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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Kathy Burke: I didn't want to be a boy but I didn't want to be a girlie girl either

59 replies

BonfireLady · 22/10/2025 12:38

My jaw hit the floor several times reading this extract from Kathy Burke's book:

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/kathy-burke-book

In a parallel universe, I'd have been so happy to read this. She talks about being happy that she was mistaken for a boy, being delighted with her short hair, finding joy in punk rock as her answer to where she fitted in the world, recognising the risk of pregnancy when she was younger and didn't feel old enough for sex.

In that parallel would, she would have been an amazing role model for my daughter. Instead, Kathy Burke is one of many celebrities who represents a massive societal risk to my daughter who is: happy when being mistaken for a boy, delighted with her short hair, finding her confidence with the piano and bass guitar (she has a musical talent that hasn't come from me 😬), appalled at the idea of sex anyway (but thankfully understands that only females can get pregnant) and.... struggling with puberty (hates her breasts, hates periods, hates the way boys look at girls now that she and her peers are no longer young children).

If my daughter met someone like Kathy Burke, I would fully expect her to be told that if she feels like a boy, she is a boy... trapped in the wrong body.... but don't worry, you can remove those breasts and even take testosterone if it want. Etc.

How can Kathy Burke be so close to getting it... yet so far?

Kathy Burke: “I Didn’t Want To Be A Boy, But I Didn’t Want To Be A Girlie Girl Either”

Before the fame, the fags and the funny, Kathy Burke was a wannabe punk in ’70s London. In an extract from her long-awaited memoir, the actor reveals the makings of a national treasure. Photograph by Martin Parr.

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/kathy-burke-book

OP posts:
eleanorwish · 23/10/2025 07:48

My great aunt was considered ‘fast’ for wearing trousers in the 30’s

Contemporaneouslyagog · 23/10/2025 08:58

Greyskybluesky · 22/10/2025 17:11

I wonder if she's still mates with James Dreyfus? He's been really outspoken on the issue

I think she's let him down badly, from what I've gleaned in X

Contemporaneouslyagog · 23/10/2025 09:04

I saw Ben Elton's show as well , he is definitely GC he acknowledged that he was skating in thin ice with a couple of jokes about GI and asked not to be cancelled in a humerous way

TrainedByCats · 23/10/2025 15:41

TheBeaTgoeson1 · 22/10/2025 19:55

Love Kathy!! Had forgotten her!! Thanks for the share.

Nothing says ‘has been’ quite like this post 🤣

BundleBoogie · 23/10/2025 18:07

I doubt she’d be feeling as chipper now if instead of a haircut, she’d been persuaded that her best option was serious over-medication of testosterone, boobs off, menopause in her 20s and crumbling bones thereafter.

CatAsstrophe · 23/10/2025 18:43

BonfireLady · 22/10/2025 20:53

Here it is ⬇️

The majority of her response seems to be directed at Glinner ("that BLOKE with the book coming out") but if she wanted to demonstrate that she valued James Dreyfus as a friend, calling him "another BLOKE" in this context is an odd way to do so.

She really does seem to make a habit of spectacularly missing the point. JD and GL do stand up for women's rights e.g. to fair sport (without males), access to single-sex changing facilities (i.e. without males being in there too) and so on.

Talk about missing the point! Dear me KB, you can do better.

Brefugee · 24/10/2025 12:00

RanchRat · 22/10/2025 16:42

Love Kathy Burke, you, are scraping the barrel trying to find someone to hate.

"hate"? that word gets chucked about a lot by people who don't know what it means.

She is fucking ridiculous and i am laughing at her utter stupidity. That is all.

Brefugee · 24/10/2025 12:03

Greyskybluesky · 22/10/2025 22:48

Ben Elton is GC, really? I would honestly never have thought that. He's irritated me for a long number of years for various reasons but I might start listening to him again!

he was on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast this week and he was really interesting. Didn't touch the GC stuff at all though.

TheBeaTgoeson1 · 24/10/2025 19:48

TrainedByCats · 23/10/2025 15:41

Nothing says ‘has been’ quite like this post 🤣

Nowt wrong with being a haz bean if what you haz bean is awesome.

Love her!

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