. It has punished a woman for believing that biology is real. This isn’t about transphobia, this is about women’s right to have a voice. MRA, not (specifically) TRA

And yet Eric Gill is fine.

@ScrollingLeaves

How extraordinary. Even if her views were unacceptable ( which they are not) presumably the work of art had nothing to do with them.

Yes, interesting isn’t it? Especially when you consider that the RA are perfectly happy to contain the work of Eric Gill. Here’s an excerpt from wiki on Gill: ‘His personal diaries reveal that his religious beliefs did not limit his sexual activity, which included several extramarital affairs, incestuous sexual abuse of his two eldest teenage daughters, incestuous relationships with his sisters, and sexual acts on his dog.’

What truly extraordinary times we live in. This is disgraceful and all the male artists who have actually been abusive or have controversial views, I assume their work has also been pulled?

There is a thread about this in Feminism Chat.

It is rank misogyny that child rapists Gill, Gaugin and countless male abusers are represented but a woman who asserts that women are adult human females is seen to be a pernicious threat to others.

I am SO tired of this. When will people get that you can be fully supportive of trans people and trans rights without pretending that there is no difference between a transwoman and a biological woman?

Why does acknowledging that a transwoman or man is a transwoman or man not a biological woman or man unleash a torrent of vitriol and threat whilst simultaneously being responded to as if the acknowledgement is proof the person holding that viewpoint wants all transpeople dead (I have seen this ridiculous argument so many times now. In the JKR row, the Adichie row and now with DeWahl.)

When will the trans community start campaigning on its own behalf to stop self-IDing by people who are blatantly not trans but exploiting trans movement to gain access to vulnerable women?

When will trans women start actively supporting biological women and understanding our vulnerabilities, needs and rights to be heard and fight hard against all signs of misogyny?

Gosh I hadn't heard about Eric Gill, well that's even more shocking and discriminatory then isn't it.

Men can do what they want and their art will still be displayed. Women must do and say what men want even if it is untrue otherwise they will be doxxed.

Blatant sexism at work.

To the 5% who have voted that OP is unreasonable how can you argue that this is not a blatantly sexist attempt to shut a women up?

What a colossal bunch of misogynistic shits.

Sorry i didn't mean doxxed I meant cancelled.

If my very anti JKR teen wasn't at home this morning I would call the RA. I think I'll email anyway.

I am not quite sure how we row back from this. People have become accustomed to this mob justice, to cancelling people, to self righteous attack.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's wonderful letter/essay last week was dignified, but blisteringly effective at shining a light on how this works: www.chimamanda.com/

(The woman she wrote the letter/essay about has encouraged people to take up machetes against Chimamanda, for clarity.)

I read this article and tried to find out what her “transphobic” views are that would have led to a targeted approach to throw her out. I can’t find anything apart from that she believes women are women. She embroiders, absolutely beautifully, pictures of strong women or ovaries that are so visually stunning and skilful. As others have said the RA are happy to showcase proven violent abusers though.

@ArabellaScott

I am not quite sure how we row back from this. People have become accustomed to this mob justice, to cancelling people, to self righteous attack.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's wonderful letter/essay last week was dignified, but blisteringly effective at shining a light on how this works: www.chimamanda.com/

(The woman she wrote the letter/essay about has encouraged people to take up machetes against Chimamanda, for clarity.)

@ArabellaScott

I am not quite sure how we row back from this. People have become accustomed to this mob justice, to cancelling people, to self righteous attack.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's wonderful letter/essay last week was dignified, but blisteringly effective at shining a light on how this works: www.chimamanda.com/

(The woman she wrote the letter/essay about has encouraged people to take up machetes against Chimamanda, for clarity.)

Yes, inciting people to take up machetes against her whilst simultaneously screeching that she is the one who is being violent and wants all trans people dead. Arrant nonsense. She just said...drum roll... trans women are transwomen not women. That is ALL she said. No disrespect, no hostility, no hatred at all. All the hatred has come from her ex-protegee.

Imagine if the views of all the artists whose works are on show were examined - there would no doubt be many obnoxious ideas found rather than the innocent statement of biological fact.

As for paintings from an earlier era no doubt many of the male artists were abusive by modern standards.

Yes, Gill is an egregious example. Probably countless models were raped or coerced.
What did Gaugin get up to?

The RA should be ashamed. This is pure bullying. They were able to sanctimoniously
pick a ‘right on’ target. Extra easy to do as she is a woman.

I don’t understand a great deal but one what springs to mind straight away was the Sensation exhibition in 1997 which had a host of controversial art work shown at the Royal Academy so don’t see why they have pulled the above artwork. Is this not what Art is to express an idea?

What they are saying is that saying transwomen are transwomen is worse than being an active pedophile and rapist.

So let’s cancel all the other problematic artists too.
Oh shit, now you have to throw away most of your collection 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Bryonyshcmyony

What they are saying is that saying transwomen are transwomen is worse than being an active pedophile and rapist.

Yes. The misogyny is so overt these days it terrifies me. In The Guardian there is a piece about how Gaugin's abusive behaviour is what makes him great. Men are revered in the national press for raping 13 year old girls and giving them syphilis in the name of art. Women who point out that men are not women have their art removed from the RA.

YANBU, it’s a disgrace.

They’re still happy exhibiting work by rapists like Eric Gill, apparently...

Still, it motivated me to donate to Sex Matters and Woman’s Place UK. Will buy some of Jess’ work at some point.

Screw the RA.

Emailing the RA now once I've seen what they say on their website.

Yes absolutely not happy with the RA about this. Utter disgrace

I’ve placed a direct order
It isn’t transphobic to be a feminist - she should sue for libel

Jess sells her art online if anyone is interested