Women's rights general conversations - Thread 6

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of Thread 5.

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 in the supermarket, grr"- that sort of thing).

Potayto potahto.

For some reason, I was reading all the narration of the pompous windbag Righteous Professor in the "voice" of somebody with small headgear...

(Edit: sorry, in-joke)

Bleugh, I'd forgotten about him 😆

It’s absolutely gripping, that tribunal thread (and the linked TT tweets), I came back from my dog walk to 300+ posts AND a 7-page new thread - read every single post. Well, obviously I skim-read a lot, but have never used the “thanks” button so often. What a shame this isn’t higher profile and transmitted live on the BBC or similar!

I gather the judge appears well and truly “peaked” by the dire witnesses. Here’s hoping!

Also spoke to my sister earlier, to whom I gave Hannah Barnes’ book Time to Tink - I gave it to her primarily because she’s a health visitor and idiot parents are transing their toddlers so she needs to know this stuff, but also because my youngest nephew (15) is gay and I hope if he brings up this stuff she’ll laugh it off rather than comply with pronouns and all. She says he’s got a trans friend (FTM) and finds it all rather sad and peculiar. Thankfully his very macho Dad has been absolutely fine about having a gay son.

There's an article in the DM about some geezer, Andrew Gold, who is a self declared(?) expert on cults. Obviously, this has nothing to do with gender ideology.....absolutely nothing 🙄

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12584371/I-investigate-cults-reasons-people-swept-religious-sects-need-feel-superior.html

It is a 'very' DM article but there are a few nuggets. It lost me toward the end with a bit about Hasidic Jews and then the non offending paedophiles.

I've never heard of the guy and he may be evil.

Thanks, just spent the last couple of hours reading the article and watching the embedded video. Andrew Gold sounds like Louis Theroux and looks like Hugh Grant, it was a bit discombobulating, but so interesting. The man kept interrupting his wife and really dominated the conversation, even when Andrew asked her a question - something I noticed increasingly as the interview went on.

I agreed to take a “personality test” in the Scientology bookshop at Goodge Street underground station. I was actually in quite a bad place in my life (clue: the clap clinic was just around the corner), and after the test I was asked if I wanted an analysis of my results, so I hung around until an earnest young man told me how deeply damaged I was, and how much help and counselling I needed, but even though I was unhappy I resented his negativity, I had a great job on a good salary and lots of friends, so I took real umbrage, laughed at him and walked out.

So it was affirming to hear in the interview how literally NOBODY would ever pass a Scientology personality test, at least until half a £million or more had been paid. I remember someone saying whenever they’re approached by Scientologists to “do a personality test”, they say “Yeah, I’m a bit busy right now, why don’t we cut to the chase and you tell me how much it’ll cost to hear about the aliens?”

Sadly I haven’t been approached by a Scientologist since, but long to be, just so I can say that.

I had a bit of a Google and found a YouTube Andrew Gold had done with someone called, iirc, Professor John (PJ). PJ is a fonabide scientist, so it looked promising, debunking flat earth, etc. Then PJ got to gender and started wanging on about male and female brains, he's a true believer in gender. I bailed, but looking at the comments I think he was a bit embarrassed at giving this guy very little pushback. There was an interesting comment from a m2f which was a good correction, the studies hadn't allowed for sexual orientation which is what I'd heard about them. If Andrew Gold has done anything about the culty aspects of GI, I've not seen it. But there are hauntingly familiar echoes in the DM article.

I'd often thought about taking the Scientology test, just for a giggle, but never been near their....haunts when I had nothing better to do. I'm glad you slipped their clutches.

I did it for a giggle - who doesn’t love a personality test? - and they tried to make me feel suicidal. Nasty shuddersome stuff. Luckily I have always had a very inflated self-esteem. It’s what you all love so much about me.

True dat ❤️

I listen to his podcast! I can't remember in which episodes, but he has definitely expressed some GC leaning views (I think he has made some connection there). He is much more equivocal than Louis Theroux I think. The podcast is cult-content heavy, but much more broad than that- He interviews Andrew Doyle, Helen Lewis, Buck Angel, Richard Dawkins, Katie Herzog- and also covers black holes and a fascinating debate with flat earther! . The Shamima Beghum one is particularly good.
I find him an open minded and curious free/critical thinker.

There's an AMA thread running at the moment that I think many of you will find interesting (in a deeply frustrating way).

Luckily I have always had a very inflated self-esteem. It’s what you all love so much about me.

I'm certainly very fond of that aspect of you.

A former MrBint took the test at that Goodge St place. I insisted on going with him and observing, so I could talk him down afterwards. It was interesting, but considerably less subtle than I expected.

Aye, there was a place in Mosely where they grabbed you. I couldn't be bothered when I saw the number of questions. Those people were blank-eyed barmy. Worse than me: I had a TM centre over the road!

@DameMaud - I've just listened to the Andrew Gold episode on Shamima Begum and it was interesting enough that I'll probably go back and listen to some others. His interviewee - the ex-builder not-from-Godalming - was excellently bonkers and funny but also sensible. Thanks for the recommendation.

Glad you enjoyed it Gonners!
Yes, def a few good ones on there

A pal did the Manc Half Marathon at the weekend. The medal has Emiline Pankhurst "I incite this meeting to rebellion" on it. NICE.

https://images.app.goo.gl/V9nWbLW7zymME2mu6

Some transperson is putting on a play where he interviews 'JKR'.

https://unherd.com/thepost/trans-activist-to-interview-jk-rowling-in-new-play/

He claims he'll be playing the JKR character to shift our sympathies. I'm glad that's the reason and it's not because it means he can play the more interesting part and chew the scenery while wearing a dress.

Bloody hell! $28! Is that expensive? I've no idea.

$28 in Aussie is somewhere between £14 and £15, which is somewhere between £14 and £15 more than I'd be prepared to pay.

Has anyone got a link to the blog article about making your penis feel sad?

I've searched but can't find it

I've been trying to catch up on the tribunal tweets for the Jo Phoenix case and this really made me laugh -

'CW: I can't remember the brief of the witness statement. Can you remind me?
BC: No'

From - x.com/tribunaltweets/status/1713855158755467605?s=20

This interesting podcast was linked on one of the FWR threads, but sadly I cannot remember which one - thanks are due to whoever linked it!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001b420

A shorter, pithier (and Bad People involved) podcast on the same question:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-poetry-of-reality-with-richard-dawkins/id1687566256?i=1000630881123

Given JKR's glorious and increasing refusal to take any shit, and her willingness to refer things to her lawyers, I certainly wouldn't be seeking to put words in her mouth, unless I could prove she had said them and that I wasn't taking them out of context.

Yes, there could be a libel case in the offing.

Victoria Smith on Filia in the Critic

https://thecritic.co.uk/think-about-the-consequences/

Excellent article. Agree with every word. It made me think though about women talking but also about being listened to. The only reports on the conference I've seen outside of MN are on the misogynists outside and on JKR attending. Nothing about the content, unless I've missed it. Then, for example, there's the Cheltenham Book Festival and lots of pieces, several alone on a privileged, rich white guy being interviewed by his equally privileged daughter.

That is an excellent article and it has made me very angry.

https://thecritic.co.uk/to-the-contrary-mary/

This one too, linked from above.