Starting a new podcast called ‘Anonymous’ (for the moment) in which I interview women who have either been banned by Twitter or can’t use their real names because of the abuse they’d receive. First up is the amazing DeeDee from South Africa. Strap yourself in, she’s a firecracker. I think I was only able to ask about three questions!
My Twitter account and the account of the Dutch feminist foundation @voorzij where recently banned from Twitter. Now we don't have a social media channel anymore for our very small Dutch movement. I would be happy if you wrote a little about that, so we can show my banning as forewoman of the Dutch movement draws international attention.
Another great episode of Mess We're In (time differences prevent me from joining live but hopefully one day!). The Young Turks - lefty independent news and current affairs YT channel which I generally like but they are completely captured on this issue - approached Rand Paul's question with predictable outrage (I didn't watch all of it because I was so annoyed but apparently the panel "they/them"ed Keira Bell - so it's a cardinal sin to misgender a trans person but misgendering, or more accurately mis-sexing, a desisted or detrans women is fine?), but it's getting the crap downvoted out of it and the comments are overwhelmingly along the lines of, "Guys, this is a shit take. I hate Rand Paul but he is absolutely spot on and Levine wouldn't answer the question!" So many commenters were not having it. The thing that gets me is otherwise progressive people cheering on this narrative that "you were born wrong so need to fix yourself and guess what? No need for counselling to help with unresolved trauma, body image issues, or shame about your sexuality! Your friendly Big Pharma company, Exploitagen, is here for you for life - literally - and your new best mate, Dr Yeet-the-Teets,, can solve all your problems for a very reasonable fee!" What happened to promoting acceptance of one's own body and the infinite variety of others? Why can't little boys who like pink tutus and singing along to Frozen, and little girls who love their footy, have buzz cuts and live in trackie pants, be celebrated for the awesome kids they are without telling them that their interests make them the opposite "gender"? This isn't progressive, it's reactionary capitalism on steroids.
I thought Arty's point about fetishising vulnerability was brilliant. I hadn't quite conceptualised it in that way but it's so true. It again is appropriating women's vulnerability and trauma - "we can not only out-woman you, we can out-vulnerability-to-violence as well." I wish male TRAs would understand that women don't inherently like being vulnerable to violence. We don't like having to: second guess our activities, check our surroundings, calculate whether it's safe to wear earphones while walking, pay for taxis late at night instead of risking public transport, constantly and subconsciously assess whether Random McBlokington is one of the "not all men" or whether he'll turn nasty. I think I speak for all fellow women when I say we'd love not to have to do this. We would love to go a week without hearing news of yet another woman being murdered.
Trigger warning for the next bit:
In Australia, news came out recently that a political "rising star" allegedly raped a young female Ministerial staffer in the Minister's office. Women can't even assume they will be safe in bloody PARLIAMENT HOUSE. More women have come forward alleging the same man sexually assaulted or raped them. Now we're hearing that a woman who died by suicide last year alleged that a current Cabinet Minister raped her 30 years ago when she was 16 - a child. This. Is. Not. Fun. Not for women, or for anyone who's experienced sexual assault.
Thanks for letting me rant. Accusations that JKR and other women who talk about their experiences are "weaponising their trauma", while at the same time TRAs are weaponising fake suicide and murder statistics and their own claimed trauma against feminists, make me rage.
Looking forward to listening to the podcast ep soon!
My Twitter account and the account of the Dutch feminist foundation @voorzij where recently banned from Twitter. Now we don't have a social media channel anymore for our very small Dutch movement. I would be happy if you wrote a little about that, so we can show my banning as forewoman of the Dutch movement draws international attention.
Listening to you and Dee Dee now. Wonderful interview!
Another great episode of Mess We're In (time differences prevent me from joining live but hopefully one day!). The Young Turks - lefty independent news and current affairs YT channel which I generally like but they are completely captured on this issue - approached Rand Paul's question with predictable outrage (I didn't watch all of it because I was so annoyed but apparently the panel "they/them"ed Keira Bell - so it's a cardinal sin to misgender a trans person but misgendering, or more accurately mis-sexing, a desisted or detrans women is fine?), but it's getting the crap downvoted out of it and the comments are overwhelmingly along the lines of, "Guys, this is a shit take. I hate Rand Paul but he is absolutely spot on and Levine wouldn't answer the question!" So many commenters were not having it. The thing that gets me is otherwise progressive people cheering on this narrative that "you were born wrong so need to fix yourself and guess what? No need for counselling to help with unresolved trauma, body image issues, or shame about your sexuality! Your friendly Big Pharma company, Exploitagen, is here for you for life - literally - and your new best mate, Dr Yeet-the-Teets,, can solve all your problems for a very reasonable fee!" What happened to promoting acceptance of one's own body and the infinite variety of others? Why can't little boys who like pink tutus and singing along to Frozen, and little girls who love their footy, have buzz cuts and live in trackie pants, be celebrated for the awesome kids they are without telling them that their interests make them the opposite "gender"? This isn't progressive, it's reactionary capitalism on steroids.
I thought Arty's point about fetishising vulnerability was brilliant. I hadn't quite conceptualised it in that way but it's so true. It again is appropriating women's vulnerability and trauma - "we can not only out-woman you, we can out-vulnerability-to-violence as well." I wish male TRAs would understand that women don't inherently like being vulnerable to violence. We don't like having to: second guess our activities, check our surroundings, calculate whether it's safe to wear earphones while walking, pay for taxis late at night instead of risking public transport, constantly and subconsciously assess whether Random McBlokington is one of the "not all men" or whether he'll turn nasty. I think I speak for all fellow women when I say we'd love not to have to do this. We would love to go a week without hearing news of yet another woman being murdered.
Trigger warning for the next bit:
In Australia, news came out recently that a political "rising star" allegedly raped a young female Ministerial staffer in the Minister's office. Women can't even assume they will be safe in bloody PARLIAMENT HOUSE. More women have come forward alleging the same man sexually assaulted or raped them. Now we're hearing that a woman who died by suicide last year alleged that a current Cabinet Minister raped her 30 years ago when she was 16 - a child. This. Is. Not. Fun. Not for women, or for anyone who's experienced sexual assault.
Thanks for letting me rant. Accusations that JKR and other women who talk about their experiences are "weaponising their trauma", while at the same time TRAs are weaponising fake suicide and murder statistics and their own claimed trauma against feminists, make me rage.
Looking forward to listening to the podcast ep soon!
DeeDee was completely marvellous and it’s probably horribly ageist to say she’s wise beyond her years ... she’s just wise
Also completely loved the extra "mess" ... thank you all 🙏
Dee Dee is astonishing - just 19 years old?! She's so wise!