Radfems and transsexuals – an outsider’s view

[NoviceProFemGuy]

I?ve been reading the recent threads discussing feminism and transgender, and pretty challenging I?ve found them too. As an outsider, though, I can?t help thinking a lot of the radfems? concerns aren?t, in reality, an issue when it comes to the practicalities of how men oppress women.

This is going to be a bit of a long post, so to save it all appearing at the top of subsequent pages (assuming there are any) I?ll put the meat of it in a separate post below.

s'okay. Am sorry for the mither.

I am usually so fair and accurate.

Vashti .

Wasn't the daemon/demon thing covered in the Pullman novels? As a for instance. That your daemon is a representation of your soul, made manifest. So it gets a bit tricky for non-religous types.....re having demons etc.

Yes, it is strange with Pullman that his intention was to create a teen atheist novel, but ended up writing a lot about Gnostic myths instead. Not that the animal bit was gnostic, but the overall books head in that direction.

Pan, it was indeed. But those were daemons, and a fantasy creation; as far as I'm aware, Northern Lights was the first time daemons were used in the way Pullman described them.

I doubt that's what CM was referring to, though. The use of demons as voices in your head predates His Dark Materials by quite a few centuries

Pullman, from what I know of his writing, enjoys poking fun at religion. I think, from what I remember, he was quite well versed in religious studies (see The Goodman Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ; he provided an entire parody on the New Testament)

yes, I see the daft use of 'demons' for most people as a sort of mental curse, without the 'liberation' of having a figure that you can 'talk to' i.e. for eg your better self, or an embodiment of something you aspire to. ( a friend of mine does have a thing she talks to and she is utterly sane.)
In this thread's context 'demons' was used as an 'insult'. But demons and daemons are not so divorced from each other.imo

I don't know much about the subject, but I though people with schizophrenia were now advised that they should talk to their voices.

What do you mean Pan, that your friend has a thing she talks to?

I think meow uses the 'demons in you head' thing (and he has used it several times so it obviously counts for him), to imply that certain posters are a not quite right in the head (paranoid, making shit up, etc), when they engage in feminist analysis. In other words, people he doesn't agree with have mental health issues.

No?

We see this all the time - it generally means STFU or IAOOMD (I Am Out Of My Depth).

just cartwheeling through thread to announce that I DO have a severe mental disorder, allegedly

is it supposed to be insulting then? Like suggesting someone has diabetes or arthritis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (not quite as catchy is it)

I suppose you can't really use physical health complaints to discredit people quite so effectively though?

yes, Vashti, it's a candle she has - she has re-lighted it a few times since I've known her (about 8 years). She is bi-polar by diagnosis, but that's not 'schizophrenic' in any way. She is clear and v self-aware, and tells me the clarity of the flame is an inspiration to her. Which I see.
< derailing of thread not meant>

fascinated by 'She is bi-polar by diagnosis, but that's not 'schizophrenic' in any way', what do you mean?

Almeda - my friend may be with you on this i.e. 'I am labelled as 'ill' but I am saner more than most people I meet' sort of thing.

that she is depressive but doesn't have any schizophrenic characteristics. 'Manic depressive' and 'schizoid' or separate entirely.

Pan, I think that there are spiritual ways of looking at the world, that maybe we could say is a kind of immanence of the material world, which doesn't have to involve either madness or belief in the supernatural.

they are just quite different animals, wondered why you'd linked them unless she has schizoaffective disorder?

or thought maybe you meant she doesn't experience psychosis as part of her bipolar

Well you see Alameda, women who don't suck up patriarchy are Not Quite Right.

And of course the fucking irony is that VAW and all manner of other patriarchal bullshit does fuck with women's heads.

You couldn't make it up!

yes I know, Vashti. A Problem with being schizophrenic and 'talking with your voices' can end up in pretty unpleasant immediate outcomes, IF those voices are not good, esp if the illness is a paranoia.

what's VAW? not entirely up with that. Or at all.

violence against women? lucky guess

(that actually is a guess but I think the right one)

Bingo Alameda.

Well in that case ( thank you Almeda) I shouldn't think my friend would ascribe her illness to VAW. No doubt patriarchy does fuck with women's heads, but that isn't the causal prescription for all of that experience.

VAW is violence against women.

VAWG is Violence against women and girls

VAWC (I've seen it used, but not as much) is violence against women and children