Verso Books are breaking the ratio record

[achillestoes]

This independent publishing company thinks referring to Indian women as ‘womb carriers’ on Twitter is acceptable language to use when talking about women being forcibly sterilised. I think they’re about to break the internet. Piers Morgan and Andrew Doyle are on it.

It might be the straw that breaks this dehumanising trend’s back. Certainly worse than any other phrase I’ve come across.

I always think, if language is to be completely fair, we need to apply the same rules to transwomen as it is equality we are striving for.

So ‘womb-carriers’ and ‘womb-carrier ideators’ to be fair? Or more realistically, ‘testes-carrier’.

But then the real problem becomes apparent, doesn’t it - because if we use the same style of language it becomes very clear that the different types of women actually share nothing in common. And that is exactly what was wanted to be inclusive but all that ‘inclusivity’ does is highlight the very obvious differences that we weren’t supposed to notice - and of course the absurdity of it all.

I have a sneaking suspicion he’s decided to be less involved in TRA Twitter since they all yelled at him😁 I can’t remember why they yelled at him, I think he might have said one of their enemies wasn’t literally Hitler.

it looks like he’s not said anything on the topic for a while, even when the sporting orgs hit the news, but he’s still Tweeting away about other stuff.

Ricky Gervais is on it now. Once comedians get these things between their teeth we’ve gone full on Restoration Comedy.

‘it looks like he’s not said anything on the topic for a while, even when the sporting orgs hit the news, but he’s still Tweeting away about other stuff.’

Poor OJ. They turned on him.

That language is degrading and vile. I’m glad they’ve deleted it and hope they and other companies realise women have Had Enough!

Mic drop. 😂

twitter.com/athousandgems/status/1540022142292697093

I don't object to troubled teenagers having to wait till they're 21 before having irreversible surgery. That just seems sensible and compassionate, not an assault on their human rights.

And Jonathan Pie

‘I don't object to troubled teenagers having to wait till they're 21 before having irreversible surgery. That just seems sensible and compassionate, not an assault on their human rights.’

I know that’s one perspective on the issue. But the people who say transition is ‘unnatural’ and undesirable because they honestly hate non-conformity and want every man straight and every woman pregnant and in the kitchen aren’t going to stop at that. I want to be on the side of autonomy but at the moment that’s my side, not the TRA side. They have deviated into totalitarianism.

Ricky gervais

Archived here

web.archive.org/web/20220623131009/twitter.com/VersoBooks

Planned Parenthood and NOW also both got ratioed in the last few days on Twitter for sternly or gently reminding everyone to be inclusive of transgender women in feminism (NOW) and of replacing 'women' with 'people' when talking about abortion and pregnancy (Planned Parenthood). At least TERFs are getting louder (as some of the few comments disagreeing with the ratios stated), or, which is more likely, ordinary women are getting louder.

The funniest euphemism I saw for 'women', quite a few years ago when all this bunkum began is 'egg producers'. Images of women going cluck-cluck and an egg appearing on their chairs.

I don't object to that either but I do object to the state of Texas intervening between a doctor and patient. trans youth today, women's health tomorrow (well women's health yesterday and today as it happens - abortion is now illegal in the state). It is the medical organisations that should be setting up standards and best practices and those should not include sterilization of minors or removal of sexual funtion from minors. Personally I think that nothing Texas does will stop people finding gender affirming care if that is what they want - they will go online or travel. Some robust lawsuits against doctors and surgeons are far more likely to stop it.

There is indeed an assault on rights coming from the conservatives in america. The two biggest issues are abortion rights and gun ownership. And an increasing push for the state to be involved in what should be private personal decisions.

‘There is indeed an assault on rights coming from the conservatives in america. The two biggest issues are abortion rights and gun ownership. And an increasing push for the state to be involved in what should be private personal decisions.’

In general I agree. But if there is medical malpractice (for example I consider so-called ‘nullification’ surgeries to be malpractice, just like lobotomies were) government has to act. Doctors are subject to democratic and constitutional norms like everyone else. Overall, though, I don’t know if there is a good argument to stop an adult who wants to physically transition.

yeah I dither on it too. It should go without saying that a minor cannot consent to permanent damage to their reproductive capability and sexual function and yet doctors are doing it.

People are still piling into Verso books, who are now promoting a book called "Daddy Issues"

Plenty have suggested better terms for "Father".

There was an old adage that "there's no such thing as bad publicity".

I guess that there are exceptions to the rule.

In case such offensive tweets are a career-limiting matter I suggest key management decide whether they were
A) very very busy
B) on holiday
C) driving at the time and crashed into a bin
D) not interested in office stuff; prefer to chat about football.

‘It should go without saying that a minor cannot consent to permanent damage to their reproductive capability and sexual function and yet doctors are doing it.’

Agree.

@madcat they'll need to ration the info about the bin

The 'our' preceding 'womb carriers' makes the women sound like chattel.

@EsmaCannonball Yep, like the real issue is damage of goods

Love that advice @Madcats

Well, they are quoting (or were quoting) a work they are publishing. Presumably the writer is a woman from the indigenous American community. What I wonder is the power dynamic. To get a publisher, when the publishers are (to generalise) white middle class progressives, do female writers of colour have to or believe they have to describe themselves in these dehumanising ways? That’s horrifying, if it’s the case.

That’s Verso at the top of my shit list 😡

I quite like the phrase ‘bollock-touter’ though.

Thank you, 🤣 I should get a twitter account...