Women's rights general conversations - Thread 3

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of Thread 2.

There is so much excellent information and so many active discussions on FWR that I wondered if it would be useful to have a thread to sort of "cross-fertilise" between them - airing little thoughts or vignettes that wouldn't themselves merit their own thread, to highlight other posts/threads of particular interest or to point to notable developments on fast-moving threads so that casual observers know where to look.

(For example, "the X thread has meandered onto a fascinating discussion of Y" or "Poster P's amazing analysis on thread Z might have relevance to the scenario in thread W" or "Has anybody noticed this recurring theme that keeps coming up??" or even "Random bloke asked me to smile while I was choosing onions, grr"- that sort of thing).

There's a fella on Twitter demanding that SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes be disciplined for breaking the party's policy on transphobia by "misgendering" that rapist who turned into a woman after being arrested, with one of the tweets stating this:

The definition of transphobia by the NEC of the SNP in Feb 2020 expressly states that "deliberately misgendering someone or using phrases or language to suggest their gender identity is not valid, for example referring to a transwoman as a "biological man"." is transphobic.

I thought to myself, surely that bit about "biological man" can't be right. But it is, I've checked. So the SNP appears to agree that sometimes (like in the case of the rapist) a "biological man" can be kept out of women's spaces, but the very phrase required to describe them is transphobic. Lunacy. Unless they mean biological male is okay, but that isn't made clear.

Tricyrtis2022 · Today 13:23

It was about the work that women do and there was a photo of a woman and her husband in Nigeria, where the man was a skinny little rabbit, but the woman was absolutely ripped.

My daughter has a mug with a print by an artist from Tortuga; we saw the original in his studio. It's titled "Men at Work." All the women are busy and the men are sitting around, drinking rum!

Meanwhile, JKR is still fresh out of fucks to give.

Referring to fans who claim she has "ruined" her legacy, Rowling said they "could not have misunderstood me more profoundly".

"I do not walk around my house thinking about my legacy," she continued.

"What a pompous way to live your life, walking around thinking, what will my legacy be? Whatever, I'll be dead. I care about now. I care about the living."

www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64729304

I'm not much bothered why Labour have chosen that position (see also the other thing). It could be because they actually believe it, because they think it'll win votes, because they don't care about the other lot of votes, because they've smoked too many magic mushrooms.

Point is, I don't believe it and I think their position is a load of glittery-unicorn-poo that is based on utter rainbow-painted bollocks.

Consequently, I cannot vote for them.

Where to begin. Starmer is an establishment stooge as far as I'm concerned. He worked with others to undermine the leadership post 2015. Whatever one's views on Corbyn his policies were right. He genuinely cared about the many, he wanted to improve people's lives within a social democratic framework. There was real hope of a better future. By the 2019 general election that had been destroyed. Starmer's manifesto when he stood for leadership promised to keep many of those policies intact. He lied. Under his leadership left wing Jewish members of the party have been expelled for antisemitism.

The party offer nothing. They're Tory lite. As a member I campaigned for them, went door to door, worked for them and was subsequently slapped in the face by them. So, yeah, they can do one.

Well I'm pretty much with you on that, Crows. Corbyn may have been a fool on some issues (IMO), but I believe he is fundamentally a decent man who has been traduced. And it's just typical of the Labour leadership's attitude.

All the women are busy and the men are sitting around, drinking rum!

I'd like to see that mug, Sinner!

I'm with you on that too, Crows.

I can't find it, but here's the original in the background, partly obscured:

www.visitpeterborough.com/whats-on/djibo-art-launch-at-sacrewell-p1602001

Thanks, that was enough to go on to find this - second image down:

www.espmag.co.uk/post/new-art-exhibition-at-sacrewell-farm

Hm, women working while men sit around seems to be a theme:

www.facebook.com/ArtDjibo/photos/pb.100063767281621.-2207520000./1415232248992770/?type=3

That's the mug!

Ha, good stuff! It's an excellent mug.

Shoulders with crows et al.

<lounges in hammock at side of thread>

It may not be surprising, but it’s new to me. I assumed people would be quite a bit smaller and hardier, but sheer strength wasn’t something I’d thought about. How facinating!

It's great to have some actual numbers on it - that bit is new to me, too.

Anyone remember Andy Capp? Looks like he wasn't an outlier 🤣

Just noticed kitkat was trending, thought Mhairi had been up to something but no, just a wafer biscuit. Which, thinking about it, would really hurt if rubbed into your gums.

I remember Andy Capp. I saw something the other week which reminded me that they made a sitcom or something like that starring James Bolam.

I'm so grateful for this thread, a place to talk about all our doubts and fears without being called an actual Nazi is a v good thing. I think I'd start to believe that I was a total callous bigot if there weren't others to remind me that it's not all in my head. Also, getting called a Nazi when you're not a Nazi pretty much helps you realise that whatever side of history you're on it's definitely not completely wrong.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4748763-i-live-in-rosie-duffields-constituency-just-had-local-election-door-knock-from-labour-party?

Lots of interesting anecdotes on this thread. And a bonus Righteous bravely battling for TRSOH.

That reminds me - I just went there to post a thing and got distracted by the 'safe space' lie. I'll drop it here too. Interesting Labour policy docs:

twitter.com/female_union/status/1628041548167368704?

These are from 2018, so things may have changed. But some interesting points to question with canvassers and in letters to MPs.

I can't vote Labour either and yes for me too it isn't just about TWA. It's also about Brexit. And I can't stand Starmer. I just don't trust him. I heard somewhere, forget where now, from someone who said they were at school with him that he has no sense of humour. That worries me. A lack of a sense of humour tends to also indicate a lack of self awareness, a refusal to listen to anyone who disagrees. A certainty one is right. Not good! Say all you want about Blair but he did, and does, have a sense of humour and a self awareness - I've read his autobiography. He knows how others see him. It may not change his mind but he's aware.

I don't think Liz Truss had a sense of humour either and Johnson for all his "Oh he's such fun!" categorisation is just a clown trying to get laughs because he badly needs to be liked.

I recall Thatcher was said not to have a sense of humour either and jokes had to be explained to her. I'm not sure she had much self awareness either. For sure she never had a happy day after being forced from office.

William Hague has a sense of humour - he's a good writer. Ditto Major. They seem so human compared with what we have now.

Anyway I have digressed more than somewhat. Point being, I don't feel able to vote for any of the clowns asking for my X. I feel not just a true antipathy to the lot of them but a real, genuine, gut-wrenching loathing for their mediocrity, their uselessness, their gutlessness and their worthlessness. They're all shit basically. And I used to loathe people who said that! Oh, they're all the same. Well finally I'm on same page as them. Yes they are. All mediocre and utterly useless. We crave decent leadership. I'll take it from anywhere right now. I wonder if we'll ever have it again?

I recall Thatcher was said not to have a sense of humour either and jokes had to be explained to her.

So do I, to be honest.

You could put Starmer in a black shirt. He wouldn't look too bad.

But seriously, agree with Lawls about a missing sense of humour in his case, coupled with his authoritarian nasty streak makes him difficult to like. And the rest of the shadow cab don't impress much either.

Shake your head...