Nothing to do with Pratchett, but did you catch Channel 4 news this evening? A simpering piece on L Hubbard's performance in the weightlifting, with a (very dapper) clinical director of a gender clinic brought on as an authority on sport physiology to explain that now his testosterone was suppressed his muscles were feminised and his big old male bones were more of a hindrance than an advantage. I used to think that Channel 4 news were honest and reliable. If I've learned anything from this whole gender fiasco, it's that everyone has their own angle, and they're not going to give it up.
It’s passages from “Nation”, talking about the “women’s places” that moved me most and convinced me that Terry Pratchett had an understanding of women (and of people generally) that a lot of men lack. The “other side” just betray their own ignorance of pretty much everything - and misogyny - with this.
Transing the dead, even in their thinking, has a long history that's quite easy to expose. Malcolm Michaels, drag name Marsha Johnson, was recorded by a historian one week before his death saying that he was a gay man. Joan D'Arc was a man because she went into battle wearing armor. The only person from my era who later claimed to trans in the 90s was Rae "Sylvia" Rivera and he was a raging mysoginist who said that the L should be dropped from GLBT. He detested women while claiming to be a woman. It's all a narcissistic shitshow, people.
I'm a huge Pratchett fan. I don't cry when famous people die but I did for him. It's a tiny consolation that he isn't here to be disappointing about the rights of women like Neil Gaiman, Billy Bragg et al. It's come to the point that when I see a famous left-wing person l expect them to be calling women terfs and looking the other way when JK Rowling gets death threats. This debate has a way of making people reveal who they really are.
But no one can know the mind of anyone they have never spoken to on a topic (family or friends).
Even when alive
"As a child, Terry Pratchett questioned everything, but didn't always get the answers he craved. The best-selling fantasy author grew up not believing in a supreme deity - until the day the universe opened up to him as he was preparing for another spell on a chat-show.
There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
But it is true that in an interview I gave recently I did describe a sudden, distinct feeling I had one hectic day that everything I was doing was right and things were happening as they should.
I create gods all the time - now I think one might exist, says fantasy author Terry Pratchett"
"Terry Pratchett, author of the popular Discworld series, writes in an article titled "A Life in The Day of Terry Pratchett", "I think I'm probably an atheist, but rather angry with God for not existing." In a 1999 interview he told Anne Gay, "I'm an atheist, at least to the extent that I don't believe in the objective existence of any big beards in the sky. That is a religious position, by the way." He has also referred to himself as a "Victorian-style" atheist, in the sense that he rejects supernaturalism but considers himself culturally and morally Christian.
Pratchett's novels typically cast theocrats and narrow-minded fundamentalists as bad guys (notably Vorbis in Small Gods]), but he is sympathetic to the religious impulse per se as one manifestation of the essentially human quest for meaning."
We have seen them appropriate things like words such as woman and female and mother, single-sex spaces, literary short-lists, awards, etc., is appropriating the dead and their values much of a stretch for them? I doubt it.
It is no coincidence that the most vocal and ardent male supporters of TWAW are also raging misogynists. The only skin in the game for them is shutting women up and being in favour of men in women's spaces and generally taking what's theirs.
Nothing to do with Pratchett, but did you catch Channel 4 news this evening? A simpering piece on L Hubbard's performance in the weightlifting, with a (very dapper) clinical director of a gender clinic brought on as an authority on sport physiology to explain that now his testosterone was suppressed his muscles were feminised and his big old male bones were more of a hindrance than an advantage. I used to think that Channel 4 news were honest and reliable. If I've learned anything from this whole gender fiasco, it's that everyone has their own angle, and they're not going to give it up.
It’s passages from “Nation”, talking about the “women’s places” that moved me most and convinced me that Terry Pratchett had an understanding of women (and of people generally) that a lot of men lack. The “other side” just betray their own ignorance of pretty much everything - and misogyny - with this.
Transing the dead, even in their thinking, has a long history that's quite easy to expose. Malcolm Michaels, drag name Marsha Johnson, was recorded by a historian one week before his death saying that he was a gay man. Joan D'Arc was a man because she went into battle wearing armor. The only person from my era who later claimed to trans in the 90s was Rae "Sylvia" Rivera and he was a raging mysoginist who said that the L should be dropped from GLBT. He detested women while claiming to be a woman. It's all a narcissistic shitshow, people.
Brilliantly scathing piece, Graham. I think those men might be needing lotsa napkins coz you just served them their arses on a plate 👊👏🔥
I'm a huge Pratchett fan. I don't cry when famous people die but I did for him. It's a tiny consolation that he isn't here to be disappointing about the rights of women like Neil Gaiman, Billy Bragg et al. It's come to the point that when I see a famous left-wing person l expect them to be calling women terfs and looking the other way when JK Rowling gets death threats. This debate has a way of making people reveal who they really are.
"I never thought the BBC would threaten women with a police visit for speaking about their rights"
BBC on the left for values … on the right for money,
I never read any Terry Pratchett …
But no one can know the mind of anyone they have never spoken to on a topic (family or friends).
Even when alive
"As a child, Terry Pratchett questioned everything, but didn't always get the answers he craved. The best-selling fantasy author grew up not believing in a supreme deity - until the day the universe opened up to him as he was preparing for another spell on a chat-show.
There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
But it is true that in an interview I gave recently I did describe a sudden, distinct feeling I had one hectic day that everything I was doing was right and things were happening as they should.
I create gods all the time - now I think one might exist, says fantasy author Terry Pratchett"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1028222/I-create-gods-time--I-think-exist.html
"Terry Pratchett, author of the popular Discworld series, writes in an article titled "A Life in The Day of Terry Pratchett", "I think I'm probably an atheist, but rather angry with God for not existing." In a 1999 interview he told Anne Gay, "I'm an atheist, at least to the extent that I don't believe in the objective existence of any big beards in the sky. That is a religious position, by the way." He has also referred to himself as a "Victorian-style" atheist, in the sense that he rejects supernaturalism but considers himself culturally and morally Christian.
Pratchett's novels typically cast theocrats and narrow-minded fundamentalists as bad guys (notably Vorbis in Small Gods]), but he is sympathetic to the religious impulse per se as one manifestation of the essentially human quest for meaning."
https://www.celebatheists.com/wiki/Terry_Pratchett
He had a belief in God … no he was an atheist.
We have seen them appropriate things like words such as woman and female and mother, single-sex spaces, literary short-lists, awards, etc., is appropriating the dead and their values much of a stretch for them? I doubt it.
On the subject of Terry Pratchett, here´s Sarah Ditum in The Times
https://archive.ph/J8GsJ
It is no coincidence that the most vocal and ardent male supporters of TWAW are also raging misogynists. The only skin in the game for them is shutting women up and being in favour of men in women's spaces and generally taking what's theirs.
Well said!
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Donal O'Keefe ...
Never heard of any of 'em. Is this a Left-wing thing? 😁
OK, it's mean to mock the mentally ill (but if you put yourself out there on public social media fishing for reactions, you can expect all responses).
Apologies to women named Karen, but Mexxrs 'Karen' seems to have bought the 'Karen' wig without realising... or are they just trolling us?