Evan Davis misgenders a non-binary activist

[Polynerd]

Did anyone hear the segment on non-binary passports on R4 PM just now? Evan Davis introduced the segment: "Christie Elan-Cane brought the case blah blah... I spoke to her earlier - " and then he realised what he'd said and literally stopped and spluttered for ages. Must try to clip it and share - it was so hilarious that DD came into the kitchen to find out what I was laughing at!

Per-Piercy? Oh dear. I just have so many many many questions...

I heard it and did laugh at “we apologise to per”.

I was with a friend who used to be a support worker for clients with various mental health issues. One of his clients was a transwoman with depression and he was very supportive of her struggle to be accepted as a woman.

However, his reaction to Evan was to yell “FOR FUCK’S SAKE!” at the car radio.

I've just looked it up and yes Piercy does use it. It is short for 'person' and reflects a feminist utopian future in which sex and gender have been eliminated and there is no reason to use gendered pronouns.

This particular strain of feminist thinking is not immaterial to where we are now.

It would all be a lot simpler of per and perself just studied for their PhDs.

Aw Evan. I like him too, I listen to a lot of Radio 4 despite regularly getting annoyed with it.

I hadn't realised he was overtly on the woke side of things but there's still time for him to come round! Joiiiiin ussss Evan...

I was at Oxford at the weekend talking to students. Notable anecdote that the grad students were slightly more on edge than the undergrads. More time to faff about with pronouns while completing the PhD on something utterly pointless (they were humanities grads as am I so I’m being equal opportunities rude). No particular end goal. Too much time picking apart tiny bits of text, too much time alone or with other academics. I made a note to myself - do not let DCs do a dphil (should they be clever enough to have the option) except in science. At the moment with universities the way they are I’d want them in and out sharpish.

You've nailed it @HollowTalk that's exactly what it's like!

Bitinterested

I have sometimes thought that after an undergraduate degree, everyone should go do some down to earth manual labour for a while, with regular people. Then they can go on to do more education if they want.

Yes that’s a good solution. My first job after Oxford humanities degree was emptying dishwashers in a staff canteen. Was the only employee in that part of the kitchen team who hadn’t been to prison. I did not say where I had come from ...

I went on to have exactly the kind of job you would expect me to have and I am now a massive ponce . But I know what’s what.

This particular strain of feminist thinking is not immaterial to where we are now

No relation between Piercy and trans-activism. Seriously.

Late to this...

Purr, pis and pe??? Seriously??

It would just make me want to go to the loo more.

The female loos.

"Poo let the dogs out?"

(I'll get my coat...)

Pee, poo, belly bum drawers.

Are my pronouns.

Pee, poo, belly bum drawers.

Where are Flanders and Swann when we need them to poke some fun at this??

“Where are Flanders and Swann when we need them to poke some fun at this??”

I’m a transwoo-
Man, how do you do?
They’ve banned me from the ladies’ public loo!

No relation between Piercy and trans-activism. Seriously.

The sense that a feminist utopia would be a place where sex and gender are eliminated? That's not something just found in novels, for some something like that has been the goal, to erase all sense that there are differences between men and women, that they are important. When we ask, how could someone not realise that there are signifiant differences between the sexes, the answer is because that's what they've been taught to believe.