Senate Let's Talk: Feminism

@SateleNovelist11 You mentioned "transfeminism" somewhere and the activist Julia Serano. I read the first edition of her book Whipping Girl years ago. It helped shape a lot of my opinions about transgender issues. But the Rowling controversy really upset me that day. Lord Vivec was right when he said that you can be anti-trans and still be a feminist. Another person reminded us that you can hate men and still be a feminist. Yup.

Anyway, I read the latest edition of Whipping Girl, taking notes and rainbow highlighting lines that struck me as memorable. I learned stuff. And got to color with crayons.

Satele. If I might ask. How could this book be valuable to a cisgender woman (living in our society) whose life is totally detached from things like trans activism? I'll give my answer after you.

 

Well, I think it's important to remember that certain waves of feminism, such as third- and fourth-wave feminism, are more inclusive than the second-wave.

Similary, I would compare the multiple types of feminism to the multiple sorts of anarchism insofar as that there are many different groups/ideologies of feminism. Just as there are several types of anarchists (ones who believe in violence and those who are pacifists), there are also dozens of types of feminism. I think people have a misguided definition of feminism as being misandrist (man-hating) or trans-hating. But the majority of feminists I have met are equality feminists who believe that all humans are equal. Fortunately, I read about what I just described before reading that book in October 2014.

I think people get hung up on genitals. They assume that there are are only two genders due to that. However, analyzing brains and personalities has shown us that there are many genders. I not only feel bad for the transgender and non-binary people who have been persecuted for identifying as neither male nor female. But I feel bad to hear about the violence (dead naming and misgendering) that has been inflicted against both trans women and trans men. Trans women should be considered the same as cis women, and trans men should be considered the same as cis men. Similarly, those who identify as neutrois, both genders, or multiple genders should be considered the same as everyone else. Persecuting people for gender differences harms them and society as a whole. In my estimation, people who believe there are only two genders and judge humans by genitals are no different than cave people. It's okay if their preferences are hetero or whatever. Being persecuting non-straight people and non-cis people is what I would call the agenda of the violent heteropatriarchy. The heteropatriarchy consists of anyone (regardless of gender or orientation) who hurts people for homophobic, transphobic, biphobic, or cissexist reasons.

Lastly, I think it's not constructive to call TERFs "TERFs." This is just my opinion for my own practices. I don't have a problem if other people use the term TERF. It is true that they are exclusionary, exterminationist, and eliminationist in their approach. But calling them feminists gives the majority of feminists, who are good people, a bad name. That's unfortunate. I call them exterminationists and eliminationists personally, and I avoid them. They are no different than neo-Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan.

 

You compared them to Neo-Nazis. Whoever edited the RationalWiki article believes the stereotypical hateful feminist probably came about because of TERFs. The TERFs are afraid that trans women might carry residual boy cooties or "male energy", which isn't allowed in their tree house where they gather to hate on penises. That stereotype is classically known as a Feminazi. The term seems to have fallen out of use. Maybe for the best.

We could turn on some dark 80's synth music when referring to them as exterminationists.

I'm guessing by exterminate/eliminate you mean these groups' treatment of trans folks is intended to encourage widespread bigoted violence. It could also mean erasing the futures of trans women, denying opportunities. Especially through legislation.

lol. I agree.

I'll answer my own question from last time by saying that how society treats trans women often reveals its otherwise cryptic opinions about women and femininity. Whipping Girl qualifies this idea every page. Gender equality has come a long way in the white western world . . . with its ninja training.

You know all this. I'm just talking to a hypothetical pupil or something.

What other reading material on this topic would you recommend, Satele?

 

Apologies, Ava. I did not see your post until today. I have been preoccupied with researching this virus.

Other than what neurologists and geneticists have said about us, Julia Serano has been the only source I have read.

Their main goal is to erase us. Erasure encourages violence against us. We have seen similar outcomes pertaining to bisexual/pansexual erasure.

 

what happened to Elisa Izquierdo is a good reason why the "I am Woman, hear me Roar" and the Cult of the Loving Mother relics of the 1970s is so blimey dangerous.

 

No, it shows the hypocrisy of conservatives shedding crocodile tears every time this happen while simultaneously keeping our child welfare system dangerously understaffed, underfunded and powerless and at the same time pushing a "parents always know better than some government official" philosophy.

 

believing a woman won't hurt their child just because she's a mother didn't help in Elisa's case. Women can kill for any reason or no reason, just like men can. Like i said, "I am Woman, Hear Me Roar" was only ever a slogan.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Elisa_Izquierdo - it's a good example of a female judge being raised to believe that it is feminist to trust that a woman won't hurt people but that a man will.

 

^ Wtf women are not raised to believe that.

However, there is an entire patriarchal culture that is based on the notion that women are the nurturers and the caregivers, which subsequentially influences court decisions.

 

**** what did I just walk into.

Seeing women in the role of primary caregiver has been a thing for.... well, basically the entirety of human civilization. It's not a 'feminist' concept to thing that a woman has to be the one taking care of a child.. It's pretty much the exact opposite.

 

How? Did you even read this article?

The primary person that contested the custody claim wasn't a man. It was a female cousin named Elsa. How does a judge's admittedly bad ruling deciding between two female relatives prove that the judge is biased in favor of women?

 

In 1979, Judge Greenbaum denied a father custody of his child, claiming the grandparents were "psychological parents". I agree with an earlier post that Greenbaum is an idiot and prejudiced.

 

You walked into EmuBay discovering another Senate Thread.

 

The point of the previous case cited, was that sometimes the closest relative is not suitable, and judges need to realise that.

Just as denying a mother custody is sometimes the right thing to do, so denying a father custody is sometimes the right thing to do.

 

So, this happened:

Malaysia's Women and Family Development Ministry apologises for sexist 'household happiness' posters

Even during a pandemic, patriarchy can’t give women a break.

 

Ugh. Additionally, the way that Texas is barring women from having abortions, with the exception of the operation to save the mother, is repugnant. Far-right politicians know how to take advantage of a crisis. But my goodness, certain women do not want to have children in the middle of a pandemic. I feel terrible for the survivors of rape being forced to do so.

 

My good friend/sister-figure from Sarasota, Florida, was telling my Eponym and me that she was concerned about abused women being quarantined with abusers. My Eponym said, "I can't imagine how many partners are stuck with abusers, but maybe this will make them leave sooner rather than later. I can only hope."

I heard about a case of a woman escaping her partner in Dallas County, Texas, recently.

 

Sudan bans Female Genital Mutilation.

 

Respect for our sisters and brothers in Sudan.

I'm personally switching topics and having another public one on one. 'Cuz I thought why hide the awesome under a bushel.

@Adalia-Durron

Thanks for joining us!

Your son's hair is glorious, as you've said. I'm sure he receives mostly compliments from not just the women and children, but the men too.

How does modern Australian culture tend to respond to males with longer hair? Assuming those males care enough to properly care for said hair.

 

^ Wonderful post, madam. ~hugs~ You set a great example for all women. Sweet and open-minded, yet discerning and defiant when need be.

Hell yeah.

"What about when you set forth into the real world and look for a JOB?!" Well, I won't try getting hired by a dick.

Give me self-expression or give me the chair, I always say.

~talks to lovely photo~ Hey young man. :] You are wise to buddy up with your mother here. It sounds like you two make a kick ass team. The patriarchy is relentless, do what must be done plz

I might go for pale pink myself. Or just pink. I dyed my hair peacock colors last summer. It faded to its natural dark brown but with highlights and turquoise streaks. and yeah, no, your son takes better care of his hair than I do mine. Mine gets so tangled so easily. Sometimes I can get my sister to swing by and fix it but lately she's busy and the D&D wives are probably better at D&D than doing hair--

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

@Adalia-Durron Do your children consider themselves feminists? Or is it just an assumed thing that doesn't have a label per se?

 

Satele and Adalia have graciously agreed to remain on standby for more of my random silliness. But for now we'll let them sleep.

I summon @devilinthedetails, the little devil, to talk about a topic of some curiosity to me, tho I wouldn't say it arouses my curiosity. Asexuality. The No Sex Wanters. Lady Sansa finds herself confined to the tragic existence of a woman who's unresponsive to the seductive charms of Jar-Jar Binks in the SWC social thread.

I'm pretty sure she can feel the warm and fuzzy magic of friendship. She is very friendly and loves answering questions.

DitD: Hi! :]

Could you describe a unique problem a college-age asexual woman might face in sex-obsessed society?