People with Uteruses

[visitorthedog]

I was on twitter and saw this with Cheryl Strayed getting chastised for referring to ‘biological females’ vs ‘people with uteruses’ - and she apologised.

I’ve been trying to define what it is about this which is so wrong, in order to reply, but failing 😩

Also - even ‘biological females’ - WOMEN for god’s sake!!!

PERHaps there was a need to deliberately exclude any women who has had a hysterectomy?

Or perhaps there was a need to read it aloud and have a good giggle with someone? Becuase that’s the normal IRL response to a lot of this stuff.

Well, now. Shouldn't it strictly speaking be: 'people with uteruses between the onset of menarche and mxnopause that are not taking certain contraceptives, and have no amenhorrea, for whatever reason', if you don't want to exclude anyone? I mean gosh imagine if we upset someone.

Bloody hell.

Well - the really stupid thing is - the original tweet by Cheryl was about how often students at school are able to use the toilet, therefore not even specifically uterine related

Oh for goodness sake, Cheryl, you don’t have to cringe like that, woman!

You could just politely say “actually, I think what I wrote expressed what I wanted it to, thanks”, and move on. But no. Self criticism must be performed

Fuck off Genevieve would work for me

Fuck off Genevieve would work for me.

Yuz.

Fuck off Genevieve

Using 'most biological females' was so careful on CS's part - indicating sex rather than gender, acknowledging not everyone in that category etc.... and that is apparently still not enough.

Thoughtful, inclusive language is not enough - it has to prioritise one group over all others.

So tired.

She could have said, "I meant female in the sense of sex, not in the sense of gender identity.." Alternately, "Oh, fuck off."

They tried this on Jessica Eaton the other day. She said no in fairly strong terms, which was great. Cue several of these idiots calling her a "TERF" and lamenting that they had followed her.

"Pick nits somewhere else, queerling."

Tbh I'd have found the term 'people with uteruses' instead of women very triggering after my hysterectomy. I still find it upsetting, I didn't stop being a woman (and I didn't stop being discriminated against) when I had a hysterectomy.

Old gimmer here but who is she and why should I care?

Also "fuck off Genevieve" does indeed seem to cover it.

Cheryl Strayed’s an author, she wrote Wild (was also a film with Reese Witherspoon in). It’s a great book if you haven’t read it.

Man (I assume, or a familiar) speaks and woman folds like a deckchair. How very 2019.

Strayed was also the writer behind 'Dear Sugar', which was an advice column in The Rumpus.

I read her reply as sarcastic.

Possibly that’s because mine would have been.

Yes ‘Dear Sugar’ is great, I’ve been reading the book they made of it.

Dear Genevieve, if we all pitch in and buy you a stepladder, could you get over yourself, please?

They might need a crane

I've had a hysterectomy.

That doesn't make me a man. The "people with uteruses" in this context is very offensive.

I agree @OtraCosaMariposa

It’s our chromosomes that make us female vs male.