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Original poster

The Guilty Feminist book

12 replies

RitaFairclough · 14/09/2018 13:20

Has anyone read it? I'd really like to 'talk' about it. I'm a big fan of the podcast but the book has thrown up lots of questions and discussion points for me...

OP posts:
NewUserNameTime · 14/09/2018 14:26

I'm just about you I start the book so bumping for you

MotherForkinShirtBalls · 14/09/2018 22:57

I actually saw and pondered buying it this afternoon but Tbh I found the podcast increasingly and annoyingly concerned with the men so I stopped listening. Would be interested in hearing views on the book before I add it to my ever growing pile...

Cronesquerness · 15/09/2018 07:10

When I first discovered The Guilty Feminist podcast I loved it and listened to the back catalogue until I got to the episode where Deborah is talking about how much work it is to go through what she intends to say [or editing the podcast] and removing all the words which could cause offence/not be inclusive, so those words are; periods, vagina, uterus and it seems any words which describe the biology or part of the biology of a human female. I got very upset, annoyed and then absolutely LIVID and stopped listening and felt like I'd been duped.

ZuttZeVootEeVro · 15/09/2018 07:27

I lost my patience with her when she said that she found it difficult to talk about her fertility problems and still remain inclusive. Then criticise women for not been inclusive as she thinks they should be.

She may be happy to prioritize male feelings over her own, but I'm not going to listen to her lecturering me about how I should talk about my female body and I'm certainly not going to encourage my daughter to listen to this type of male focus feminism.

Original poster
RitaFairclough · 15/09/2018 08:00

I have just given up on the book when I got to the chapter on period poverty. It’s three pages that don’t include the words women or girls.

I went to a recording of the podcast recently and it was great but right at the end some men got involved (deliberately I mean, they didn’t rush the stage!) and it changed the energy. There were a group of singers - the Oxford Belles - and a drag queen came on and stood in front of them, miming. They were singing. I would rather just have seen them.

I am disappointed in the book. It makes some brilliant points; I loved the chapter on standing up for yourself and speaking up. But it seems so intent on centering men I kept thinking about that drag queen.

OP posts:
VickyEadie · 15/09/2018 08:06

Sounds like she's so "guilty" she might as well roll over and admit she's not - really - a feminist at all.

ZuttZeVootEeVro · 15/09/2018 08:27

I think that my last comments were a little harsh. I think Deborah Frances- White can be very funny and she's had the right to write any book she wants. And I admire her ability and drive to make podcasts and write books.

I just wish she'd see that her desire to include men in her feminism is detrimental to her own ability to talk about her issues and by doing this in podcasts and books she's encouraging girls to behave in the same way. I really don't want my daughter
to be like Deborah and to consider male feels before she talks about her own experiences. I don't believe that's feminism.

ZuttZeVootEeVro · 15/09/2018 08:30

I've just realised that my attempt to be be nice has failed, and I just repeated what I said to begin with. Blush. I think I'll shut up now...

DJLippy · 15/09/2018 09:25

I am fascinated by Debrah Francis White. Similar journey to Cronesquerness. I used to love her then I started terfing. Now whenever she referes to herself as cis I cringe. It's very lib fem. It's all well and good to talk about 'being a boss' but what about normal womens concerns (and no a patrician focus on period poverty is not helping working women.)

When I listened to her talking about the Irish abortion debate I could detect a note of genuine fear in her appeasement of trans women. It's practically impossible to talk about this issue without centering women. Does she have issues?

I think it's worth noting that she was a member of a cult growing up because she was a Jehova Witness and she eventually woke up and left. Surely she can see the power dynamics behind the mantra 'transowomen are women.' Does she genuinely believe that or is she just trying to be inclusive? I want her to snap and hit peak terf. Maybe she has but her exciting media career is more important?

Original poster
RitaFairclough · 15/09/2018 09:35

DJ Lippy, I had the exact same thought when I heard the podcast on Repeal the 8th. She said at the start something like "can I just say at this point that of course it's not just women who are affected by this issue, transmen and nonbinary people have abortions too". The other women who were on just ignored it, and they all went on to have the most brilliant discussion. Also in the music one they were joking about forming a band and talking about pussy riot or something - I can't remember the actual joke but it involved a lot of mentions of vaginas (!) and I felt she was worrying about it being so female.

When I was thinking about it afterwords, I did think about her background and wondered if there is an element of fear there.

I think she is wonderful, and I have discovered so many other interesting women because of the Guilty Feminist, but this one aspect does make me uneasy.

OP posts:
Shampooeeee · 15/09/2018 09:42

She bloody well should feel guilty if she is talking about feminism and erasing all words relating to female biology.

DJLippy · 15/09/2018 11:59

Shall we peak trans Deborah Francis White?

Dear Deborah

Do you wanna be a Suffragette?

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