Women's rights general conversations - Thread 10

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of Thread 9.

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).

I went to the library yesterday after work and noted one of the 'regulars' (a 60+ Caribbean lady, FWIW) chatting to a similarly-aged man in the newspaper section. I regret to say that the chap had the stereotypical appearance and speaking manner of a Boris Johnson-type. Well, he held forth, brayingly, on a range of topics including carbon dating, DNA testing and the Turin shroud.

And then the conversation turned to the new Archbishop of Canterbury. The library were treated to an explanation of how women couldn't be spiritual leaders because they were too easily distracted... but more pertinently because women can take a new soul into their wombs.

Nope, me neither.

If you'll believe in a virgin birth...

more pertinently because women can take a new soul into their wombs.

What a strange idea. I wonder if someone told him that or he made it up himself?

Anyway, even if women could take a new soul into their wombs why should that prevent them from being an Archbishop?

G'Day all, long time no post, hope everyone is well. Good news on the women's sports front this week. One of this afternoon's posts inspiried me to post this anecdote about the late George Brown (former Deputy Leader of Labour) which I read in Another Place a day or two ago. Sorry, it's totally off topic, but it's quite good fun.

Attending a glittering official reception, with all the military officers in full-dress uniform and the ambassadors in court dress, he is said to have made a bee-line for a gorgeously crimson-clad figure.

A colleague later recalled the story: George said: “Excuse me, but may I have the pleasure of this dance?” There was a terrible silence for a moment before the guest, who knew who he was, replied:

“There are three reasons, Mr Brown, why I will not dance with you. The first, I fear, is that you’ve had too much to drink. The second is that this is not, as you suppose, a waltz that the orchestra is playing but the Peruvian national anthem, for which you should be standing to attention. And the third reason why we may not dance, Mr Brown, is that I am the Cardinal Archbishop of Lima.”’

Good story, love it!

No idea if it’s true but I love the story.

That's brilliant @bignosebignose

It's a lovely tale, but it hardly has the ring of truth!

One year later:

https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/protests-planned-for-one-year-later/

Will try to get to the Manchester one, I think.

Surely the ability to contain 2 souls at once would be a bonus for an Archbishop? Extra holy.

Was that the George Brown that led to Private Eye popularising the "tired and emotional" euphemism by any chance?

Just been listening to the Empire podcast's series on Chairman Mao, I've got to the Cultural Revolution episode and it is so... familiar. They talk about teenagers being sucked into a cult by the charismatic leader, the brainless chanting of slogans, the obliteration of anything deemed 'old' or 'incorrect', the deliberate encouragement of violence, "an entire generation that's been groomed... they have no way of thinking for themselves or thinking that this is wrong, the entire moral compass being rebuilt all around the True North... They would think of themselves as exponents of the highest moral virtue..."

Funny thing is, IIRC the presenters are quite TRSOH? But I suppose if they are, they just can't see the parallels.

One of the presenters is an unthinking accepter of approved narratives in areas outside the narrow confines of the historical topic under discussion.

One of them is brighter and more analytical, but often treated as in some way 'secondary'.

I won't say which is which.

Would the fact that one of them is female and the other one is male be relevant here, @DeanElderberry ....?

Such an idea would never have crossed my . . . . .

oh, well, now that you mention it

BUT on the Journey Through Time podcast it's the woman presenter who comes out with lazy clichéd historical inaccuracy and the man who works harder at not being a spoofer, so that probably isn't it.

I'm terrible at remembering names, just wondering if anyone here is going to the Manchester one who's an old Talk person. I'm on my way - used to be Elsie in the other place.

On the cultural Revolution parallels a while ago I saw an interview with a woman now living in the US who lived through it, she was very clear that she was seeing the same issues

I am! Train ticket booked. I'll be the grey-haired old git in the black Terf Nation tee-shirt.

I will look out for you - I'm the short woman with a bright pink skiing jacket on either holding a black adult human female flag or a bright pink adult human female umbrella depending on the weather.

This is an interesting read and I think makes clear the need for women and girls to have their own spaces, not just because of safety or privacy but to enable us to just be women and girls without boys and men https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62je1g000eo

Thank you for that depressing start to the week.

This is more cheering, @NoBinturongsHereMate - it's Naomi Cunningham and Charlotte Elves talking about working together.

They give Fifer - @BezMills - the last word too!

https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/sharing-the-advocacy

It makes me very happy to think that NC&CE discovered the Fifer. I hope they enjoyed him as much as we did (and that privately they think of the judge as Big Sond).

They give Fifer - @BezMills - the last word too!

‘Ah telt ye they’d gie the young team a run oot. Never been rang yit… here is the path doon the gairden, let me lead you by the haun. She’s guid. NC is no even needing to raise a finger.’