The Feminist Pub - come on in, chat, ask a quick question, ramble ... whatever you like!

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Hello and welcome! Pull up a chair!

This thread started when we all decided to imagine what the perfect local for feminists would be like. So far, it has taps with plenty of good real ale, and some decent non-alcoholic alternatives too. There are comfy chairs and there's a feminist film night, as well as lots of nice feminist-friendly books on the shelves and space to curl up and read. The open-mic nights are attracting feminist singers and comedians, and we're just sorting out the feminist creche.

Old thread is here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/1875250-The-Feminist-Pub-is-Open-Chat-Rant-or-pull-up-a-chair-here. But don't feel you need to read or catch up - just jump in.

I'm having a nice cup of earl grey but there is wine mulling as requested.

What can I get anyone?

It's true, Mildred - I'm childless myself and to begin with felt like a weird interloper, but these days there are loads of us.

I'm sure MN have clocked this, but they've put a lot of effort into establishing the brand (and frankly 'mums' are more lucrative with advertisers than women...) and I can't see them changing it.

I haven't got kids either

Golliwogs are racist

Actually quite alarmed people don't see that.

Camomile tea (and some form of sedative) for me please.

It's not that women without children being here is notable. It's that they fit right in (I posit because they are women and this site is more properly descfribed as a women's site than as a mums' site, or parenting site), and yet we are constantly being niggled that that this is a parenting site and *don't forget about the menz^.

About gollies - I can't even.... I can't go to that thread.
Even if it didn't matter. Even if it hardly mattered. Even if... how much would it hurt them to just fucking let go of one of TEN BILLION TOYS THAT REMIND THEM OF CHILDHOOD... and just let it go.... why is that SO HARD

ARRRRRRRRRRGH

Do you want to ban men from this site?

Ta dah!

The bloody golliwog issue again. I am a bit suspicious. Like we haven't had a petrol on bonfire racism thread for, ooh, weeks so someone decided to start one.

Sedative over here too please I need to step away for a while I think! Or at least stay on the pub for a bit.

I didn't even click on that golliwog thread - how can people even ask that question?

Mocking so often comets before a fall.

You shouldn't have corrected I thought it was a pun!

eldritch are you talking about my question? It was meant totally innocently.. sorry if I got something really wrong by asking?

mildred the site I believe really did begin as a parenting (for mums) site, to give info and keep probably mostly sahm from quickly goin mad from the isolation . So I don't think it is disingenuous to keep the title. It's just good branding.

To be vaguely fair to the OP, I think that was supposed to be her take: in this day and age how can anyone question that golliwog=racist.

Not getting at you for asking Partridge, which is why I didn't post while cross and am still mulling it over.

Question for the pub, do you find cavemen or handmaidens most make you want to stab yourself in the eye?

I think I feel slightly more sympathy for the cave men.

Not sure if that makes logical sense as the women should know better.. Or if actually it makes me a bit of a handmaiden

Which bit made you cross?

Or why I guess I mean.

I'm fine with it being mainly women on this site, and being Mumsnet and not Parentnet or Peoplenet. As I said on another thread, it's useful when you are discussing an issue that affects women predominantly to try and keep it on topic to be about women. Even as it is, some men feel the need to turn up and say "What about the men?" a beat after the thread is started.

Some people ask why the need for Woman's Hour but I think (regardless of whether I sometimes dislike or sigh at the content of Woman's Hour) this neatly demonstrates why.

Good point ducktowater If it did become "peoplenet" it would become a male dominated space. Because that's what happens in areas devoted to "people" and not women.

Yes, to be fair it is not just men who do that!

Some threads I make a private bet to myself how many comments it will take, for someone to say, what about the menz!!!

You could do that with me too Kim.

no I do not want to ban men, didn't remotely suggest that.
I don't think it needs to change its name; exclude anyone; I don't think the name need attempt to be some very literal description of what it is or what it is for; I just think that when we get into a discussion about what it is, who likes it, why they like it, what they get here that they don't get elsewhere, there seems to be a squeamishness about stating the bloody obvious which is it is a female space, and people like that (which is not to say a space where men are not allowed, hastily and urgently lest anyone be desperate to jump to that conclusion for whatever reason)

I thought a feminist chat thread might be an interesting place to discuss that squeamishness (or what I perceive as squeamishness) because it relates in my head to an incredible reluctance of being able to say that any situation prioritises women.

There are lots of, I think, potentially interesting things that could be said about that by people on here but I have to go and do some work and I am feeling so incredibly impatient with the pathetic inevitability of "do you want to ban men?" that I don't think I am capable of bothering with any of this. And I suppose I am unhealthily interested in this site and the dynamic of how the users relate to MNHQ etc.... I think it is interesting but I have clearly thought about it too much

Mildred, what you say makes perfect sense. We are not supposed to say that we like largely women only spaces, and the different dynamics, without that being interpreted as man hating.

Of course if men said they like a largely male space at times, nobody would ask if they are woman hating.

I like this particular mostly-women space.