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Original poster

Glasgow Museums

29 replies

Buttonitboris · 19/02/2021 22:20

So Glasgow Museums celebrate diversity by claiming one of Scotland most celebrated female artists wasn't actually female (and then apologise by saying she didn't identify as non binary because the term hadn't been invented) God forbid we celebrate an actual woman m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3656288074418648&id=149366908444133

OP posts:
MissBarbary · 19/02/2021 22:27

You know even if they had described her as a lesbian from the outset it's not that interesting

Original poster
Buttonitboris · 20/02/2021 00:07

What's interesting is that she was a great artist, but that's not enough. For a public body to dismiss the achievement of a woman to conform to some agenda is unforgivable.

OP posts:
MissBarbary · 20/02/2021 00:18

Yes, agreed, to be clear, it's her art which is important.

theskyispink · 20/02/2021 00:21

Am I reading this right? Their logic is that she "self-identified as" a lesbian... so assumed she was therefore non-binary?

Eh?

Here is part of their original FB post before they edited it:

"As part of LGBT History Month we celebrate the work of non-binary artist Joan Eardley (1921–1963) in this the centenary year of her birth."

Neither the edited nor the original version mention her being a lesbian, only "a woman artist who didn’t conform to gender norms". I'm half-surprised they mentioned she died of breast cancer and not chest cancer.

PotholeParadies · 20/02/2021 00:26

What a weird set of posts. I've looked at both, plus the edit history.

So they highlighted her as part of LGBT history month. (Fair enough- this is what these months are for.) But instead of saying lesbian artist, they said non-binary, and they're still not saying lesbian after the edit!

Waffling about "did not conform to gender norms". Is this a euphemism for lesbian? Shock Is lesbian such a forbidden word?

Anyway, I will go look at her art.

ColourMagic · 20/02/2021 03:17

Some of Joan Eardley's art, this fantastic blog has photos, a BBC documentary video, and some of her fabulous Catterline (village on the NE coast of Scotland) seascapes and landscapes further down the page.

'Joan Eardley From the street to the shore'

fishinkblog.com/2018/04/02/joan-eardley-from-the-street-to-the-shore/

ArabellaScott · 20/02/2021 10:21

Fucking ridiculous. At least they have revised it.

Whatsnewpussyhat · 20/02/2021 16:54

"A woman artist" sounds odd and clunky.

They could have said a lesbian artist or a female artist.

SomewhereUpMyArse · 20/02/2021 16:57

Or just 'an artist'. Like they do with men.

They could then go on to say she was a lesbian.

Gingerkittykat · 20/02/2021 17:00

@ArabellaScott

Fucking ridiculous. At least they have revised it.
They have still not called her a lesbian on the post from 16th Feb, just a gender non conforming woman.

The post about her is to highlight her work in LGBT history month, you would think they could actually use the term lesbian.

The also said in the apology post that she self identified as a lesbian, would you ever say a straight person self identified as straight?

334bu · 20/02/2021 17:06

Obviously someone has a problem with the word "lesbian" Using " self identified" does seem a bit dare I say homophobic?

Soontobe60 · 20/02/2021 17:07

You don’t self identify as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual. Sexual orientation isn’t something you choose, just like eye colour or height or ear shape isn’t. To claim that it’s a choice is homophobic.

peak2021 · 20/02/2021 18:22

Was her art about women's place in society or lesbianism? Doubt it.

peak2021 · 20/02/2021 18:23

Thank you OP for introducing us to her work, by the way.

MichelleofzeResistance · 20/02/2021 18:26

'Not conforming to gender norms' does not equal non binary. Angry

Raging bloody gynephobia. Women are allowed to be interesting and worthy without having to be identified out of womanhood first.

Lifeaintalwaysempty · 20/02/2021 18:37

I think lesbians would rightly find this conflation troubling, as it neatly erases the concept of biological sex from sexuality. (Which to be fair the TRAs have been trying to do for some time)

MissBarbary · 20/02/2021 18:37

@peak2021

Was her art about women's place in society or lesbianism? Doubt it.
No it wasn’t
ArabellaScott · 20/02/2021 19:06

Her most famous art was probably social realism of Glasgow children, but she's also well known for her fabulous, semi-abstracted landscapes and seascapes.

Her sexuality or sex had absolutely nothing to do with her work.

Gingerkittykat · 21/02/2021 01:30

Her sexuality had nothing to do with her work but the post by the museums was about celebrating LGBT history month which makes her sexuality valid for discussion here.

Wandawomble · 21/02/2021 03:35

Glasgow and Edinburgh Museums love looking woke but the reality is far from it.

ArabellaScott · 21/02/2021 09:08

Ate they owned/managed by Glasgow Live?

nancywhisky · 21/02/2021 09:34

Glasgow Life. Yes.

Ifyourefeelingsinister · 21/02/2021 09:41

OMG. Can't believe that. Lesbian so they conflate that to being non binary???? Not even sure Joan Eardley was particularly gender non conforming apart from her career - so are we going to assess every woman who had a career pre 1970 as non binary?

MichelleofzeResistance · 21/02/2021 09:44

Quite.

Lesbian - female homosexual, that's one thing.

Non binary - you what?

Did this woman ever to anyone's knowledge choose that label for her inner identity or is this being imposed from outside, because I thought that was all kinds of wrong?

Or are we saying that female homosexuals are transgressing against womanhood so obviously are no longer women? Because that's a really interesting opinion that ought to be thoroughly aired out in all its glorious homophobia and insanely sexist gynephobia.