A new movement?

[AnyOldPrion]

I have previously seen it suggested that the feminism label has a lot of negative connotations and that rebranding might be a useful exercise.

It struck me this morning that we (with recognition of the wonderful Somerville) may have stumbled on the perfect rebrand.

Genderfree sounds definitively positive, unlike radical feminism, which to many sounds alarming. And it appears from the reactions here and on Twitter that many GNC women immediately connected with the concept.

The only downside I see is that it is essential that gender is seen as a negative social construct and not as synonymous with sex.

Any thoughts? I guess if this theory is correct, it will take off organically and grow. But if we like the idea, perhaps we could propagate and actively nurture it as a longer term project and not just a quick flourish that rises up and disappears overnight.

I think they are just called 'normal, sensible people' or some such thing aren't they?

Yes and no. If it's that simple, how have TRAs & Mermaids managed to infiltrate every British institution? Why do we have the civil service telling women that they are not allowed to object to TW using their toilets, or schools teaching children that boys who wear dresses are literally girls? Why didn't all those institutions reject these bonkers ideas, on the grounds that 'normal sensible' people think they are bonkers?

It is complacent to think that, just because most of the population think it is bonkers, an ideology can't take hold.

Well plenty of them aren't gender critical in the slightest, either. Calling conservative gender fans gender critical is a huge own goal for us because it's very easy to show that they are not critical of traditional gender roles at all. It makes me wince every time.

Why didn't all those institutions reject these bonkers ideas, on the grounds that 'normal sensible' people think they are bonkers?

They did it on the sly.

This might be useful

Yes absolutely, Ewe.

They did it on the sly

True, but they weren't held back by fears of any public protest once the news got out. They assumed that the silent majority would stay silent and do as it was told.

Indeed. I am thinking of the Venn diagram ewe added above.

I suppose it is the fact that norms have changed from being religion-informed traditions to progressive new ways of living.

That tension has challenged what is considered normal.

More traditional types have accepted (pretended to?) ideas that make them uncomfortable and also know they now aren't allowed to express that discomfort, without being labelled and vilified. They can't trust their own feelings and now take the position 'I suppose that's the way things are now' in order to not fall foul of progressive values.

This created the climate which allowed bullshit to flourish.