The Mary Beard Appreciation Society

[ArcheryAnnie]

Professor Mary Beard was one of about 130+ people who signed a letter to the Guardian this weekend, saying broadly that universities should be a place of discussion and debate, and the current habit of "no-platforming" women (it's almost always women) some students disagree with was inimical to the very purpose of education.

Out of these 130+ signatories, Mary Beard was the one the usual suspects piled on to, and she dealt with the barrage with such grace. The attacks were mostly divided between the "OMG transphobe" type" and the "very sad to see this nice old dear who didn't understand what she was signing" type, which is breathtakingly patronising when referring to one of the most brilliant academics we have. Most of the other signatories weren't attacked at all in the same way or in the same volume, although some signatories who are PoC were labelled "tokens" by the usual suspects, which is also amazingly patronising and dismissive of their choices and their expertise.

When I grow up, I want to be Professor Mary Beard. (But I would probably have to grow an extra couple of brains to do it.)

Oh no shit really? I will really miss glosswitch's blog

Glosswitch is wonderful.

Hello! And thank you in return! I was pretty stoked when I read your letter, so it's all good!

(That last post of mine was to 130plusandrising, obvs - I hadn't refreshed the page.)

:( about Glosswitch, that is a real loss.

Something that bothers me about the 'trans women are women and always have been' trope that seems to be becoming accepted reality is that when trans women who have not transitioned rape and abuse their female partners, this is logged as 'female domestic violence' and 'female rape' and statistics get skewed. It also allows male violence apologists to say 'but women rape too!' which absolutely infuriates me...

Similarly, when men who have built a successful career in STEM industries/academia then transition, suddenly this is hailed as a breakthrough 'for women' and we're told we mustn't moan about lack of representation in these areas as - look! There's a woman doing that job now! The fact that she was called Colin and had a full beard six months previously must be disregarded for fear of being called a bigot.

Thank you to all who signed that letter, I know that several of you are on here and I hope the fallout hasn't been too awful.

The person who threatened to doxx Glosswitch has what is known as 'a bit of a history' of doxxing. S/he even calls themselves an ethical hacker.

It's all a bit patriarchy isn't it? For people who say that they're women?

Is there a distinction, terminology wise, between a transwoman who has had (or is planning) gender modification surgery and one who has not (and isn't planning to)?

Not discernibly, at least, not the ones on Twitter and elsewhere. Oh, and even asking.... means you're a TERF. Welcome to the gang

"fact that she was called Colin and had a full beard six months previously must be disregarded for fear of being called a bigot."

Or is still called Colin, still has a full beard but feels she has a right to use female communal changing rooms..........

Well, surgery isn't perfect. I am all for people reconceptualising the penis as something you can have and still present as a woman rather than removing a healthy organ and committing yourself to a lifetime of medical care. Often it's money, anyway - not everyone can afford the operation. Where I part company is at the idea that we all therefore have to pretend there is no such thing as male and female biology.

I see in the New Stateman article upthread that some transtheorists want to appropriate women with PCOS as intersex. As a woman with mild PCOS, fuck that for a game of soldiers*

I suspect I may have too. I concur. Victoria Beckham is a sufferer too isn't she? I'm fairly certain VB wouldn't think she was intersex.

God alone knows now Buffy.

Knowing that, in 200 years some archaeologist is going to dig up some bones, look at them, look at the pelvis, maybe do a DNA scan of the tooth pulp and decide that it's the body of a male, no matter how they "identified" in life, makes me one, so....

Just to be 100% clear. I have nothing but positivity for someone who wishes to transition. If you want me to use specific pronouns when talking about or to you, I will do it without thinking about it. I support people who want to live their lives as they wish. I don't expect cookies for any of this.

I won't support people, of whatever "identity" who want to usurp women's voices, belittle women's struggles or who actively encourage violence and aggression toward women. "Die cis scum" is not a viewpoint I'm going to be happy about. despite not being cis, or really knowing any women who are

BreakingDad77 the uncommonsense blog is an evidence-free bit of nonsense written by someone who doesn't understand feminism, and who doesn't respect women's boundaries.

Thank you Annie I thought it was but I'm struggling with some of the jargon!

In as much as I can make sense of it I assume I'm a "cis" and that is a BAD THING.

I am all for people reconceptualising the penis as something you can have and still present as a woman

Sure, I don't really care if people want to do that either. But pretending that that penis is now a female penis and that lesbians are bigoted for not wanting to be penetrated with it and that it's ok to be in women's changing rooms with it regardless of the feelings of non-penised women? Step too far for me.

In my head the people who go for full surgery are transexual and everyone else is transgender.

I wonder if this whole thing will be a tipping point where the average person will become aware of what radfems have been talking about for years.

I wish I could say that I'm shocked about what's happened to Mary Beard and Glosswitch but it's all par for the course really.

No I am an old crone, and I have believed a lot of crap in my time, but repurposed female penises is a step too far.........

Officer...., you're talking about Sheffield and the utter twattery of trying to have Julie Bindel no platformed, for talking about no platforming?...

And yes House basically, asking questions about the contents of people's underwear, or knowing about it, or being concerned about certain types of underwear contents being in spaces for vulnerable women is all terfy and whatnot.

It would be nice to think that the letter and the abuse a lot of the signatories are still getting, along with doxxing Glosswitch and no, it wasn't just outing her name and Facebook profile, ffs, her name is on most of her work, there was other stuff too, if you've seen them saying that's all they did, they lie would raise awareness of the issue in the wider public, and it might well do, however, I don't think the wider public will actually give a shit, it's only women being hurt, and we don't count.