Posie Parker at Speaker's Corner earlier today

[SunsetBeetch]

Enjoy. Ovaries of steel, this woman.

I think one of the most charming things about her is that she won’t give a shiny shit what people think or say about her AND she’ll just keep on going. She’s fierce in a very pleasing way.

I think Posie used to volunteer for or be a member of the Labour Party but left. And possibly in the past used to consider herself a feminist but now doesn’t - though I may be misremembering that. I think a lot of us have considered our positions a lot since discovering this stuff.

I prefer inclusive feminism, that is progressive, not regressive.

It depends who it is "inclusive" of, really. I don't consider the inclusion of males and male talking points benefits women, so I prefer my feminism to include women and girls, and if some males get upset about it, it's probably on the right track.

think Posie used to volunteer for or be a member of the Labour Party but left.

Yes, IIRC she said she reached her personal mountain summit in a Labour Party Facebook group a few years ago.

The funny bit is that SAHMs can talk about this topic without getting fired.The academics and corporates are walking on eggshells. Who is really under a thumb?

Absolutely. I'm really grateful to all the women who are able to organise and campaign openly precisely because they don't have to toe a corporate line or worry about getting fired. They really are an asset. It's not something I can do at the moment so I can only help from the background.

I remember Datun observing once how Posie's appearance might be stereotypically feminine but her demeanour is anything but.

Posie's commented on it herself a few times, eg :

So I think I already there's like an a smell of sickness in the room, where there's lots of women not really understanding what this very gender-conforming woman who isn't very pleasant, and isn't very nice, and isn't submissive - what the fuck is going on? Because obviously there's loads of stuff that doesn't quite tally for them, because I'm NOT submissive and I DON'T capitulate.

@Cleanandpress

For everyone that she introduces to this cause, she puts another one off.

So people are put off single sex hospital wards?

No, not at all. They just switch off and distance themselves from that faction as they dont want to be lumped in with racists and anti-abortionists.

@NecessaryScene1 she is wrong. There has been a tradition of women on the right-wing in England who look very feminine but are tough.

Is this a recent video? Cos in my book any women who says "gender is a prison" is a feminist whether she calls herself one or not.

Proper lol at the idea she's subservient

I mean she's kind of the polar opposite surely!

Whatever you think of her and her views. And no she's not and never has been s feminist- she specifically says she's not one. And there used to be some massive fighty threads on here before she was banned...

The fact is she's way braver than me. And she keeps going no matter what and has stood up to the police etc etc.

The poster said why isn't she talking at universities... She's doing what she decides to do. Armchair criticism is easy.

Just subservient hahahaha wow lol!

You don't know all her views though black forest.

She actively says she isn't one. She's not keen. I can't remember what all the rows were now but she was as tenacious telling fwr posters why they were wrong on xyz as she is with this!

Her adult human female posters etc were genius.

Councils etc getting a dictionary definition taken down as it was offensive, apparently.

Made a lot of news. Brilliant at publicity.

astery - she was talking specifically about the reaction of the libfems whose meeting she was attending to her forthright contributions.

I'm sure she's well aware of that tradition. Libfems possibly less so...

Defining feminist is a thankless task for anyone to udertake. Is it about beliving in the equality of women and wanting that represented in the law or other institutions? Is it about having a special interest in how that should happen, or thinking about specific issues women face? Is it about freeing women (free from what and what does it mean to be free anyway?) Is it about applying a very specific marxist analysis to women as a class? Is it coming to specific conclusions about any of these things?

You'll find women who will agree with each of thee things, and others who will say, no, you don't belong. It's probably a lot simpler for someone like Posie just to remove herself from the discussion, which is after all pretty much just hot air, and likely would get in the way of her actually doing things.

She's not having this discussion afaik?

It was just s passing comment on here.

Posie has always said she's not a feminist. If some people believe she is, which is entirely reasonable as well, that's fine too.

@NecessaryScene1 everyone knows about women like Margaret Thatcher. In fact Posie is pretty like the female politician in Years and Years. It is a well-known stereotype.

What is years and years and why is Posie a stereotype?

I very strongly disagree with Posie on BLM issues and Trump. I also think the reason we disagree is likely due to vastly different experiences (BLM in my community is probably not what it is in the UK). I see her as dipping her toe into American politics and culture without a great deal of understanding. Trump is why we may lose reproductive rights. Biden legislated gender woo, but that was a price to pay to get everything else (Biden isn't inciting insurrection for starters).

I love how Posie stands for women and girls, is opposed to surrogacy and has such a strong, compassionate presence. I still listen to her and like her central message even if I cringe at her comments when she waded into US culture.

I also agree she may have a tough time convincing left-leaning feminists from my neck of the woods because there is such a visceral distrust of anyone who liked Trump. Women who voted Trump did it to criminalize abortion...they weren't feminists. Hopefully that will ebb and we can all just move forward.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Years_and_Years_(TV_series)

Russell T. Davies, BBC drama series, features charismatic populist woman politician.

Also, forgot to add...why can't SAHM have opinions?!?! I have always worked, but my god, taking care of children is not in and of itself subservient! Mothers can think AND raise kids at the same time.

Ah. Not seen it.

My take on him. Much as I loved loved queer as folk (watched it when it was first on) and the Dr whos he wrote and probably more...

Over the last couple of years, I've started to notice that his female characters are not as great as I'd always thought. That would Def be a different thread which I would definitely join as sure it's contentious!

Anyway not seen the thing you mention. Saying Posie is a stereotype (unless I misunderstood) feels off though. She's a person not a cut out.

Women and girls are so often reduced by men to 2d 'types' I'm really sensitive to that now! As in I notice not that a burst into tears or something.

@Delphinium20

Also, forgot to add...why can't SAHM have opinions?!?! I have always worked, but my god, taking care of children is not in and of itself subservient! Mothers can think AND raise kids at the same time.

Same phenomenon I just mentioned.

Way too many men don't essentially see women in general as whole people. We are things like

Yummy mummy
MILF
Jailbait
Angry (because of xy or z or possibly just women who aren't agreeable all the time)
Ballbreakers
Old dears
Etc etc

Once a type is assigned in a man's head quite a lot of them get pissed off if the woman doesn't match it in some way.

A lot of women subscribe to this as well over women they don't know. In the end it's a societal view propped up by the entrainment industry and much of the press.

I watched the talks live on you tube. All the speakers were fab, down to earth and spoke so much common sense. I liked the biologist who did a great talk on 'intersex'.

It is a stereotype - the middle-class or upper-class woman who dresses very feminine is right-wing and very forthright.
I am challenging the idea Posie has that this is unusual and people would not have come across the right-wing forthright feminine women in England.
I am not saying Posie is a stereotype, I am saying these characteristics are recognised as a "type" by writers and feature in lots of fiction. I can also think of lots of famous women who fit this.

Posie going out of her way to say she's not a feminist, I imagine was, among other things, to stop her 'call yourself a feminist' detractors, in their tracks.

It looked like a means of disarmament, to me.

And, from what I can tell, it's very effective.

And she still spends her entire time sticking up for women and kids. 😁