www.theguardian.com/books/2022/nov/28/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-bbc-reith-lecture-freedom-truth-trans-rights
Good for her, refusing to back down. Williams is a woman from a wealthy background who went to an extremely expensive private school and Oxford (like most Guardian writers) who revels in the virtue of her luxury beliefs. She doesn't offer anything or argue anything new here and I hope it'll peak a few more people.
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions
Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie interview with Zoe Williams
irishfeminist · 28/11/2022 07:55
Ereshkigalangcleg · 28/11/2022 19:18
I love CNA but I'm not sure I can bear to read a ZW article.
Saskihahaha · 28/11/2022 09:01
I think Emma Barnett's interview with Chimamanda was much better, but then I don't rate Williams:
www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2022-11-11/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-on-j-k-rowling-cancel-culture-and-beyonce
New to this site, so possibly this interview has already been posted. I suspect CNA is exasperated with the continuing questioning of her position on Transwomen. Barnett doesn't push it, and is respectful. Not so ZW.
Kucinghitam · 28/11/2022 09:02
The entire lecture is about respecting and allowing different voices and opinions.
That's what the Adichies of the world are asking for and the Williamses are just "I'm not having that"
Sums up the TRA side doesn't it?
Exactly @TheGreatATuin - I'm so bloody sick of it. People who self-identify as Righteous, shamelessly waving the Inclusive Free Speech High Ideals flag yet simultaneously telling lies about anybody who doesn't parrot the One Bundle Of Good Beliefs and deliberately silencing them.
Signalbox · 28/11/2022 08:29
I suggest that he would look different if he were living as a woman.
“But that’s the thing,” she says. “You can look however you want now and say you’re a woman.” And, she adds, anyone who might take issue with this is “outdated” and needs “to have the young people educate [them]”. I suspect she’s taking an argument – that trans people don’t want to be policed for how they dress and what stage of transition they’re at – and reducing it to the absurd.
There’s that phrase again “living as a woman” that nobody seems to be able to define.
And let’s face it the current trans style is for a 6ft 2 burley, bearded bloke to put on some nail polish and a flouncy summer dress and that’s it for transitioning. If that is what ZW considers “reducing it to the absurd” then she’s the outdated one in this conversation.
Lottapianos · 28/11/2022 08:42
What a shame the Guardian couldn't have sent Hadley Freeman to do this interview instead. Oh no wait, Hadley recently left the Guardian because she got sick and tired of this kind of tiresome shit
xxyzz · 28/11/2022 21:03
Came on here to see what MN thought as I was fuming after reading that!
I do think though that this is part of the Guardian's discreet reverse ferret that's been going on since SG resigned/was sacked a few days ago. Think this is the third Guardian article in a row which is trying to present the 'trans/women's rights' issue in a more sympathetic way, getting figures like CNA that even those on the left, typical Guardian readers, will admire, to present the pro-women position.
Like the Guardian can't go from zero to full-on pro-women because their US readership will object, but I get the feeling they're trying to prepare the ground for saying shortly Oh no, we were always pro-women, always cared about sex-based rights too... As they know the shit is shortly to hit the fan re Mermaids, Cass etc.
So I think this is part of an attempt to reverse ferret subtly, so they can bring their readership along with them, and not get instantly cancelled themselves too.
A side note, one of the many casually obnoxious things with the article is that it starts not by praising the writing or thinking or campaigning of this famous feminist. Oh no, unbelievably Zoe thinks that the best way to start a report of an interview with CNA is to tell the reader that CNA is 'flawless to look at'.
FFS. Because that's really the most important thing about her!
Saskihahaha · 28/11/2022 09:01
I think Emma Barnett's interview with Chimamanda was much better, but then I don't rate Williams:
www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2022-11-11/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-on-j-k-rowling-cancel-culture-and-beyonce
New to this site, so possibly this interview has already been posted. I suspect CNA is exasperated with the continuing questioning of her position on Transwomen. Barnett doesn't push it, and is respectful. Not so ZW.
Rocksludge · 28/11/2022 08:05
All that expensive education hasn’t helped Zoe with building a decent argument.
I’m not having that. “You couldn’t objectively say, ‘All women are threatened by trans women.’ I’m also a woman. That doesn’t reflect my experience.”
Talk about completely distorting an argument to the point of absurdity and then saying ‘but that’s not how I feel so it can’t be true’. People simply wouldn’t be objectively claiming that all women are threatened by trans women. 🙄
AutumnLeaves23 · 29/11/2022 02:26
Williams doesn’t come off well. I didn’t know much about Chimamanda before this interview but I think she rocks!
Guardian seem to be turning though. Did anyone see this article?
www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/28/helena-bonham-carter-defends-jk-rowling-and-johnny-depp?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
ArabellaScott · 29/11/2022 09:09
the Guardian trying to speedily reverse-ferret
This won't go down well. Lots of loud, privileged people have done very well pontificating on this subject for the past few years; it's been a great chance for them to feel good about the Right Side of History and their own progressiveness, and many will very much not like the glimmer of realisation that they might be wrong. Too many bruised egos.
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