Emma Barnett interviews Endometriosis South Coast Steph Richards and Trustee Jodie Hughes

[ChristinaXYZ]

You can listen here - it starts around the 22 minute mark.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001scsj

If it were true Lotta, of which there is no evidence. People do feel shame when they have done nothing to be ashamed of, unfortunately. But Tinkly here asserts Emma feels this shame so badly as to consider leaving the country (no evidence supplied when pressed) and is thus a lesser person. Nice. What happened to “Be Kind” Tinkly?

What does this mean please?

It's quite a startling statement from a prominent female broadcaster. You'd think it would have been picked up on by other media sources.

🙋🏻‍♀️ as a childless woman I’m not remotely insulted by what EB said (If she even said it) and read it as she would be looking to take an alternative path in life which many of us in the childless community do

Bunbury is the name of an ailing fictional relative used by one of the characters in The Importance of Being Ernest as an excuse to get out of tiresome social encounters.

Germaine, blessed be her name, is a deity on this board. 😁

A while back the two were smooshed together as a FWR signal that a derailer might be present on the thread and posters interested in staying on topic might wish to disengage from them.

In cases where a poster might attempt to derail a thread "FermatsTheorem recommended “that in the absence of a block/hide poster button, the following strategy is suggested

Do not name check the sealion. Instead, respond to a depersonalised paraphrase:

"It is sometimes erroneously suggested that blah. Blah is wrong for the following reasons (short and pithy). If you need more information re. debunking blah, here's a link."

Then (this next step is important to combat derailment) go back up thread to the last useful contribution to the discussion, make sure you do name check that contributor, and pick up the discussion from that point.”
Bunbury’s is under attack so be on your guard - there be dragons looking for witches.
If you’re lurking, Bunbury was a fictitious person in the Importance of Being Earnest - whenever our hero wanted to get out of an unwanted social engagement he would claim to have to be visiting his sick relative Bunbury. Hence the rediscovery of hitherto unknown second wave feminist Germaine Bunbury, to indicate to posters that a thread may in fact constitute an unwelcome social occasion they might want to avoid (courtesy of FermatsTheorem)"

I listened to it earlier today and thought Emma managed to passively aggressively wipe the floor with both of the guests. Well done Emma!

This was a watershed interview for me. It's the first time I've heard a journalist/presenter on totally mainstream media just not swallowing the nonsense. No deference, no special treatment.

If she said it, I would have taken it as expressing desperate need to escape feelings that are overwhelming. It's running away from extreme pain. It's so courageous to share something so personal and it's despicable for someone to trying to use that as a stick to beat her.

Why?

Ah thanks CriticalCondition. I’ll know for next time :)

If I didn’t have kids (and grandkids) I’d most likely move abroad! Not because of shame or other such negative feelings, but for fun!!!!

Thanks for the explanation. Disengaged mode activated!

There were a few things that I wanted a bit more on. Like they said a couple of times how all their service users are happy with the appointment. I wish they'd been asked how many service users they have. I read up thread that their turnover is only £160 a week and Steph is being CEO for free. They can't be serving that many women.

Lots of women feel shamed by a patriarchal society if they can't fulfil what that society deems their 'function'.

It's a feminist issue. If Emma was talking about it, guess what? She would not be implying that women should feel ashamed, of course but analysing, and/or complaining about why women are expected to.

Trying to make that into a negative because she showed up the nonsense chat of some TRA is manipulative bollocks.

@Hurroo
Your wish, etc.

I have a transcript. I don't want risk ruining the thread (now that's it's being de-Bunburyed) by putting it all on as it's v long, but am happy to do so if people think that's a good idea?

Ooh, a transcript! Thank you @Mmmnotsure! I think that would be an excellent way of continuing 'on topic' discussion. The alternative I suppose is to start a new thread with it and link that from here.

A transcript of what EB said in relation to shame and childlessness? I would be interested in seeing what was said.

Perhaps Jodi founded Endometriosis South Coast because she didn’t like the main UK charity’s work in this area. From the interview, it would seem that Jodi thinks Endo being thought of as a women’s gynae issue is in some way holding back development of treatment. She’s very much into promoting it as ‘people with endometriosis' rather than 'women with endometriosis'.

The NHS website and Endometriosis UK both refer to 'women' in their information.

Maybe starting a new thread would be better, this thread is about her recent interview and discussion about an older interview would disrupt that.

Yes, several points I'd have liked more on, including the claim that all their service users are happy. Especially since they seemed also to say that anyone who objected was a transphobe. That might just possibly not help service users express their feelings.

I'm assuming Mmmnotsure's transcript is of yesterday's interview on WH?

Sorry if I've been misleading - my reply was to Hurroo from v early on in the thread and is the transcript from yesterday's WHour.

I vote for please do post interview transcript!

Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio Four, 15/11/23
Emma Barnett, Jodie Hughes and Steph Richards

EB: Now endometriosis is a chronic condition which affects one in ten women. It's where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places causing debilitating pain and in some cases fertility issues. But a charity that looks to support women suffering from the condition, Endometriosis South Coast, has faced criticism this week after announcing a transwoman, Steph Richards, would be its new CEO. The decision to appoint Steph was made by Jodie Hughes, the chair of the trustees. Jodie also founded the charity, and Jodie and Steph are on the line now.
Steph, I know you're receiving a fair bit of the attention, the brunt of it, and including a lot of criticism – it will be important to hear from you directly, so good morning to you – but I wanted to come if I can first to Jodie because Jodie, you founded this charity, you have personal experience of endometriosis and I believe you sought out Steph for the role. Good morning, and why don’t you start by telling us why?

JH: Hiyah. So yeah, I have lots of experience of endometriosis. Umm, we didn’t seek Steph out. I came across Steph in our home town of Portsmouth. We were both nominated for the ITV national diversity awards up in Liverpool where we first met and Steph does a lot of work for women’s health, a lot of activism work for women’s health, a lot of awareness work for women’s health. And I myself suffer really badly with endometriosis and multiple chronic illnesses that go alongside endometriosis. I’m a single mum, and I am writing my PhD at the moment in endometriosis. I have a lot on and I have to choose where and how to spend my spoons, and quite frankly the general day-to-day running and admin work needs to be handed over to a CEO that is better equipped to do that and has more energy to do that.

EB: Do you understand any of the criticism?

JH: Yes and no.

EB: Tell me what your response is then.

JH: My response is the CEO of Prostate Cancer is a female. They can’t get prostate cancer, um, the CEO doesn't need to have endometriosis, a CEO doesn’t need to be that sex. A CEO is there to do the general running of day-to-day stuff not to do the decision making. That is still in the hands of the trustees and all of our trustees… …[endometriosis]…

EB: They are the face of a charity, they are the voice of a charity; they aren't just answering emails and dealing with finances. People who are aware of… certainly when it comes to smaller charities it’s all hands on deck, as to say that. Why did you want to do it, Steph?