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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

What’s your definition of womxn?

107 replies

BabyTeeth · 05/10/2018 23:08

The Wellcome Collection are doing an event about about ‘the ways that womxn are included, excluded, catalogued and classified.’
wellcomecollection.org/events/W5e9eyYAACUAMqcz

Rather than explain what womxn means, they link to the Urban Dictionary definition.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=womxn

If you’re using a word and aren’t sure if everyone reading will know what it means you could explain it rather than link to a site where anyone can write the definition.

IMO.

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Galvantula · 06/10/2018 07:18

"A spelling of "women" that is a more inclusive, progressive term that not only sheds light on the prejudice, discrimination, and institutional barriers womxn have faced, but to also show that womxn are not the extension of men (as hinted by the classic Bible story of Adam and Eve) but their own free and separate entities. More intersectional than womyn because it includes trans-women and women of color. *
According to fucking who?

So batshit.

Never felt more like using the wee head exploding emoji 🤯🤯

The word is women, crazy internet people.

Let us know if they reply KataraJean 🙄

Charliethefeminist · 06/10/2018 07:32

Womxn means men and women. It's like the Black Femme Film festival. Femme means men and women. It's so that we can't have anything for women.

Charliethefeminist · 06/10/2018 07:34

the Trans demand activists are working on changing the OED definition of woman

Really? In what sense? Have they approached the OED? Do we need to approached the OED ourselves?

KataraJean · 06/10/2018 08:00

The problem is that the Wellcome Trust is not crazy internet, they are a major funder of medical research, which effects women as well as men.

Even if you take a historical perspective, which is what archivists should do, you need to take into account that trans definitions are a relatively new perspective and I do not think you can re-write history to create categories which people at the time did not recognise.

I do think the initiative to include marginalised voices is great, and to offer new ways of reading documents to get access to marginalised peoples, but I do not think you can impose current day identity politics on the past.

That is besides the point that many women’s issues historically and now were and are a result of the embodied female nature. So you cannot conflate these with trans people, who have a separate and distinct history and needs.

So, that is why I think by being inclusive, they are creating new categories of exclusion. You just cannot look at the history of women and trans people through the same lens.

Unfortunately, I cannot get to London, so it will have to be correspondence and yes, I will update.

Galvantula · 06/10/2018 08:16

Sorry by crazy internet people I was more meaning the various earnest sounding urban dictionary bits.

Every day this whole thing just makes me 😮 all over again.

KataraJean · 06/10/2018 08:20

I know, but the Wellcome Collection as a serious academic body has linked to the ‘Urban Dictionary’.

It makes me wonder whether there is any other definition of the word, and more seriously, whether BAME women reject the word women too.

Galvantula · 06/10/2018 08:40

Yes why would anyone think the urban dictionary was a credible source anyway?So odd.

There are clearly many high profile organisations being told that this is how to be inclusive. Don't want to be on the wrong side of history... 🙄🙄

Galvantula · 06/10/2018 08:48

My workplace had some 'Education' recently from Scottish Trans Alliance.

Many companies are clearly seeking to get 'expert advice' and accepting it without question in a lot of cases.

BabyTeeth · 06/10/2018 08:48

Yes, I thought the link to urban dictionary was odd: a slightly unpleasant site to invite people to have a look at. When I happened to click through, I was greeted by dodgy ‘dating’ ads. An interesting example of the very thing the event is about.

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BabyTeeth · 06/10/2018 08:55

It was the page it linked to that really got to me - using the word womxn invites us to consider in great depth what a woman is - fine, no problem with that - but then a lazy linking to a page that is funded by dodgy ads for sex does. However when I clicked through again, the ads had rotated to shoes so maybe I was just unlucky.

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Knicknackpaddyflak · 06/10/2018 09:08

I don't have a definition of womxn because it's pretentious bollocks and I have a life. These nutjobs have way, way too much time on their hands.

And at the speed they're eliminating language, they're going to be down to an agreed woke vocabulary of about eight words by Christmas. But it won't matter since they lost any shared meaning with any normal person about three years back.

R0wantrees · 06/10/2018 11:09

Womxn means men and women. It's like the Black Femme Film festival. Femme means men and women. It's so that we can't have anything for women.

What’s your definition of womxn?
Charliethefeminist · 06/10/2018 11:32

Fuck. Such a roller-coaster. I heard that the NAS capitulated. Makes me wonder if it's worth mn highlighting these things, as it leads to such a pile on.

RedToothBrush · 06/10/2018 11:41

"Womxn"

^'A word made up by people who believe women should know their place but want to express this in a way that is fashionable and doesn't affect their street cred or reputation as an individual, institution or company or leave them exposed to sex discrimination legislation. '

Dragon3 · 06/10/2018 11:54

That photo is the most hilariously mansplainy thing I've ever seen. Woman on the left is about to jump in with, 'well thanks, Geoff. I'll take it from here'.

Unless the man is actually supposed to be another woman? In this brave new world, who knows?

arranfan · 06/10/2018 16:03

Its free and on Friday 19 October 2018, 15:30—17:00

tho' it would make timings tight for my next engagement that day...

R0wantrees · 06/10/2018 16:06

It would be very interesting to know more....

SpannerInTheWorks · 10/10/2018 09:46

India Knight has just tweeted

"Womxn! Honestly, fuck off"

She has followed up with some further tweets indicating her views are on the GC side and that she feels it's time to speak up.

Gileswithachainsaw · 10/10/2018 09:52
Confused

Woman covers all women. Even butch lesbians, and black women Hmm

Wtf the is the x for.

I don't understand any of this

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/10/2018 09:52

Are they also running an event on mxn?

deepwatersolo · 10/10/2018 10:04

You know, it just dawned on me that the people of Welcome Collection are pretty much the worst kind of racists. They must honestly believe that 'women' and 'womyn' does not include female people of color.
Not sure even the KKK ever thought that.

WomanOfTime · 10/10/2018 10:27

That isn't even a valid consonant cluster in English. How is it supposed to be pronounced - wuh-mix-in? Utter nonsense. I've only ever seen it on Twitter before and thought it should be taken as seriously as the 'I'm a fog-gender demi-boy' type posts. I'm very surprised at the Wellcome Collection.

And yes, their definition is appallingly racist.

HumberElla · 10/10/2018 14:48

Just seen that Nottingham Contemporary art gallery are using the same term womxn for their big new show about Feminism. People on Twitter not having any of it! Did they and Wellcome get the same memo I wonder?

ButchyRestingFace · 10/10/2018 14:53

The Welcome Collection just reserved their decision to use the term to describe an event they're about to put on. As a result of all the dog's abuse they were getting about it on twitter. Grin

KataraJean · 10/10/2018 14:53

Reversed, I hope that means? Or is that too much to hope for