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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Priti Patel

180 replies

VeganFeminism · 12/06/2020 14:23

I'm not sure if feminism is the right place for this, but, at the same time, I think that the treatment of Priti Patel has a lot to do with her sex, so...

Firstly, i'm not really a fan of Patel's politics. Whilst I am politically homeless, I am not a Tory.

However, I find the treatment of Priti Patel to be quite unique, and not in a good way. A few months ago, there were countless stories about her being a "bully". I'm not sure if she is or not, but i do know hat her male counterparts rarely get the same insults thrown at them.

Yesterday, she received a letter from several Labour members (twitter.com/pritipatel/status/1271075607955288064). The letter criticises the way that Patel has discussed her experiences of racism in the UK. It asks her to reflect on her words and impact. I found this letter incredibly patronising. Again, I doubt it would have been sent to her if she were male.

OP posts:
Sandybval · 12/06/2020 14:26

Nope it wouldn't have been sent if she male, and her 'bullying' would have been put down to being ambitious and doing what it takes to progress. Not that that's right in itself, but men should be equally called out for it. Same as Theresa may, I wasn't a fan, but she was essentially bullied out by a load of blokes. Look how that turned out though, she's at home not having to deal with this shitshow, karma is a bitch.

FFSFFSFFS · 12/06/2020 14:29

I posted along these lines on this a while ago and got howled down....

I agree with you.

I think she's awful. Very awful. But I also think many many many male politicians are also as awful, if not more so. And don't get the same shit. I also think that a certain amount of how she acts is because she is a minority woman - the shit she must have gone through to get where she is would have required some ovaries of steel.

I'll be interested to see how your post goes.

Inmyownlittlecorner · 12/06/2020 14:31

I was coming on to say the same thing OP.

Apollo440 · 12/06/2020 14:31

She is the wrong sort of asian. Heresy for not playing the victim card. Funnily enough I'm of asian heritage and get funny looks from left wingers for not having the 'right' views. Although I'm pretty left wing I find right wing people far more accepting of me. Strange world.

1forsorrow · 12/06/2020 14:33

I think plenty of male politicians get criticism it isn't unique to her. John Bercow got accused of bullying and I can't remember many people sticking up for him.

testing987654321 · 12/06/2020 14:34

That letter is very strange to my mind. It's treating her not as a person in her own right, but her colour/heritage means she must think how they do.

I can understand their frustration but stick to proper political arguments ffs.

1forsorrow · 12/06/2020 14:36

Heresy for not playing the victim card. But didn't she play the victim card? Wasn't that what all the name calling when she was at primary school was about?

The thing is she can't tell other people how to feel about what has happened to them, in the current climate she might be BAME but her heritage isn't slavery.

NonnyMouse1337 · 12/06/2020 14:42

J.K. Rowling. Priti Patel.
Women who do not fall in line with what the 'progessive' and 'liberal' crowd demands are always told to reflect on their words and correct their thinking and sent a patronising letter or statement about 'doing better'. We get random posters here who plop by to scold us about the same. The finger wagging and scolding and lecturing. Men in general don't get this kind of 'talking to' by all these right-on folks.
It's so blatantly sexist. Such smug self-righteousness. They are so pure and upright and holy in their own minds that they think nothing of treating women who disagree with them like infants who don't know their own minds and must be 'educated' to the 'right' kind of thinking.

flashbac · 12/06/2020 14:50

Please do not insult jk Rowling by comparing her to Priti Patel. Priti is evil. Yes, and so is Cummings so no I'm not picking on women.
Gosh

PrincessConsuelaVaginaHammock · 12/06/2020 14:51

It's perfectly possible for a person to be incompetent and obnoxious whilst also being criticised more harshly because of it than a person of a different sex and/or skin colour might be. I think that's what's happened here. The decision to send that letter is very odd. I could've told them it wasn't going to do anything.

fridpst · 12/06/2020 14:54

I don't like Priti but think it's ridiculous the Guardian saw fit to post that image of her. Racism is racism regardless of who the victim is. Then the letter because she not the right kind of Asian, what is the right kind?

testing987654321 · 12/06/2020 15:00

It does worse than nothing though, it makes them look stupid and patronising.

I am trying to imagine myself sending something like that to Edwina Currie or Thatcher, they wouldn't give it the time of day.
They might if you actually pointed out a policy you wanted changing and your analysis of why it needed changing.

flashbac · 12/06/2020 15:06

The letter is stupid. But let's not make Priti some sort of martyr.
Imho racism against Asians is not as bad as what black people face. I say that as an Indian woman.

Bloomburger · 12/06/2020 15:07

There are double standards everywhere.

Be openly racist and vile about PP and tell her she's not the right kind of BAME and that's ok.

Be critical of DA because she's a blithering fool who can't add up and you're being racist and sexist.

flashbac · 12/06/2020 15:09

PP is a blithering fool but never got as much vitriol as DA did. DA's was not well that day I'd like to add.

Bloomburger · 12/06/2020 15:10

Oh sorry she was poorly 😂

fridpst · 12/06/2020 15:12

@flashbac did you find the Guardian image offensive?

testing987654321 · 12/06/2020 15:15

Imho racism against Asians is not as bad as what black people face. I say that as an Indian woman.

Let's not take another opportunity to race to the bottom. That others get more shit doesn't mean we can't notice this as well.

NonnyMouse1337 · 12/06/2020 15:18

Please do not insult jk Rowling by comparing her to Priti Patel. Priti is evil. Yes, and so is Cummings so no I'm not picking on women.
Gosh

You seem to be taking my comment quite personally. Did you sign the letter?

J.K. Rowling and Priti Patel are both women who have received a lot of finger wagging and were sent patronising letters for their views.

A lot of people on the left take a very self-righteous and condescending attitude towards those they do not agree with or dislike. As if the Left is some bastion of morality in opposition to the Right, when it is full of its own cesspits of shite that gets covered up 'for the cause'.

People can criticise policies and stances of politicians and express their dislike for her incompetence and obnoxiousness. She owes nothing to any political issue or cause simply because of her skin colour or her ethnic background. Guess what? We don't all look, act or think the same.

AKissAndASmile · 12/06/2020 15:24

She is the wrong sort of asian. Heresy for not playing the victim card.

What on earth are you talking about? The whole point of the letter is that she played the victim card, by saying people called her Paki in order to shut down the accusations against her.

AKissAndASmile · 12/06/2020 15:26

I gave up on 'feminism' when I realised a lot of white women were very racist and thought I will pick my battle.

flashbac · 12/06/2020 15:28

I did not see the cartoon but I gather it was misguided. Can't comment further than that.
I don't understand why Priti is held up as some sort of martyr though. Yes she's experienced racism but does that mean she's an expert on anti black racism too? It's not about putting women down. I dislike her because she's awful and was sacked for being dishonest. I also dislike Boris and will post on threads that praise him too.
She isn't special or beyond reproach just because she's a woman. In this instance She was using her experience of anti Asian racism to negate anti black racism.

RecoveringLawyer · 12/06/2020 15:30

Not a fan of Priti Patel but I agree that her sex has everything to do with the patronising behaviour towards her now. 'Reflect on your words' only ever seems to be aimed at women.

I had hopes for Labour when Keir Starmer was elected leader, but now...

Needmoresleep · 12/06/2020 15:31

I don’t know that much about her background beyond the fact that she is Ugandan Asian.

I am old enough to remember Ugandan Asians arriving in the UK virtually overnight, and with very little, and indeed with Local Authorities having adverts in newspapers discouraging them from settling in their towns. I’m not sure whether this was before or after the Enoch Powell and his Rivers of Blood speech. I assume very few had an easy passage.

I have no idea what has forged PPs politics, but can imagine there are some stark family experiences. Her reference to her own experiences of racism were in direct response to a question in Parliament.

Is she not allowed to access her own experience. Is JKR not allowed to access hers.

PP is who she is. People voted for her. Why did they vote for her. That is the question that needs to be asked?

AKissAndASmile · 12/06/2020 15:35

I don't know what a right wing feminist is. Surely right-wingers believe that social hierarchy is inevitable and natural. That's the definition of right wing politics. So why don't you accept your natural place in society as a woman? Not being goady, just generally curious .