Margaret Atwood

[MummBRaaarrrTheEverLeaking]

twitter.com/MargaretAtwood/status/1450429768067846145?t=8q-A8MlvzZsx6pt4Vu1_LA&s=19

Has retweeted an article from the Toronto Star "why can't we say woman anymore" and bloody hell are they coming for the latest witch burning in the comments!

Ranging from disappointment to the usual sweary abuse. I thought oh how long till the capitulation begins, turns out I didn't have to wait long!

She's following it up with retweets about 'we can say people when it's accurate and inclusive' and then defending the article because the writer isn't "a terf"???

Not really sure what she's trying to achieve here, anyone?

Anyone else get the feeling she is the first domino to fall? Surely these intelligent women can see how much the tide is now turning - i think we are past peak trans now and the stonewall expose is the beginning of the end IMHO

So the cynic in me thinks she is just getting first making out she was always against this and hoping she'll get lost in the wave of woke celebs turncoats suddenly realising they were in the wrong and woefully out of their depths.

The fact that Netflix is holding strong in their support of DC, Y the last man getting cancelled before the first seasons over and the dear old beeb slowly, and cynically, changing tune

This is exactly how cults treat members who dissent. They are absolutely pitiless.

Atwood is in her 80s now, and a widow, so I do feel some sympathy for her now. But also: she's intelligent enough to have known what was going on, so not that much sympathy.

@Theeyeballsinthesky

After what she’s said in the past I have no doubt that she will capitulate and issue an apology very soon

and it won't be enough for the mob, it never is, they will continue to hound her for her 'crime'.

@ErrolTheDragon

(Following complaints last night and this morning, ACAS has now deigned to use the word 'women' in its advice on the menopause a couple of times.)

Really?!

Wow.

So the cynic in me thinks she is just getting first making out she was always against this and hoping she'll get lost in the wave of woke celebs turncoats suddenly realising they were in the wrong and woefully out of their depths

I absolutely love this. Much respect to the lady if she really is this Machiavellian. She’s got thousands of TRAs labelling her a TERF now - if this is an actually desired outcome then 🥂to you Margaret!

I also of course love the hopeful light this theory sheds on the current situation. Atwood is in Canada though, getting purposely branded a TERF in Canada at this point in time seems very risky?

@RoyalCorgi

This is exactly how cults treat members who dissent. They are absolutely pitiless.

Atwood is in her 80s now, and a widow, so I do feel some sympathy for her now. But also: she's intelligent enough to have known what was going on, so not that much sympathy.

I have little sympathy and no respect for Attwood.

I went on Twitter before coming here this evening.

#TERFs is trending

I live outside the UK, so often my “Trending” list doesn’t resemble what is said here, but tonight it does, so the pushback she’s receiving must be huge.

This is fascinating. I know she may try to retreat, but as others have said, retreat from this point is almost invariably unacceptable to those who have scented blood.

And I would love to have Margaret Atwood onside, despite her previous actions regarding JK Rowling.

I know Canada is pretty far gone, but she is the grande dame of letters there. There's only so much they can do to someone of her stature. It's all played out before

I really liked her defence: someone I approve of necessarily not a T*, and how it was received by trans activist twitter.

This is exactly the point JKR made, what did she think would happen? Does she think women can decided if we get called terf or not?

*decide

Yes:

MA: Why don’t you read it?

Please read it…

Please….

TA Twitter

TERF! TERF! TERF! TERF TERF! TERF!…

#TERFs is trending. If we can get some column inches out of this that would really help. We’re on a roll.

@merrymouse

‘TERF’ with its explicit condemnation of radical feminists is such a sexist term.

It’s the 2021 version of ‘I’m not one of those man hating dungaree wearing bra burners’.

Yep.

I’ve just followed her on Twitter. Hopefully she’s gone over to the dark side!

Three news articles on it so far. On Twitter, I only see one death threat and one 'suck my [usual]'. The famous Canadian politeness.

There is a definite idea amongst my friends that having GC beliefs is in deed unfair and cruel to trans women. And everyone says they know at least one lovely trans woman so they immediately leap to their defence without REALLY understanding what a gender critical stance is....

Then I get a text from a pal of mine one night whilst she's in the loo saying she's scared because there is a man in there....

Then another girl at our local school declares themselves non binary and that now makes more than 20.

They see laurel Hubbard and feel sorry for her, especially as she didn't even win... Until I tell them lh was voted NZ sportswoman of the year ahead of 20 actual Olympic medal winners....

When I first became aware of this issue I joined the dots literally straight away. I am wondering what is taking everyone else so long.....

Oh, sorry, the point I was trying yo make was that many of my friends say they are supportive of trans rights and do whatever they are told is the right thing..... Except every day they are thinking, doing and saying something that is actually GC....

Go Margaret!!

What did she think she was agreeing to with that letter?

Trouble for tra central is that the overreach is so extreme. Complete eradication of anything connected with women.The explosion in children suddenly deciding they're trans - many still in primary school. Protesting outside women's meetings with vile threats of sexual violence. Threatening women academics and stopping them doing their job. No boundaries - and everyone sees this.
I noticed with interest that women journalists in the Times who have never addressed this last week talked in their columns about the eradication of women's language and the abuse of Kathleen Stock (Melnanie Reid & Libby Purves)
Like others, I've limited sympathy for Atwood but am fascinated to see the nature of the hostage confession that will be written.

I was checking in to see if:

– MA had recanted;
– just how grovelling MA's apology is;
– how much re-education MA is pledging herself to undertake.

The slightest deviation will not be tolerated until the day that we are all consumed by the fires of our impurity.

No apology after an hour & she has been tweeting about the plight of Afghan GIRLS recently.

I noticed that for a huge account she gets very few likes/replies usually.

I noticed with interest that women journalists in the Times who have never addressed this last week talked in their columns about the eradication of women's language and the abuse of Kathleen Stock (Melnanie Reid & Libby Purves)

Melanie Reid has done some good reviews of GC books, iirc. I think Libby Purves has touched on it before but perhaps less overtly.

A quick look sees a lot of the pile on just happy to dismiss her for being old and white. Let's just hope the witch doesn't burn...

The "official" Women's March dictated no Handmaid's Tale costumes for the recent Texas abortion rights protest. Women were pissed about that and I wonder if Atwood heard about this bizarre dictate and is starting to feel things personally...women don't want to be policed in language or clothing and I am very interested in what Atwood thinks about all this. She is my favorite author and I studied her extensively for my English undergraduate, so I want to give her grace and hope she will have a mea culpa soon or at least acknowledge that the screaming mobs can never be reasoned with.