Siblings, Not Cisters
NUS women had a conference last March. They issued some resolutions. Some of them are blood-curdling. Like this one for instance:
Motion 405: Trans Inclusion in the Women’s Campaign: Siblings, Not Cisters
See what they did there? Cisters? Sisters is a bad word, because…because it means female sibling, and there are trans people, so we can’t use words that mean female or male any more – like woman for instance. So it turns out that trans women aren’t women? Because it would be not inclusive to call them that?
Conference Believes:
1. The student women’s movement must strive to be a trans inclusive environment.
2. The definition of Women for the NUS Women’s Campaign is “all who self-define as women, including (if they wish) those with complex gender identities which include ‘woman’, and those who experience oppression as women.” This contains people whose preferred pronouns are not “She” or “her” (e.g “they”) and that they do not identify with the term “sister”.
3. The use of the term “sisters” is exclusionary of some women.
4. There are more than two genders and we should always recognise this.
5. Misgendering someone is an act of violence.
6. When women know each other within in a personal capacity or within certain cultures and religions, the term “sister” can be appropriate.
They’re serious. They think the word “sisters” excludes some women. Well what women? Not trans women, surely, because the word “sisters” wouldn’t exclude them if the word “women” didn’t – so what the fuck are they talking about? What do they even think they’re talking about?
And then – of all the things to get rid of – the lovely practice from union organizing and civil rights work and feminism and other progressive movements of calling each other sister and brother – of all the things to get rid of.
Oh and also? Misgendering someone is not an act of violence.
It may be extremely unkind and insulting, when done deliberately; I strongly reprobate intentional unkindness; but that’s still not an act of violence. Rhetorical overkill ends up undermining itself.
If these people are the future…I feel very sorry for the future, that’s all. Global warming and this. It’s not fair.
Words no longer have meanings.
How big is this student unions topic? Are there many lawmakers, businessmen, and trade union leaders with student union background? Is this something with impact outside the university, or are we talking about a few dozen 19 year olds “passing motions” (have they got a gavel, too?) and doing campaigns and just performing all these grown-up-sounding stuff? I’ve been paying attention since the Kate Smurthwaite incident, but I can’t figure how important it is from the outside.
What a special bunch of precious, precious snowflakes.
If a non-binary person OBJECTS to being considered a woman, strongly, *why* would they join a women’s movement/women’s conference/women’s organization?
“4. There are more than two genders and we should always recognise this.”
Ah see, there it is. Those who are not sisters (or brothers) actually belong to some other gender. Now we only have to identify what those some other genders are then we can label them and give them their own doors and restrooms and clothing styles and made-up gender narratives and ….and no-one need be misgendered ever again.
jose – I wonder the same thing. It is the national student union, though, so it has that much importance. Exactly how much that is, though, I don’t know.
Unicorns. The third gender is unicorns.
Seriously, though, what Samantha said. Why would anyone join a women’s organization, then object to being called a woman / sister / being addressed with female gender pronouns?
The third? So there’s only one more? I thought they were saying there were two three many more, perhaps as many as there are people.
Oh, I’m sure there are plenty more, I’m just saying that the third one is Unicorns. Pretty sure the fourth is Garden Gnomes.
Ah, I see. I’m glad you’re curating the list.
‘Misgendering’ COULD involve violation. Sort of the way calling someone a ‘cunt’ does. But failing to keep up with the gender-coinage du jour is no sort of thought-crime.
This is too much work. most folks will have minimal contact with anyone who makes these demands just to make life easier.
So they can bully or manipulate it until their issues become the center of attention?
How odd that trans men don’t do that to men’s groups or other kinds of civil rights groups. It’s only feminism that’s targeted this way. It’s only feminism that’s purging itself of its own leadership and constituency this way. It’s only feminism that contorts itself to go along with this bullshit.
It’s only feminism that contorts itself to go along with this bullshit
Chaz Bono will probably never be named man of the year by ‘Men’s Fitness’ and yet it seems none of the female to male trans gendered even care
I’m still fascinated by the first sentence – MUST STRIVE – why “must”? How about “will” “thinks about” “plans to”. MUST is such a definite word.
I’m surprised you didn’t comment on point 6:
In other words, “Don’t say sisters, we don’t want to offend non-binary people. Um… but it’s okay for Muslims. We don’t want to offend Muslims”.
If my flippant comments detract from this conversation, please remove them.
They stem from a feeling that it’s more acceptable to call yourself anything other than “woman” or “female”. Or maybe it’s ok to be female, as long as you debase yourself and admit that you are the lowest of the low and that your needs come last. As always.
I’m incorrigibly flippant myself. I wouldn’t dream of removing your comments.
And yes. I’m getting increasingly disgusted at the way feminism is treated as the universal hate-object, and the way even feminists go belly-up when told to do so. I’m getting increasingly disgusted at the handy new pretext for misogyny and the way it’s being embraced by so many people who think they’re on the left.
Incorrigibly flippant – I am so stealing that. Maybe I’ll make that the title of my autobiography (if I ever get to the feeling that I am interesting enough to write about, and I’m not that interesting, so…)
Some issues cry out for flippancy.