Batshittery from the Guardian

[PlayerOneReady]

And yes they really did refer to lesbians as ‘non men loving non men’

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/05/i-am-16-and-identify-as-an-ace-lesbian-but-i-dont-want-to-come-out-to-my-parents

Glad I'm not 16.

I think it's a wind up , it was a good giggle

Dare we hope it’s a spoof?

I thought the answer was very sensible. I feel for teenagers having to get their head round things in this age of labels.

How amazingly serendipitous that such a letter should drop into The Guardians email after so much push back around girl guides promoting ace week to children/teenagers. It really is the most astonishing coincidence isn’t it

The question is batshittery, but she's 16 and consuming shite from TikTok.

The answer was actually quite reasonable in the circumstances, and encouraged her to connect with her parents and the real world.

I feel like saying, "Sweetheart, nobody cares, really. You're just trying to draw attention to yourself because you can't bear not to be thought special. Unique." But I wouldn't want to stick around for the temper tantrum that would follow.

I was quite pleased that my DH happened upon it and sent it to me as an example of the madness. He has definitely been fully peaked by Kathleen Stock and Nolan and it wouldn’t have even registered with him a couple of weeks ago..

Although they also have a article on toxic men with the sub title

" not being shaped by conventional masculinity from birth means they have not been forced into suffocating stereotypes

They are in a roll !

Comments are usually open under the agony aunt columns aren't they? If they're going to print nonsense like that they should at least stand by their usual format. I wonder why they haven't?

(It's very obvious why they haven't)

Annalisa is extraordinarily patient. But NMLNM is end of days bullshit.

@JumperandJacket

I thought the answer was very sensible. I feel for teenagers having to get their head round things in this age of labels.

But she says she likes labels, so surely if anything, the current trend amongst young people to define your gender identity every second of the day will be right up her street?

Having said that, I’m pretty certain it’s a spoof. Just something about the way it’s written - it contains every cliche going about gender identity.

@HollowTalk

I feel like saying, "Sweetheart, nobody cares, really. You're just trying to draw attention to yourself because you can't bear not to be thought special. Unique." But I wouldn't want to stick around for the temper tantrum that would follow.

That's kind of how I read the answer ... I thought it was a masterpiece of tact.

@Warmduscher Sure but I think it’s likely her liking if labels is a result of the culture she’s grown up in.

I don’t think it’s a spoof. She sounds like a confused teenager.

NMLNM

Seriously?

I can’t read the answer

Non Men Loving Non Men is so unbelievably sexist. We can’t say woman or lesbian but (non) men- crack on. “Women are just that thing that was left over after God made (all important) man”, the ultimate ‘Other’. That’s what these kids and their post modern academic enablers sound like and these don’t even realise. This girl wouldn’t describe someone who is part of an ethnic minority in Britain as ‘non-white’, because hopefully she’s aware that white people aren’t the centre of the universe and the benchmark by which all else must be judged.

“Having said that, I’m pretty certain it’s a spoof. Just something about the way it’s written - it contains every cliche going about gender identity.”

🤞

Seriously though, what IS the obsession by defining oneself by what you are not? Because when you click on the ‘non men’ definition it also offers a NWLNW flag - ‘non women loving non women’ ie I guess gay men. But why? Or is it just absolute sexism safe in the knowledge that NWLNW will never, ever be used?

That letter made my jaw drop and the reply said it was coherent!

@TheMarzipanDildo

“Having said that, I’m pretty certain it’s a spoof. Just something about the way it’s written - it contains every cliche going about gender identity.”

🤞

Yep. And the advice - it's normal to be exploring identities at 16, but if this genuinely matters to you you'll come off the internet and talk to real human beings with real connections to you - works perfectly if it's a hoax. And perfectly if it's a tortured young soul - talk to some grown ups. Brilliant column.

I know teenagers these days are desperately self absorbed, but dear God, that really has to be a piss take!
The internet seems to have rotted their minds. I wish their parents could turn back the clock to the days when teenagers were too busy with sports, discos, social clubs, hobbies, junior church, volunteering, bike riding etc, to have time to waste navel gazing to this unhealthy narcissistic degree!

Surely that is a wind up?

It has to be a spoof.

"Also, I feel obliged to inform them of my pronoun change, but I don’t want to be the one to teach them how to use she/they pronouns. I wish they would educate themselves."

Well, quite, one would be obliged to tell one's parents what your preferred pronouns are if you want them to actually use those pronouns

Haha wtf. So you can be a none anything then really. You could swap Non man to Non Chicken, Non Spoon, Non Tree.
Yes tomorrow I'm declaring myself as Non chicken.
NCLAM (Non Chicken Loving Actual Man)

It was very good advice but I'm not surprised she/they is exhausted. I was exhausted just reading it. I mean I know navel gazing is quite normal at that age to a certain extent but questioning your identity multiple time a day can't be healthy for a young person?

“Because when you click on the ‘non men’ definition it also offers a NWLNW flag - ‘non women loving non women’ ie I guess gay men.”

I’ve seen a lot more references to ‘non men’ over the years, and because it seems to be how women have been defined throughout history it rankles. NWLNW is very strange too though.