Jess de Wahls

[Mollyollydolly]

The Royal Academy have removed Jess' work from their shop due to a handful of complaints that she's 'transphobic'. If you want to support Jess her website is here.
www.jessdewahls.com
So sick of these utterly craven organisations. I hope she has a legal case against them for discrimination.

This might be a bit of a silly question. I want to buy a patch or two but I am most likely to use them on my son's trousers. He would be happy with flowers but I don't want to inadvertently cause him or me embarrasment by patching his trousers with a flower that has a sexual message (he is 9). If I steer clear of the ones actually called 'clitoria' am I safe? Most things like this go over my head - think clueless about an aubergine emoji until quite recently.

I suppose maybe what happened is:

RA ran out of Jess's stuff

RA decided for some completely different reason not to stock it for a while

RA got tweeted

Corporate social media unsavvy RA tweeter checked with the shop, found they weren't going to be stocking Jess for a while, and made up the reason to score virtue points?

Maybe. But that would have been easy to clear up with a quick "out of stock, other reason, mistake on Instagram" statement.

I wonder why the RA are using the word perceived.

Because you can still be accused of discrimination based on your perception. In other words if you discriminate against someone because you perceive them to be homosexual, it's illegal, even if they're not homosexual.

I think the RA are banking on her not taking a case through the courts

^^ it's a lot for one person to do but there are soo many people backing her. I'd happily contribute and hope people in real life are there for her

He would be happy with flowers but I don't want to inadvertently cause him or me embarrasment by patching his trousers with a flower that has a sexual message

The other flowers are non-sexual - best also to avoid the 'big swinging ovaries' - but the other flowers should be fine. China Blue, tulips or freesias all look appropriately neutral.

Thank you! That is what I thought but also thought I had best check :)

@Avocadowoman

I suppose maybe what happened is:

RA ran out of Jess's stuff

RA decided for some completely different reason not to stock it for a while

RA got tweeted

Corporate social media unsavvy RA tweeter checked with the shop, found they weren't going to be stocking Jess for a while, and made up the reason to score virtue points?

Not according to Jess.

@Avocadowoman

Thank you! That is what I thought but also thought I had best check :)

Leaves and geraniums don't look visually reminiscent of anything else, either, but I'm far from the most acute.

I felt exceedingly proud to spot what the clitoria flowers resembled.

@Mollyollydolly

If you want your blood pressure to rise a bit more. Just seen this tweet 'perceived transphobic nature' .. how bloody dare they. I really hope Jess crowd funds a discrimination case.

Sneaky weasly little weasel liars...

@Mollyollydolly

If you want your blood pressure to rise a bit more. Just seen this tweet 'perceived transphobic nature' .. how bloody dare they. I really hope Jess crowd funds a discrimination case.

If we're talking about perception, how about what one could perceive, given the context, as the misgendering of Jess as a 'them' in this response?

Incredible to see how Jess’s online shop is almost completely empty. I had to buy a threads sketch to show my support and I’m really excited about it.

@WorkingItOutAsIGo

Incredible to see how Jess’s online shop is almost completely empty. I had to buy a threads sketch to show my support and I’m really excited about it.

and none of that cash ending up in the pockets of the RA, nice job RA, really well done.

Because you can still be accused of discrimination based on your perception. In other words if you discriminate against someone because you perceive them to be homosexual, it's illegal, even if they're not homosexual.

Exactly. Don't they have lawyers?

They seem remarkably clueless. Jess could, if she wanted, take a legal action against them (for libel, at least, if not for discrimination under the Equality Act). This case is now so high profile that it could be funded either through crowdfunding or a sympathetic lawyer taking it on pro bono. At this stage, I fail to understand why, having made the initial mistake, they didn't backtrack very quickly and offer an effusive apology. They are pissing off more and more people by the day.

@Avocadowoman

This might be a bit of a silly question. I want to buy a patch or two but I am most likely to use them on my son's trousers. He would be happy with flowers but I don't want to inadvertently cause him or me embarrasment by patching his trousers with a flower that has a sexual message (he is 9). If I steer clear of the ones actually called 'clitoria' am I safe? Most things like this go over my head - think clueless about an aubergine emoji until quite recently.

The clitoria is an actual flower, that is its latin name. But you would be safe with the tulips, dahlias, roses, poppies etc.

And I think few people are familiar with clitoria or how it got its name so you could just call it a blue butterfly pea.....

Excitingly I am attempting to grow it this year, my seeds have just started to germinate!

I'm looking forward to receiving my postcards from Jess' shop.

From Wikipedia:
This genus was named after the human clitoris, for the flowers bear a resemblance to the vulva. Originally the first described species of the genus was given the name Flos clitoridis ternatensibus in 1678 by Rumpf, a German-born botanist employed by the Dutch East India Company. It was regarded as appropriately named by Johann Philipp Breyne in 1747. Many vernacular names of these flowers in different languages are similarly based on references to female external genitalia.

The RA Pride rainbow badge on their Twitter and Facebook accounts doesn't include the pink and blue trans colours.

Does that make them transphobic?

There was a petition in support of Jess but it's been closed, does anyone know why?

Think it reached desired amount of signatures

I’ve complained to the RA and have now, in a fit of both anger (at the RA) and awe at her amazing art, bought a BSO bracelet, a breathe in/ out print and a flower patch.

I’m looking forward to receiving compliments on the flower patch and saying ‘let me tell you what recently happened to this artist…’

Wasn’t brave enough for the BSO necklace but I think the bracelet will help me feel a little bit bolder when I wear it.

How DARE the RA shame and professionally punish a woman for stating that sex is binary and immutable. How fucking dare they. How many artists do they stock who hold misogynist views?

I spent £50 in her shop and I am truly delighted that the RA won't see a penny of it. And that cancellation acceptance, they really are craven aren't they? Doubling down instead of saying, 'Okay. Our blue-haired 20-something year old social media warrior called this one wrong and we're very sorry. We appreciate that the optics of stocking a rapist paedophile's art in our shop are way worse than stocking a woman stating biological reality. Our bad.'

On the plus side, at least one of my lefty male acquaintances has spoken up about how ridiculous this is, particularly the double standards.

@JustcameoutGC

If they double down on this I am writing to the charity commission. They are clearly not meeting their charitable objectives. And Jess, I would buy lots of your art to help fund the legal if you want to sue the arse off them.

Same

I can’t believe it’s taking so long to give their heads a wobble and issue a grovelling apology

@FlyPassed

This is disgusting but not surprising.

Online contact form, here;
www.royalacademy.org.uk/contact-us

I have asked when the artist audit will begin and suggested they start with Eric Gill. Looking forward to seeing the list of acceptable artists.

Thanks for the link, I have written to them too.