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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions
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Iamiams · 10/12/2024 10:57

ErrolTheDragon · 10/12/2024 10:32

How the heck is men in a position of power acting as if young women should be willing to be 'surrogates' not misogynistic?

A heck of a lot of misogyny and structural sexism is rooted in reproductive biology.

I think asking women working for you to be a surrogate is an abuse of power and morally wrong. However it’s a biological fact that females are the only ones who can get pregnant. It’s not sexist or misogynistic to ask females only. That would mean the non-misogynistic way would be to ask the males to be surrogates too. Which is ludicrous.

Maybe there’s a way it could be construed as being sexist/misogynistic if you believe women can be men and vice versa? I don’t know - my mind can’t compute the philosophy behind that.

teawamutu · 10/12/2024 10:59

RoyalCorgi · 10/12/2024 10:29

Someone really needs to do this. It frustrates me that there isn't a single comprehensive list somewhere because it would be so useful when arguing with people online.

Perhaps we could do it collaboratively by creating a thread and adding examples but I don't know if it would be against MN rules.

Kneejerk answer: most of them.

But agree it would be useful. Where would be suitable? X?

lcakethereforeIam · 10/12/2024 11:13

It's massively hypocritical. Pink News are 100% 'twaw you bigoted terf', but obviously knows they aren't when they needed someone to gestate a child.

In the topsy-turvy world of trans activism perhaps that's the problem. They were misogynistic towards tw because it was only the biological females they asked. That's assuming they didn't ask a tm. Although asking a 'man' to carry a child might be transphobic...except men can get pregnant so...

In short, fuck knows!

Ereshkigalangcleg · 10/12/2024 11:16

It is misogyny as it's harassment of women because they are female.

Iamiams · 10/12/2024 11:20

MarieDeGournay · 10/12/2024 10:30

There doesn't have to be 'a good example of misogyny' in the second part of the sentence - the word 'and' can be used as a conjunction, but it can also be used to introduce an independent clause, which is how it is used here.

I think asking various junior members of staff if they want to act as surrogates is a good example of misogyny - if it was said 'jokingly' that is just a jokey form of misogyny.

It doesn't make it less misogynistic because they didn't ask male staff to have their babies, it shows that the comments made to female staff were targeted at them as women.

I think the point you make about them not asking young male members of staff to act as surrogates is interesting, though maybe not in the way you intended, in that it shows that they know there is a difference between men and women, that biology matters, and that the differences between the sexes are real.

The report doesn't say if they asked any transwomen to carry their babies, but I bet they didn't.

There are many disturbing this about this report, but sentence construction isn't high up on my list.

I thought it was unusual that that was the second part of the sentence. Perhaps construction isn’t what I meant. I was anticipating the more ‘traditional’ sexist stuff as an example after the ‘and’.

I suppose it’s an abuse of power that they are only applying to the females which is sexist.

But there’s a difference in saying, ‘I don’t want to promote you’(because you might get pregnant but a man becoming a father is fine) and this. He’s asking for a ‘service’ being provided that can only be done by women.

To me, it just sounded an odd sentence. And yes I think it’s because of course they wouldn’t have asked men but then my mind has jumped to all the scenarios of who they asked and different groups who would be offended and complained, given their demographic.

If I were a teacher I would be saying ‘can you expand on this please?’

Iamiams · 10/12/2024 11:24

’in short, fuck knows’ 😂

Yes, that’s about where I am at!

SinnerBoy · 10/12/2024 11:32

Helleofabore · 23/08/2024 10:13

Bloody excellent piece of analysis there!

IntheArctic · 10/12/2024 12:14

Didn't Ben Cohen get sacked from the BBC a while ago? Bearing in mind some of the BBC's employee troubles, you'd have to imagine it's a pretty high threshold to get the boot...

PronounssheRa · 10/12/2024 12:20

Something else that strikes me is how brave the employees are to go on record.

Cohen and James have power, wealth and influence, its a big thing to go against people like them.

TheCheeseTax · 10/12/2024 12:23

Why don't they ask their transwomen friends if they'll be surrogates.

lcakethereforeIam · 10/12/2024 12:40

Transmisogyny innit. Or possibly massive hypocrisy. 🤔

ErrolTheDragon · 10/12/2024 12:47

@Iamiams - reading that bit in context I think it was just one particular egregious example '.... while another called it "part and parcel" of how "misogynistic" PinkNews was.'

cordeliavorkosigan · 10/12/2024 12:56

Don't worry, I'm sure they asked everyone's pronouns before joking about surrogacy so they could make sure only people who identify as people who can be pregnant were told they should be surrogates... How else would they know after all? Any people can be pregnant.

RedToothBrush · 10/12/2024 15:27

"I identify as a surrogate mother. What do you mean I need to be female and actually carry a baby?"

DeanElderberry · 10/12/2024 15:44

Misogyny: hatred of and contempt for women.

I find it hard to think of a clearer and more definite example of that than suggesting to a woman you have no personal relationship with or affection for that she should become pregnant and bear a baby for you.

A common motivator of wartime rapes of women from the 'other side' - make them have your baby.

Villagetoraiseachild · 10/12/2024 15:59

It's laudable that the exploited employees have spoken up.

RedToothBrush · 11/12/2024 07:27

Iamiams · 10/12/2024 10:57

I think asking women working for you to be a surrogate is an abuse of power and morally wrong. However it’s a biological fact that females are the only ones who can get pregnant. It’s not sexist or misogynistic to ask females only. That would mean the non-misogynistic way would be to ask the males to be surrogates too. Which is ludicrous.

Maybe there’s a way it could be construed as being sexist/misogynistic if you believe women can be men and vice versa? I don’t know - my mind can’t compute the philosophy behind that.

Being pregnant is a protected characteristic under the 'sex' clause in the equality act.

Therefore if you are harassing staff members to become pregnant for you, that's sexual harassment on the basis of their sex.

Since only females can get pregnant it very much is misogyny.

And an abuse of power.

I hope all said no to carrying the child of this pair.

fromorbit · 11/12/2024 09:27

Pinknews have lost Reddit. Biggest UK politics sub and look at the comments lots of people pointing out not just the dodgy nature of the bosses, but questioning the entire agenda of Pricknews.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/comments/1hay7t3/pinknews_bosses_accused_of_sexual_misconduct/

Indicative of a major shift I feel. If you lose Reddit you really are on a downward slide.

RoyalCorgi · 11/12/2024 10:29

fromorbit · 11/12/2024 09:27

Pinknews have lost Reddit. Biggest UK politics sub and look at the comments lots of people pointing out not just the dodgy nature of the bosses, but questioning the entire agenda of Pricknews.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/comments/1hay7t3/pinknews_bosses_accused_of_sexual_misconduct/

Indicative of a major shift I feel. If you lose Reddit you really are on a downward slide.

Agree. I can't see how Pink News can survive this - unless, possibly, they are taken over by another publisher who promises to start again with a clean slate.

For a short while there was a good alternative to Pink News called Lesbian and Gay News, but it didn't last.

BezMills · 11/12/2024 10:31

I was a big fan of George Takei for a time, but at some point his SM just became a re-share portal for Pink News (it seemed to me) and I went off the guy. Shame, as he's an absolute treasure in many ways.

EmpressaurusDeiGatti · 11/12/2024 10:41

BezMills · 11/12/2024 10:31

I was a big fan of George Takei for a time, but at some point his SM just became a re-share portal for Pink News (it seemed to me) and I went off the guy. Shame, as he's an absolute treasure in many ways.

Yes, I liked him at one point but then realised how much he despises women.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 11/12/2024 11:06

Yes I mentioned earlier in the thread how I saw someone get their arse handed to them on a TRA thread for posting a link to PN. This was before these latest revelations as well.

nauticant · 11/12/2024 16:04

The allegations of abuse are going to be discussed on The Media Show on Radio 4 shortly. Maybe in 5+ minutes.

Orland0 · 11/12/2024 16:35

I’d be absolutely delighted if PN ceased to exist 😄

sincerely
~ a lesbian