Academics criticise traffic light 'safe space' badges at transgender conference

[stumbledin]

The conference title was "Thinking Beyond: Transversal Transfeminisms"

Delegates attending the one-day forum at Roehampton University, south west London, were invited to wear different coloured lanyards to ensure they did not feel emotionally overwhelmed by sharing ideas.

Those wearing red badges did not wish to engage with their fellow academics, while those in yellow did not want to be approached and would only communicate if they made the first move.

Green badges were worn by attendees open to conversations.

Academics could change the colour of their lanyard depending on how resilient they felt at different points of the conference.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/22/academics-criticise-traffic-light-safe-space-badges-transgender/

The original report was in the Times but because of paywall I have used this link. Think the Times had more detailed.

I am more upset by the idea that anyone should think this has anything to do with feminism.

That's interesting Birds ! It sounds ideal for that situation, a really good accessibility aid.

But not so much when applied as a blunt instrument an academic conference as an aid to avoiding unwanted politics.

It also, again, divides society into those who have responsibility to put their own needs and interests aside and meet the needs of others, and those who can rely on others without that responsibility expected of them. The providers and the provided for. Since obviously, if the whole world goes around wearing yellow and red labels it doesn't work.

How do you approach people to ask them if they would like to be approached? Is there a separate lanyard system for that?

statisticians all stare at their shoes at conference anyway so it will be popular with them

The definition of an outgoing statistician is one who stares at your shoelaces instead of their own when speaking in public.

Oi I'm a statistician and I speak in public!

What is the point of a conference if its not to confer with others? Utter nonsense.

What colour was ‘fuck off you dingbat, I’m only here because they made me and I was promised donuts’?

statisticians all stare at their shoes.

Hacktually, it's 78.66666% recurring that do that.

LordProffekko that one would be pink with sprinkles.

that one would be pink with sprinkles.
What if a man wants it, can it be blue?

I'm sorry Spartacus

It is actually the appropriation rather than the idea I am finding laughable but I can see I have been thoughtless. 💐☹

What’s the stance on clapping and jazz hands?

I think its a good idea, for those people that need it

But not for everyone...if its for everyone then it ruins it for those that need it

(Though it would be fucking handy for ds2 who needs one saying please approach me and start a conversation)

Exactly spartacus

I can’t think of another way of saying it but it cheapens its importance and impact

Stonewall use this traffic light badge stuff too.

Spartacus I can see these being good for actual autistic people. I doubt all the conference delegates were autistic. I agree they are appropriating this and people were laughing at that, not the use of these for autistic people.

In academia there have been very prominent professors who refuse to debate and say there is no point and they feel unsafe. It’s ridiculous and totally contrary to what academia is about.

Thanks SpartacusAutisticus and others who have highlighted that this is an actual tool required by people to make life less stressful.

I had no idea.

I despair of the sleight of hand, deceit, manipulation, whatever you want to call it, that takes this stuff and leverages it to actually enhance the power that is already there.

Fortunately, more are beginning to see through the subversion the manipulation, and are becoming less afraid to speak.

A definite plus to all this is what one learns, along the way. This tool, is one such thing.

A whole heap of stuff about feminism, is another. Safeguarding protocols, statistics, feminist history, politics, how to lie and get away with it, biology, facts and figures about intersex, how misogyny works, how prevalent sexism is, the different types of argument and how to detect them, narcissism, etc, The list is endless.

Women have often said that, on mumsnet, every day is a school day. It genuinely is.

And, more than anything, it totally brings it home as to why certain men do not, under any circumstances, like women talking together, en mass.