Use of the term 'handmaidens'?

[JoanWilliams75]

I really hate it. I especially hate it when GC men use it.

Anyone else?

It’s a lot better than what GC women are called and at least it doesn’t come with any death threats.

I don’t generally use it, but I also don’t generally tone police others either.

I don’t generally use it, but I also don’t generally tone police others either

yeah this.

I did use it the other day to describe Gaby Hinsliffe. First time I've used it I think. It really fits her nicely

I'm not tone policing lol. i'm saying i don't like it.

I'm not tone policing lol. i'm saying i don't like it

OK

why not?

I prefer pomo-addled as it's unisex!

I think pomo addled doesn't get across that feeling of betrayal at a woman collaborating in the oppression of her own sex

Well the definition of a handmaid includes a subservient partner or element. I am aware it also has meanings as a slave and so on, but I do think that those who are happily supporting and enabling the trampling of rights of girls and women to “support” trans rights above all else are certainly a servient element.

It comes across to me as either twee, or misleading - 'handmaidens' a la Atwood being enslaved fertile women.

'Anti-women's rights collaborators' maybe?

I prefer collaborator.

Soz - Errol beat me to it.

Personally I'm rather fond of the term "surrendered wife of the woke".
If it's good enough for Julie Burchill it's good enough for me and perfectly sums up my view of a certain wife who is proud to be a lesbian now that her husband and father of her children declares himself to be a woman.

If we are talking about insults then I think a man announcing he is a woman is pretty insulting.

My parents used the word 'kapo' ' = the prisoners of concentration camps who got privileges by becoming guards (and were prosecuted, when found, both at Nuremberg and in Israel). I realise that if I used it now it could be interpreted as anti-semitic/appropriating so I don't anymore.

I refer to them as ‘familiars’. Like cats that hang around witches (so they don’t make them into fur gloves).

I think pomo addled doesn't get across that feeling of betrayal at a woman collaborating in the oppression of her own sex

Or the utter foolishness of working against her own personal interests into the bargain.

Renfields?

I agree with the OP but I've had my bottom handed to me on a plate here before for tone-policing and have learnt some lessons

pomo-addled is much less ad-hominem (ad femina?) to my ears. it's saying that someone (who may be quite a decent person) has become confused as a result of a dogma.

handmaiden is the equivalent of bigot to my ears but my ears aren't particularly important or influential so it doesn't really matter.

If you describe someone as being incapable of learning they won't learn.

"I think pomo addled doesn't get across that feeling of betrayal at a woman collaborating in the oppression of her own sex"

Agree and that's why I prefer it I think (cat that walks alone here)

Does have echoes of 'Uncle Tom' about it which I personally don't like.

I don't like any such phrases that seem to signify that someone who doesn't think xyz isn't therefore a 'real' xxx.

(But I'm neither female nor a feminist so not exactly the target audience on this one)

yes, I try to avoid throwing around names for people. better to explain why you disagree with them. so maybe on that basis 'pomo addled' is better

I don't like any such phrases that seem to signify that someone who doesn't think xyz isn't therefore a 'real' xxx.
Fair point. The trouble is that 'a woman I disagree with' goes nowhere near capturing my feelings about someone like Maria Miller.

The trouble is that 'a woman I disagree with' goes nowhere near capturing my feelings about someone like Maria Miller.'

Yes. And haven't we had this (tone-policing) conversation a zillionty times?

Quisling fits the bill for me

Floisme

I have a lot of time for Maajid Nawaz who often rails at the Left for the way they'll go after any ethnic minority individual who dares go against what they see as 'correct opinions (and he himself has been called a 'porch Muslim' amongst other insults).

I'm less familiar with the usage of Handmaiden but that's the prism from which I'm viewing it (though it's not an exact parallel as they're not exactly as iconoclastic as Nawaz himself).

@BernardBlacksWineIcelolly - I'm sharing my view - I'm not "tone policing". I find that phrase really annoying tbh.

Reasoning - whilst being critical of gender identity ideology, I can't help but wince when I see men call women who don't agree with them "handmaidens". It's patronising and sexist. I see glinner tweet this a lot and, whilst he can do what he wants, I really wish he wouldn't. It's childish and discredits his arguments imo.