Insufferably Intolerant Science Nerd

[HopeClearwater]

This person (and I think it’s a woman, I’m assuming so in my use of pronouns for this post!) runs a Facebook page and an internet blog calling out anti-vaxxers and homeopathic medicine practitioners. Today she’s posted a long piece on FB blaming women (‘typically vis women’ she says) for internalised misogyny.

I just don’t get it. Where’s her hardline science gone when she talks about ‘cis’ and ‘trans’? The post has caused a whole lot of women to join the bandwagon agreeing that the misogyny is invariably from women. No one seems to have picked up on the implication that a transwoman is just another kind of woman...

The pomo idea that you can solve problems by renaming them seems to produce a fairly painful level of cognitive dissonance in those who adopt it, which they then try to resolve by preventing others from naming problems more clearly.

Yes, exactly this.

@OnlyTheTitOfTheIceberg @TheProdigalKittensReturn it is used as a pejorative in society though, and has more stigma attached to it. Language is always evolving and changing - 40 years ago flight attendants were called air hostesses or colloquially trolley dollies. Names for things change and words go out of fashion. I will call someone whatever they would describe themselves as and the people I know all refer to themselves as sex workers. It also encompasses cam work, stripping etc as people may be doing more than one thing. Again though, not telling you to use those terms

It also encompasses cam work, stripping etc as people may be doing more than one thing. Again though, not telling you to use those terms

"Sex worker" conveniently encompasses pimps, procurers and brothel owners.

OnlyTheTitOfTheIceberg and TheProdigalKittensReturn make very good points about dehumanising.

I don't agree that the word "prostitute" is used as a pejorative. It is the noun used to describe a person engaged in selling sex. If you consider that the word is pejorative you seriously need to consider whether the harm lies with the word or the activity which the word describes.

The comparison with "air hostesses" and "flight attendants" is spurious. In the early years of flight the attendants were mainly female- that has changed to a gender neutral word. "Flight attendant" isn't trying to prettify "air hostess".

@AriadneAufNaxos but the term is used in society as a pejorative - i can’t change society’s view of things, no matter how much I would like to. Can you honestly deny that people in this society don’t vilify people in this line of work? Because that would be some serious cognitive dissonance.
I was told that they weren’t air hostesses any more because that promotes the idea that they’re just there to serve tea and look pretty whereas the job is a lot harder than that. This was from someone who trained to be a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant. Also, I feel it’s misogynistic - the only job a woman can do is look pretty and do ‘womanly jobs’. I don’t know, might just be me but it always feels off to me

"Sex worker" conveniently encompasses pimps, procurers and brothel owners.

Is the important point. People campaigning for "sex workers rights" are frequently, actually campaigning for these individuals to make money exploiting women.

The Nordic model criminalises the punter, but decriminalises the prostitute - which is why I agree with it.

I don't agree prostitute is a derogatory word. "Sex worker" is a euphemism, that seeks to make prostitution socially acceptable, "just like any other work" and is also an umbrella term which includes the associated pimps, brothel keepers etc. Nobody should be trying to establish rights for pimps to exploit women.

Punters should be stigmatised. They should be despised and ostracised. Being caught as a punter should be a dusciplinary sackable/striking offence issue for any profession such as law, law enforcement, accountancy, social work , medicine or teaching where ethics play as much as a role as simply being good at one's job

Agree completely.

If sex-work is only work, how long before people have their benefits stopped for refusing prostitution as a job? How long before the careers advisors are suggesting it to children at school as a career option? Should we have diplomas of expertise in it? And while we're at it full health and safety regulations and worker's rights. What about discrimination, surely prostitutes should be 'employed' regardless of their age, race, sex, etc and the punters shouldn't be able to discriminate?

So how many prostitutes do you know who do have the full legal rights and protections of other workers? And if they don't, let's not 'sell it' to impressionable people by mis-advertising.

but the term is used in society as a pejorative - i can’t change society’s view of things

I don't agree "prostitute" is a pejorative term. You think it is in which case I don't think you are as comfortable with what you are doing as you might be trying to make out.

Calling someone a "whore" "hoor" "slag" "slut" is pejorative. Naming a man or a woman who voluntarily without being trafficked sells sex a prostitute is factual, not pejorative.

What view of society do you want to change? That prostitution is vile and degrading and harms the individuals in particular and society in general? Do you think society should endorse and encourage prostitution? Is that the view you want to change?

If it's work like any other they'd give young people careers advice to do it but it isn't and they don't.

How much tax do they pay?

Agree with Ari.

The term sex worker mostly seems to be used now with a particular agenda, but I think it was adopted before that by some social agencies, in order to encompass people who were not directly selling sex and weren't covered by the term prostitute, but who were doing other kinds of things that meant they needed similar services or had similar risk profiles. To some extent it seems to be a case where a useful and specific language was adopted in order to push a particular agenda.

Do you often struggle with others having a different opinion to you?

Sorry love, but i can’t act be ducking bothered

terfs/swerfs/transwomen "breast feeding"/uterus implants/sex work/lesbian but hates women/"science nerd"

Has this person ever posted pictures of themselves? I am not getting "woman" from this word portrait.

my post above could be easily misinterpreted- it's the self-labelling of "science nerd" rather than actually being a science nerd that in conjunction with the other stuff is

Dismantling the stigma of people doing sex work would mean better access to healthcare, mental health support and make it safer for them

They'd be infinitely safer and healthier if they were helped out of prostitution. Men should be severely deterred from buying sex.

I agree Kantastic there is an image in my mind from all that too.

I would not see that as indicating a man necessarily, mainly because I know a few women who consider themselves pro-science and talk that way. They post things about why we all need to say "pregnant people" etc.

From one of the comments over there:
Also, the claim that this place is a haven for only praise..... clearly they didn't stick around long enough.
Actually Nerd fans (since you're reading this) I've been following her on FB for years so how about screencaps of some of those critical posts - because I don't remember seeing any.

Sees my name. Straight on it.

As I live in a country where we all use homeopathy as well as ordinary medicine and I know for a fact that homeopathy works, I suggest that a lot of you have already been brainwashed by the pharmaceutical companies, before they pushed you too far with this transgender stuff.

There is a lot of quackery out there and probably some people claiming to be homeopaths who are no such thing, but proper homeopathy is brilliant.

How conveniently screenshottable that comment on homeopathy is, has it appeared on the Insufferable One's Facebook yet or were they hoping to get some responses first?

Anyone who wants to start a thread on homeopathy should probably do so in the relevant section of the site.