My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Suzanne Moore - naming and shaming

185 replies

Haworthia · 18/03/2020 23:57

Suzanne Moore is naming and shaming her Guardian colleagues/friends who signed the letter condemning her column. She’s obviously feeling completely betrayed but I’m worried this is going to backfire for her. Tell you what - massive balls though.

OP posts:
Report
Winesalot · 19/03/2020 13:40

I know a few Agile Scrum Masters. The title makes me giggle everytime. Someone in the digital world had a great sense of humour developing that tech!!

Report
nauticant · 19/03/2020 13:42

Love how Owen Jones has his name at the end.

Like the Soviet political commissars on the Eastern Front who would be positioned behind the troops.

Report
Tootsweets23 · 19/03/2020 13:49

I am wondering if some of the journalists on that list are shitting themselves at the response on Twitter, and will do a "in hindsight signing this was a mistake" or "it wasn't about Suzanne Moore rather I signed it because of some other nebulous reason that is much less bad".

If they want to work for other news organisations in their careers, then this really isn't a good look.

Report
Cuntysnark · 19/03/2020 13:49

I’ve been to a football match or 2 in my time. What’s that they sing? Who are ya?

Report
DidoLamenting · 19/03/2020 13:52

The only columnists on the list, as far as I can see, are Owen Jones (obviously), Eva Wiseman and Coco Khan, who does a small column in the Saturday weekend section

Tim Jonze and Simon Hattenstone are journalists.

Coco Khan's weekly Saturday column is beyond pointless. It takes pointless to a new level.

Eva Wiseman has never written anything worth reading.

Report
Durgasarrow · 19/03/2020 14:01

Good for her.

Report
Collidascope · 19/03/2020 14:02

As others have said, I'm actually pleased with how many of the "big" journalists haven't signed it. I'd heard of maybe three people on that list. Heartening to see that people like Zoe Williams, who have a different opinion, still haven't signed it.

Report
Durgasarrow · 19/03/2020 14:04

I think it's disgusting that this was a big secret. If they were proud to sign it, she should be able to share it.

Report
AnyOldSpartabix · 19/03/2020 14:10

some TRAs will use it as a justification for doing the same thing to GC people

There’s a lesson here, which is... don’t put your name to anything if you can’t afford the consequences if it is made public.

I wonder whether the support for Suzanne has taken them by surprise.

But few people like a bully, and it’s pretty obvious here who is being bullied. If they had no qualms about what they were signing, they wouldn’t need anonymity.

Report
LadyQuarantinaPluckington · 19/03/2020 14:22

I'd like to address this nonsense about anonymously signing a letter being some sort of sacrosanct seal of the confessional protection.

I've signed a few letters in recent times that have been making statements in support of the principles I truly believe in. I have sometimes done this with relative anonymity because I genuinely fear the batshit behaviour of the TRAs who make rape and death threats, and I have vulnerable children whom I need to protect.

But, I have done so, weighing up the reality that if I put my name to something, I may well be called upon to own it publicly at some point, even given the risks, and I have signed in that knowledge because I have integrity.

If you do not believe that what you are signing is entirely right, do not sign it. Doing so anonymously, if you don't, doesn't give you a pass if you are ever revealed and you then claim you either don't really agree, or would never have said so publicly.

This mealy mouthed hypocrisy because you're embarrassed that you've been revealed to be a bit stupid and tend towards actual fascism is your shit to own.

Let me reiterate - I have signed things I believe in, and I will defend those things openly if I must. I will not whine that I thought there would be no one asking me to justify my actions, as though asking me to do so is being unreasonable.

Report
zanahoria · 19/03/2020 14:23

I'm actually pleased with how many of the "big" journalists haven't signed it.

My guess is that is why she could not resist releasing it

Report
midclegs · 19/03/2020 14:34

Hardly any journalists on that list and a non-surprising amount of Male software engineers..

Go Suzanne!

Report
MoltenLasagne · 19/03/2020 14:35

Unsurprised at how many of those names are from the US Guardian, but seriously annoyed that they think their mighty disapproval should have any sway over the editorial decisions of the UK arm of the newspaper.

Report
FrankieManca · 19/03/2020 14:47

We are also disappointed in the Guardian’s repeated decision to publish anti-trans views. We are proud to work at a newspaper which supports human rights and gives voice to people underrepresented in the media. But the pattern of publishing transphobic content has interfered with our work and cemented our reputation as a publication hostile to trans rights and trans employees

What is this bollocks that having a concern for sex-based rights is the same thing as being 'anti-trans'? 'Anyi-trans' and 'transphobic' are completely self-defined terms..meaningless in terms of a legal definition.

I doubt very much that SM is 'anti-trans'.Let alone 'hostile to trans employees'.

There is no understanding of free speech whatsoever. A paper that is unable to publish a feature which looks at an area of differing interests between self-i'd trans people in single sex spaces and sex-based rights is not a paper worth using to wrap chips.

Or to wipe your arse with, however bad the toilet roll shortage.

Report
RoyalCorgi · 19/03/2020 14:49

Tim Jonze and Simon Hattenstone are journalists.

Yes, but not columnists, which was my point. About half the signatories are journalists.

I do think the fact that so many of them were blokes working in IT makes the whole thing rather pathetic. Nothing against IT (some of my best friends etc) but they're a sideshow to the main operation. I mean, if it was a partner in a law firm, say, or an accountancy firm, who'd said some Bad Things, and the letter of complaint was mostly signed by the bods in IT, it would undermine the protest rather than support it.

Report
Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 19/03/2020 15:30

Sorry I not to SS but this is Suzanne’s response to someone making a “don’t burn your bridges” comment
mobile.twitter.com/suzanne_moore/status/1240418873058394112
good advice. Never seen a bridge I wont set alight...

She is BRILLIANT Grin

Report
Floisme · 19/03/2020 15:50

There might not be many recognisable names but there are quite a lo twith job titles like commisioning editor / editor / manager. Now it might be that the Graun is one of those places where everyone's a manager or editor but that sounds to me like a lot of people who might have power to hire and fire, not to mention commission.
The Deputy Editor of Guardian US signed.
And who or what is the Guardian Foundation?

Report
PegasusReturns · 19/03/2020 16:30

When the letter was first reported I’m sure it implied it was signed by only journalists.

In fact it’s signed by PAs, finance people and software designers.

The absence of most of the guardians decent journalists is notable.

Report
teawamutu · 19/03/2020 16:37

It is, isn't it? And the rest look like the petty wankers they are.

Really sorry that Suzanne was hurt, but yet more useful sunlight as it's being criticised by a lot of people, inc writers and journos, online.

Report
LadyQuarantinaPluckington · 19/03/2020 16:40

The science editor who signed is responding on Twitter, being a bit noncommittal and deflecting.

Report
R0wantrees · 19/03/2020 16:42

Unsurprised at how many of those names are from the US Guardian, but seriously annoyed that they think their mighty disapproval should have any sway over the editorial decisions of the UK arm of the newspaper.

2/11/2018 Guardian opinion by Sam Levin, Mona Chalabi and Sabrina Siddiqui:
'Why we take issue with the Guardian’s stance on trans rights in the UK
A recent editorial on the Gender Recognition Act in the UK was met with dismay by Guardian US journalists who believe it advanced transphobic viewpoints that are driving attacks on trans rights in America'

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/02/guardian-editorial-response-transgender-rights-uk

threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3412692-The-Guardians-US-Staff-are-Revolting

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3415571-Twitter-excoriates-Sam-Levin-one-of-US-Guardian-writers-who-penned-piece-objecting-to-Guardians-transphobia-Thread-title-edited-by-MNHQ

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3457268-Nominations-for-the-Mansplainer-of-the-Year-2018-award-please-huge-phallic-trophy-to-be-won

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3397633-is-this-an-about-face-from-the-guardian

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3409179-guardian-on-toxic-trans-debate

Report
R0wantrees · 19/03/2020 16:49

I love how Owen Jones has his name last, presumably visualizing it as a grand concluding flourish, when actually it's probably the most expected anti climax ever.

Sam Leven first & Owen Jones at the end.

Hmm

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

RoyalCorgi · 19/03/2020 16:56

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SameOldHorrorStory · 19/03/2020 16:58

I am wondering if some of the journalists on that list are shitting themselves at the response on Twitter, and will do a "in hindsight signing this was a mistake" or "it wasn't about Suzanne Moore rather I signed it because of some other nebulous reason that is much less bad".

Too bad. They signed it. The screenshots are there. It’s no mean feat to erase something from the internet once it’s on there. If they are worried about signing something they thought would be anonymous then I’d suggest, in future, they don’t sign their name to anything they might get worried about.

Report
LadyQuarantinaPluckington · 19/03/2020 17:21

Alan Evans' twitter responses are fascinating. He's attempting to be aloof and not wanting to get drawn in to a discussion about exactly what he signed up to. Not sure if he thinks it's all beneath him, or if he's thinking 'Shit, what have I done', if he's trying to pretend there was some other as yet unmentioned reason for signing it, or he didn't realize and thought it was just a generalised "We love trans people, we do!" letter.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.