Neil Gaiman Accused Of Sexual Assault Pt II

[hihelenhi]

As we're nearly at the end of the first thread, let's make sure we keep the topic current.

There have been five women now who have spoken to podcasts about the predatory behaviour of Neil Gaiman.

First thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5112128-neil-gaiman-accused-of-sexual-assault

I found the thread about Julie Bindel over there infuriating. JB has been out there doing real work to prevent VAWG for years, while these self obsessed Redditors are posting thread after thread about their own hurt feelings that Gaiman has disappointed them and how they’re going to cope. Characterising her as self interested is stunningly hypocritical even by Reddit standards.

Oh but she’s over30 so must be ignorant and bigoted. No one over 30 could know anything about social justice.

The great thing about those t-shirts is that they're 100% recyclable. I don't mean the fabric, I mean the slogan, which wisely doesn't mention NG by name. There'll be another along shortly, and you'll already have the t-shirt.

Absolutely true. Sadly.

Could you provide a link to Reddit please? I'd like to read about myself.

https://www.reddit.com/r/neilgaimanuncovered/s/i4ChObXDO3

Oh, and https://www.reddit.com/r/neilgaimanuncovered/s/HWL03UpJ80 too

I didn't realise Julie Bindel was biphobic? I always thought she was just Laurie Penny-phobic ;-)

It is utterly unhinged. Not to mention factually ignorant in all possible ways, including what "terfs' actually believe . How on earth they can square "non sexism" with their blind hatred of the women they deem "terfs" ENTIRELY based on misogyny and a total lack of factual knowledge of the history of women's rights and why some women have every reason not to agree that an exception should be made for men who id as women, is beyond me. So dimwitted. It's a shame that an entire generation appears to have been misinformed (by misogynists) in this way.

It seems like the usage of TERF in that subreddit is almost like an evolution from Karen. Old women who don't like our bullshit.

I think there's something similar with NG. He's always been active on social media, but for a long time he just used it to promote his books. Then there was a time when he started being very outspoken on woke causes and making sure everyone saw him white knighting for vulnerable women... and when a prominent man does that, I'm afraid my cynicism kicks in.

I've told DD to avoid men who say they're feminists like the plague. Invariably misogynists.

It's very rare I'm not sad at this time of year, with the lilac out and I think of my namesake. But honestly, Terry'd (hopefully) be disgusted. And if he wasn't, I'd be heartbroken.

So-called "terfs" had the measure of men like Gaiman long before most of these kids were even born. It is the entire reason we are "terfs" (or just "feminists" as we used to be called; the "t" is only a feature because men calling themselves t decided they were allowed to insert themselves into women's experience, a wholly misogynist, patriarchal endeavour based entirely on sex stereotypes and a man's eye view, no different to that of other abusive, misogynist, patriarchal males. No actual feminist worth her salt is going to make an exception for such an obvious ruse).

It is they who are jumping on the feminist bandwagon. Our experience tells us that any "exception making" and turning a blind eye to misogyny and abuses due to some untouchable status is exactly what the problem is here, and exactly how abusive men like Gaiman and others continue to be allowed to operate in all the ways that they do, in whatever guise. As the reddittors will eventually discover, given all the actual evidence is against their views on "terfs". Turning a blind eye or actively hating on women who notice their exception-making because of untouchable status is abuser enabling behaviour. As they may unfortunately find out when they grow up a bit.

Anyway. While I'm beyond irritated they've decided to focus their disgust on women who point out male abusers who they've personally decided are untouchable instead of the likes of Gaiman, let's get back to him.

His daughter claims he'd hate so-called "terfs" as much as she appears to. I'm not convinced, but it depends on his circles and how easily he'd have been persuaded that we believe things we don't.

@hihelenhi your posts are 🔥🔥🔥 today!

Thank you. I'm just SO deeply fucked off with the stupidity, irrationality and cognitive dissonance. It's a shame, as otherwise they are doing good work.

His daughter claims he'd hate so-called "terfs" as much as she appears to.

Bereaved people often try to create an image of the deceased person as they wish they were. I'm sure she loves him very much. Enough said from me.

Ideologically blinkered online fandoms can be so weird. I was thinking - because he was mentioned on the subreddit - about Grant Morrison, another contemporary who was onto NG before most people.

There's a funny footnote to that. A couple of years back, Grant did an interview where he said something like "if concepts like non-binary or genderqueer had existed when I was young in the 1980s, that's probably what I would have called myself." Now this is Grant doing what Grant does, fucking with people and raising his profile at the same time. I see no evidence Grant was making a serious claim about himself. Almost everything Grant says needs to be taken with a whole helping of salt.

Nonetheless, a lot of extremely online types awarded Grant they/them pronouns, which he'd never requested anyone use for him, and those redditors will immediately correct anyone who calls Grant he. (Or who calls Laurie Penny she, but that's a different can of worms.)

The really funny thing is that, now everyone on the internet thinks Grant is NB and therefore part of the alphabet community, he's got a couple of gigs from it, because Grant (who is straight as a laser beam) gets to write for the DC Pride anthology.

Bit of a diversion there from NG, sorry, but those redditors can be very sincere and do useful work, and be completely blinded by ideology at the same time.

how easily he'd have been persuaded that we believe things we don't

First sight and second thoughts.

Of course being able to recognise and name the tricks our brains and societies play on us doesn't always offer immunity, but close observation does help.

I really hate how sexual violence towards women and girls gets polarised along political/cultural lines. I really do not care if someone is pro-trans or pro-redfem, or if they are right leaning or left. This really should be a point of consensus for everyone to get behind.

It should be, shoudnt it?

'Imagine my horror when I realised the terfs had been right all along'.

Saw another article mention what's happening, this time on screen rants. "Season three of Good Omens to go ahead despite Neil Gaimen allegations". So it's spreading. I didn't read the article to see what it said but having that as the title is a big step forward.

Ugh I was so e cited when I saw this book is being released as an audio book, I loved it when I read it years ago.

Then I saw the narrator.

I can't listen to his voice now, it creeps me out and genuinely makes me feel sick.

Audible has/had another edition of that book with a single, hopefully less problematic narrator.

Ooh thank you!