Anti-FGM campaigner Hibo Wardere comes under attack

[JustTurtlesAllTheWayDown]

Again. I know Hibo has put out more than one video clarifying that her focus is on women and girls and on stopping FGM, but she did another one last night after being piled on and called a hater for not being 'inclusive' in her language.
mobile.twitter.com/HiboWardere/status/1362100744216866825
I am bloody angry about it this morning.
Hibo Wardere is a personal hero of mine for the amazing work she's done.
Attacking her for not focusing on other issues is the lowest of the low. The misogyny is rank.
(Also, if anyone hasn't got her book 'Cut' on their feminist book shelf, I really do recommend it. It's not an easy read but I found her journey incredibly inspiring).

“When she talks about women, she’s explicitly referring to biology... the very definition of transphobic.”

Ok well I genuinely believe that most of humanity is transphobic if that is the definition. I don’t get how this is different than blasphemy? I believe the word woman is about biology, is it the same as saying I believe there is no proof that gods are real? Is being transphobic akin to being a heathen. So transphobia genuinely has nothing to do with fear or hatred or any kind of ill wishing towards trans people it is simply not accepting the trans view of the world, being an unbeliever? The sin is simply not believing.

for Hibo, she should not be faced with this aggravation from ideologues for simply fighting to save other children from the pain and suffering which she endured as a child and still endures.

What kind of person reads about a little girl having her clitoris cut out and thinks 'Yes but what about me'?

Hibo

@Floisme

What kind of person reads about a little girl having her clitoris cut out and thinks 'Yes but what about me'?

Hibo

Exactly.

I did think that the trans man who asked for more inclusive language deserved a better response than "Not interested bye"

I don't. I think they had a damn fucking nerve. Not everything is about their luxury beliefs. Like little girls having their genitals cut and sewn up due to oppressive patriarchal ideas about women, for instance.

Which would probably be my "better response" if by "better" you mean "longer".

I guess it's too bad when material reality does not align with your personal ideology.

@Floisme

What kind of person reads about a little girl having her clitoris cut out and thinks 'Yes but what about me'?

Hibo

Yes exactly!

WTF?!

I'm starting to think that narcissism is an entry requirement for trans. Everything has to be about them. Everything.

I did think that the trans man who asked for more inclusive language deserved a better response than "Not interested bye"

Sorry, can I just get this straight?

A trans man, who has no experience of FGM, comes at Hibo Wardere talking about what makes them feel 'distressed, invalidated and alienated' and 'inclusivity' when she is talking about little girls who have had their genitals mutilated? And is not happy because Hibo refers to those girls as 'girls'?

I think 'Not interested, bye' was a perfect response, in fact I think it was very restrained!

Hibo Wardere is so dedicated and inspirational and her work is so very important. I think this was the right response from her, she doesn't need to waste her time being distracted by bad faith posters.

Yeah it’s pretty racist to wade into FGM and demand deference to your identity in its context of western white privilege no?

@Juliesipadwillcallyouback

I did think that the trans man who asked for more inclusive language deserved a better response than "Not interested bye"

Sorry, can I just get this straight?

A trans man, who has no experience of FGM, comes at Hibo Wardere talking about what makes them feel 'distressed, invalidated and alienated' and 'inclusivity' when she is talking about little girls who have had their genitals mutilated? And is not happy because Hibo refers to those girls as 'girls'?

I think 'Not interested, bye' was a perfect response, in fact I think it was very restrained!

I'm still a bit stunned about this and had just looked at the tweet again and saw about 'distressed invalidated and alienated'.

This has happened to Hibo. I wonder if that 6 year old girl felt distressed, invalidated and alienated when her mother and other relatives held a party for her, bought her pretty dresses and sweets and then held her down and hurt her so badly she will never ever forget.

When your own mother can knowingly inflict that much pain on your little body, I would think that would be a bit alienating and distressing.

Why would anyone tell Hibo she is doing her advocacy for victims of FGM wrong because she is not including a group of people that it hasn't happened to (and to whom it is never likely to happen)??

And who would agree with them ?

@Queenoftheashes

Yeah it’s pretty racist to wade into FGM and demand deference to your identity in its context of western white privilege no?

Perfect woke speak that Dadjoke can understand.

Ereshkigalangcleg

"I guess it's too bad when material reality does not align with your personal ideology."

I cannot imagine the frustration, particularly when you try to force others to go along with the ideology, rather than reality and they simply walk away.

It's enraging that the racism that runs through all these attempts to silence Hibo is never called out. It's as if some people get a pass to oppress vulnerable groups with impunity.
Are we so self obsessed as a society that this group of girls matter so little?

@Floisme

What kind of person reads about a little girl having her clitoris cut out and thinks 'Yes but what about me'?

Hibo

Yes.

Thank you, dadjoke, for perfectly illustrating the misogyny we’re always talking about. It’s really clearing up any lingering doubt that anyone might have had that there is indeed a conflict between women’s rights and trans rights, and it’s not coming from women.

Clearly they don’t! No one cares! Or the performers don’t. I read about some stupid faux feminism Facebook group on here and went to have a nose and under a post about fgm was some man whining about circumcision. Why can’t these runts go and start their own group? Why do they cling to random women and beg them to be their nannies and sort out their issues instead of even acknowledging the one at hand that doesn’t affect them???
I’m definitely getting one of those t shirts if they do reappear though.

@Queenoftheashes

Yeah it’s pretty racist to wade into FGM and demand deference to your identity in its context of western white privilege no?

Yes its disgusting, completely divorced from reality.

It really isa different world

My T-shirt arrived today. Really comfy and organic cotton.

@EmpressWitchDoesntBurn

My T-shirt arrived today. Really comfy and organic cotton.

that looks fab. I am definitely going to buy one in her next campaign.

I'm recovering the power of speech now - wine has helped. The point of view of some posters (or was it just the one) on this thread has really floored me today.

When she talks about women, she's explicitly referring to biology, as do most posters here - it's trans exclusionary, the very definition of transphobia

I can’t write what I want to say to you because I’d be banned. Hebo does a brilliant job of raising awareness against little girls going through an horrific procedure. She can use whichever language she likes and anyone trying to police her language should just fuck right off.

Let's not forget that many of the girls this happens to don't speak English. Muddying the language is not acceptable. Using words like women and girls is absolutely necessary to reach her audience.

It's. Not. About. You.

Agreed to all this.

Hibo is dedicated to making the world better. She writes, she provides safeguarding training, she provides interviews. On a weekly basis she describes the unsanitised reality of what FGM was like to experience as a six year old girl, at goodness knows what emotional cost to herself.

If Hibo thought for a moment that she would reach more families and communities and prevent more cases by saying "people with a cervix", she would have done it already.

[quote DadJoke]@Notoriouslynotnotious

I don't think a campaigner against genital mutiliation should exactly be target number one for people who want language which is inclusive trans men. There are many better causes, and more transphobic individuals. Likewise, it surprises me that GC feminists spend so much of their time and energy against a tiny group of marginalised people, when there are other, more important issues to address.

Yes, it's trans exclusionary women rather than trans exlusionary men who get more attacked, and misogyny is at play there.[/quote]
You express surprise that we spend so much time arguing against the doctrine of gender identity (not against trans people per se), while providing us with evidence of why that is a vital part of our fight for women's rights.

Hibo has zero interest in trans issues. She has no issues with trans people. Proponents of the doctrine of gender identity have attacked her - not the other way round. That's because FGM has nothing to do with gender identity and everything to do with sex. Explicitly with the sexual function of female people. There is no overlap with trans issues. None.

And I think her response to that self-absorbed, coldhearted individual was much more polite than that person could expect. She simply declined to entertain their inconsiderate, asinine notion that a campaigner against a horrific human rights violation inflicted almost exclusively on girls in African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries ought to adjust her language so as not to upset the tender sensibilities of a minute number of Anglo-American females, who have neither suffered FGM nor campaign against it.

I'd have told that callous twit to FOTTFEOF and then fuck off some more once she got there.

But then again, Hibo is a much better person than me.

@Juliesipadwillcallyouback

I did think that the trans man who asked for more inclusive language deserved a better response than "Not interested bye"

Sorry, can I just get this straight?

A trans man, who has no experience of FGM, comes at Hibo Wardere talking about what makes them feel 'distressed, invalidated and alienated' and 'inclusivity' when she is talking about little girls who have had their genitals mutilated? And is not happy because Hibo refers to those girls as 'girls'?

I think 'Not interested, bye' was a perfect response, in fact I think it was very restrained!

Completely agree.

The tone deaf entitled arrogance is absolutely revolting.