Using 'woke' as an insult

[PhilSwagielka]

First off, I should probably disclose that I'm white myself and I apologise if I come across as cack-handed.

Generally, I lurk this forum, but there is something that's come up in the White Feminism thread that bothers me a lot about Mumsnet, and I'm glad BMN posters have mentioned it, because it really annoys me. And that's Mumsnet posters using the word 'woke' as an insult.

Just now, there's a thread about a crying little girl at the England v Germany game and horrible men on Twitter calling her a slut, a Nazi and so on. One poster took it as an opportunity to claim that it was 'woke' people, ad I quote: "And these are the same people who are oh-so-woke, and attack people like JK Rowling for naff-all, and call Brexiters, thick racist gammon. Hilariously disingenuous. Typical of some of the people on Twitter."

Leaving aside the fact that, in my experience, it tends to be right-wing fans who do this sort of shit, I don't even get the logic here, other than it's just an excuse to complain about 'wokeness'. I don't even know what 'woke' means on Mumsnet any more. According to various posters, it means being angry and intolerant and not listening politely in debates; not voting Conservative; believing that trans women are women; not liking JK Rowling; being angry about racism; supporting Black Lives Matter and taking the knee. I don't think there's a consensus on what 'woke' is, other than that it's bad.

How do you all feel about 'woke' being used as an insult on here, just out of interest?

@Lndnmummy

This came up in my performance review today. I was told that I might want to “reign in my wokeness”. It was not a compliment.

Are you in a trade union? If so, raise it with them, this is not acceptable.

That's not a supportive performance review comment, it's a goady sneer aimed at the mother of children of colour.

I'd be asking for the performance reviewer to give examples, in writing, of what he or she means by "reigning in your wokeness" too.
Make sure there is a paper trail ( so's to speak) of all this, and you can evidence what has been said.

Do you have a 360 degree feedback on performance?

"Performance reviewer", needs a performance review. Because they aren't fit for purpose if they conduct reviews like that. KMT.

I agree OP and don't like how it is seen as a bad thing to be woke - I mean how is it a bad thing to care about racism and also other issues?
If I'm woke for caring then so be it, I see it as a good thing to be woke rather than bad.

If they can call me Karen I can call them woke
Were you never taught the phrase two wrongs don't make a right?

@Lndnmummy my white DP became a trade union rep because of shit like that at work.

He still hears shit from management but knows unlike his black and brown colleagues if management take it too far - some of them forget he has a child of colour - he can escalate without fear of losing his job.

Yea it’s bullshit. And I know why. I never had any performance issues until I started to ask for transparency around promotion figures. Mine as well as others. Now they are coming thick and fast. I’m being “difficult”, “emotional”, and “not advocating for my cause in the best way. I’m being divisive. It’s bullshit and I will continue to wear my whole crown with great pride. They have seen nothing yet.

My woke crown. Not whole. But actually, I’ll continue to wear my whole woke crown with pride.

Been humming the below in my best hooligan voice all morning after yet another shitty meeting.

“Woke until I die, woke until I die. I know I am, I am sure I am, I’m woke until I die.”

not advocating for my cause in the best way = "you are making us nervous by asking difficult questions about our employment practices"

Speak to your union, if you aren't in one, then join one.

Evidence everything. Take care of yourself, and your Woke Crown.