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Original poster

Trolling TERFs on Twitter

32 replies

whatnow41 · 19/09/2020 14:22

I'm in a new job and still getting to know people. It's a new office and so everyone has similar length of service, less than 6 months.

A man I will be working closely with has barged about how he has multiple twitter accounts for the purpose of trolling TERFs, was very disparaging and thought his behaviour was hilarious.

I'm GC but didn't rise to his baiting and haven't outed myself.

When I try to take the politics out of his comments, I keep coming back to the fact that he enjoys bullying women online for their political beliefs. If the politics were any different, this would be unacceptable surly? Am I over reacting because it's me and people like me that he hates?

I've had a work-based disagreement with him where his behaviour was unacceptable, in my opinion, but now feel unsure if I'm conflating the two, and allowing my judgement to be clouded by his politics.

Or should I just think fuck it, not separate the two and deal with the work stuff with a hard lined approach when ever I need to? I don't normally take the hard line in the first instance but feel differently about this guy now.

OP posts:
Toseland · 19/09/2020 14:56

Excellent OP, your undercover mission (should you choose to accept) will be guided by the good women of FWR! :)

Kaiserin · 19/09/2020 15:29

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time...

No, it's not OK. It's clear this man loathes women, and believes bullying is fair game. Of course you should think less of him as a result.
The fact he's actually boasting about it also proves he's an idiot. Take notes. You'll probably find yourself having a case for sexual harassment soon enough, as the odds are he'll say something undoubtedly misogynistic sooner or later.

DeRigueurMortis · 19/09/2020 15:36

@Kaiserin

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time...

No, it's not OK. It's clear this man loathes women, and believes bullying is fair game. Of course you should think less of him as a result.
The fact he's actually boasting about it also proves he's an idiot. Take notes. You'll probably find yourself having a case for sexual harassment soon enough, as the odds are he'll say something undoubtedly misogynistic sooner or later.

I was about to respond and saw this post.

Sums up everything I was going to say.

He's a loathsome bully - no more, no less and yes you should think badly of him because he's a nasty piece of work.

BrassicaRabbit · 19/09/2020 15:36

Take notes. You'll probably find yourself having a case for sexual harassment soon enough, as the odds are he'll say something undoubtedly misogynistic sooner or later.

This. With GC bells on. It will be delicious taking him down but you will need to let him be the master of his own undoing.

Joisanofthedales · 19/09/2020 15:40

Agree with the poster above. Take notes, recording what was said, how it was said and when it was said. If he continues you can approach HR and say you are unofficially letting them know what is going on. Then if he gets worse you have more power to your complaint.

Mammatino · 19/09/2020 15:45

That’s the treatment of women he’s proud of and happy to let everyone see. I wonder what nasty violent behaviour he engages in That he’s not so happy to let people see. You be vigilant and having nothing to do with him unless you have to.

AnyOldPrion · 19/09/2020 16:19

When I try to take the politics out of his comments, I keep coming back to the fact that he enjoys bullying women online

You run into a lot of this on Twitter. The politics are an excuse. GC women are currently an acceptable target and he knows he can get away with it for that reason.

TorkTorkBam · 19/09/2020 16:22

Hardline from the start yes. He boasted about bullying women. It is his hobby! What he described is not debating or disagreement but trolling.

Therefore you are reasonable to grant him no passes.

ItalianHat · 19/09/2020 16:59

Could you act all innocent and ask him what a T* is? And then go "Oh so you bully and harass women on Twitter?"

aliasundercover · 19/09/2020 17:11

Once again: take notes, keep copies of emails, ask a friendly colleague to witness what you are saying at the time of the incidents.

Original poster
whatnow41 · 19/09/2020 19:06

Thanks everyone for the support. I will defo take notes. I've already provided feedback to his line manager about a work issue where he behaved poorly, towards a woman. Coincidence? I will keep notes but wont show my GC hand or ever reference his trolling comments. I'll keep it professional all the way.

I've just managed to land a project to lead the creation of the companies equality and diversity policy. At least I know it's in safe hands.Wink

OP posts:
Joisanofthedales · 19/09/2020 19:15

Good to hear you will be in charge of this policy Smile

ErrolTheDragon · 19/09/2020 19:26

I've just managed to land a project to lead the creation of the companies equality and diversity policy. At least I know it's in safe hands.

Excellent! Best to keep scrupulously professional with this misogynistic bully. He can play puerile games while you do the serious stuff.

Dozer · 19/09/2020 19:33

As PPs say, he’s a misogynist.

Don’t engage in debate with him, ignore provocative statements.

Take notes, including any witnesses etc, and ideally email yourself - this will show evidence of dates.

IF you have confidence in the company, email him about things you consider unacceptable. If they’re good they may fire him before he’s entitled to unfair dismissal rights!

IMO talking openly at work about opening troll twitter accounts to troll people, and the term ‘TERF’ are inappropriate for the workplace.

zanahoria · 19/09/2020 19:33

He sounds a bit of a sad case if he is bragging about being a twitter troll at work. I am guessing other people may pick up on that even if they are not invested in this subject.

Dozer · 19/09/2020 19:33

Sorry, not email HIM, email his manager!

EarthSight · 19/09/2020 19:41

I would to try to look a little amused at his comments, hopefully to get him to boast and show them to you. When you are at home, screenshot them. You might need them later to back you up if he's a bully at work.

zanahoria · 19/09/2020 21:45

He sounds the sort who will trip himself up soon enough

Manderleyagain · 19/09/2020 22:12

I expect you would have been a bit disgusted if he'd bragged about a hobby of trolling any community, political movement or whatever online. You might have felt this more strongly but the principle is the same, it's wrong whoever he's doing it to and it suggests someone who doesn't see people online as people, women in particular maybe. Nasty.

Kettlingur · 19/09/2020 22:51

There's a weird cognitive dissonance where people who claim to be horrified at doing any mean thing to any set of people suddenly find it OK if the target is supposedly a TERF.

A person I know, a woman, shared a picture once of two smiling trans women carrying a sign that said "TERFs can choke on my girldick". I commented something like "Interesting. Are there other subsets of women who also deserve rape?"

(She deleted my comment.)

CivilCervix · 19/09/2020 22:53

@Kettlingur

There's a weird cognitive dissonance where people who claim to be horrified at doing any mean thing to any set of people suddenly find it OK if the target is supposedly a TERF.

A person I know, a woman, shared a picture once of two smiling trans women carrying a sign that said "TERFs can choke on my girldick". I commented something like "Interesting. Are there other subsets of women who also deserve rape?"

(She deleted my comment.)

Misogyny is a powerful drug
Dozer · 19/09/2020 22:54

Not even cognitive dissonance, just misogyny.

RuffleCrow · 19/09/2020 23:03

I'd play it innocent

"So when you say TERFs... what's a terf?"

"So what is feminism for then?"

"So...not being funny but how does what you're doing help to create a more equal society?"

Or you could go more obvious. Yawn and talk over him about what you saw on telly last night whenever he brings it up.

Say, "do you know what, I'm so bored of politics. Brexit, gender, coronavirus that's all anyone seems to talk about these days. Did anyone see the cricket?"

ArranBound · 19/09/2020 23:50

It would help a future case with your employer if you could locate any of his accounts on Twitter. I suppose he's unlikely to go by his own name, but you never know.

What a loathsome, bullying toad he is. He must be awful to work with.

BatShite · 20/09/2020 00:57

Sad person..anyone who ever felt the need to boast at work about harassing women online in their spare time has obvius issues somewhere. I predict incel, like many of the ultra misogynists tbh

That he also admits to having mltiple accounts to do this, is even sadder.

Given the shite a lot of TRA accounts come out with though, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out a load of them were actually just trolls, with no care at all about trans people or women, or kids..would actually explain a lot, like how TRA types seem to actively despise transsexual people..

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