Billy Bragg continues to miss the point

[RoyalCorgi]

www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/29/billy-bragg-boris-johnson-album-politics-tour

'More recently, he said he has faced criticism from “gender-critical campaigners” after he started discussing the human rights of transgender people online. Is he aware of his status as a cisgender man speaking from a position of privilege? “I am very much so, yeah. It’s quite common for me to get called misogynistic simply because I support trans rights, but this is without any reference to all the other issues on which I support the rights of women – on abortion, against male violence.”'

What's the point of supporting women against male violence if you allow male rapists into women's prisons, women's domestic abuse refuges or women's changing rooms?

First up though this impossibly generous comment at the start.

'he’s looking surprisingly hipsterish today, his white hair in a newly styled quiff, trendy owlish glasses sitting on his nose. '

Talk about laying it on thick!

Billy is well known for the strength of his principles. He is and has been for decades an activist. He is the epitome of following his beliefs. No compromise.

'Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained also dissects the joys and perils of the internet. “It’s like heroin for autodidacts,” he raves, “the conspiracy hacks, the cybercondriacs”.'

That sounds really bad. Massive issue in politics in many countries. Misinformation, targeting audiences for extreme messaging. Encouraging anger and increasing hostility rather than thoughtful debate. Inability to challenge the party line due to consequences. External parties actively provoking this. On the left, internal. A disaster.

'The internet is a good thing, though, he says. “What would lockdown have been like without the internet? Jesus!” '

Oh well then cat videos/ looking at own old videos/ Netflix (or whatever). Outweigh all the above. Inspirational.

'“So I find it hard to think that it might help if I just stepped away.” Does he ever consider doing this himself? “Maybe it would help,” he says. “But not to go away, not give up or surrender, just step back and listen sometimes.'

Yes it's really important to listen to groups who experience specific forms of oppression, discrimination.

Unless they're women obviously then they just need to STFU. He knowsnow for a fact they have nothing to say worth listening to let alone thinking about. He knows this because HE IS BILLY BRAGG so no way could be missing something. Unthinkable.

'all the other issues on which I support the rights of women .... against male violence.”

'allows women to feel that they are not threatened'

' “I’m saying, where can the two sides exist in a positive way that allows women to feel that they are not threatened and the trans community to feel that they are respected? And that’s something I haven’t yet sussed out.”

Women's concerns are about our very feelings. Not at all about obvious risks of gender > sex for everything. Gender is invisible so needs to be taken as disclosed. If not disclosed benefit of doubt must be given. He doesn't like MVAWG? No possible real risk though. Women and girls FEEL threatened.

He hasn't sussed it out? The ego! The front!

You are not directly involved.
You will not listen to women.
You will however suss out how to make women feel less (unfairly/ hysterically/ irrationally) threatened.

We await your solution Billy! Really excited to get this solved in a way that considers risks and needs of all affected. (But not you).

"And that’s something I haven’t yet sussed out.”

No shit Sherlock. Why do you think that is then Billy?

Let’s hope Billy can suss it out soon. I, for one, would love to hear his solution.
But at least he has shifted his position and can see there is a conflict even if he still minimises it. He’s no longer twaw from what he was saying on the news last night. He seems to be “women and trans women should work together” now, which is a shift.

Rapists are pro abortion 🤷🏻‍♀️

People with a penis can say they're anti male violence, it doesn't really mean much when you you support other people with a penis having an easier time gaining access to vulnerable women.

All rather gaslight-y.

God grant me the confidence of a mediocre man.

You go sort out world peace with that astounding ego intellect Bills. Women can sort this out and park their own cars and everything.

@PurgatoryOfPotholes

Billy Bragg is replying to her, being totally disingenuous about the power imbalance between him and other performers, and failing to grasp that it's only a yes, if the other person can say no without fear of adverse career consequences.

thread

OK I’m calling this one out. I was an unwilling participant in the BBC Glastonbury @billybragg & @BorisJohnson roadshow. Without prior warning that afternoon I was told part of my set at the Theatre Marquee was to be given

t.co/7Wx7Om9SxU
to Billy Bragg and Boris Johnson for a radio special described to me as an ‘Opposites Attract’ type thing. I did not want to cut my set short but was given no choice. The stage crew were not impressed either. Bragg & Johnson turned up

with their BBC handlers and Bragg, who I knew from when he supported New Model Army, looked perfectly ok with Johnson throughout. There was no indication this was anything other than a career move for Bragg. He looked vaguely sheepish about having spoilt my performance and he sang a song for the radio then that gloyte Johnson tried to recite from the Classics and just looked an absolute fool. Afterwards as they swept out, Johnson leered at me and said ‘love your teeth’ in regards to my having a gold incisor.

Bragg is a career entertainer. He had no compunction about taking advantage of a fellow artiste. He was perfectly happy with the career opportunities provided by the BBC even if that meant sharing a stage with a Tory extremist. He now betrays women and women’s struggle in much the same way - it’s for his career. He has the opportunity as a famous man to rewrite his PR mistakes publicly. But he forgets others witnessed the reality.

I doubt anyone gives a shit what an obscure old poet-artist in the North of England thinks of his goings on, but there we go. Truth will out.

They are spot on. I went totally off him about twenty years ago when I learnt that despite his 'I'm just a man of the people' image, he was living in a really huge f off mansion that he'd bought on the seafront in Dorset, then occasionally popping up in Barking to remind everyone how working class he was.

@Lottapianos

God, he's a plum, isn't he? He reminds me of David Lammy - very proud of his feminist credentials (in his own mind) and wants a medal for giving a vague shit about women, but doesn't actually have a bloody clue. Very tiresome

Yup.