Intersecting itself into incoherence
More on the march that identifies as a women’s march while it expresses intense hostility toward women:
A protest for women’s rights will take place this weekend across various cities in the country, including Bristol.
UK Women’s March, organised by Grassroots Feminism, will hold demonstrations against Donald Trump’s reelection, as well as recent comments made by Nigel Farage on abortion.
…
Grassroots organiser, Carolyn Storer, posted their statement regarding the need for these marches to their official Facebook and Instagram pages.
It reads, “With Donald Trump set to return as US president in January 2025 and Nigel Farage picking up the anti-abortion mantle here in the UK, it’s time to make our voices heard.
“We are marching because violence against women and girls in the UK has increased by 37 per cent since 2018 and has now been declared a national emergency. We are marching because abortion in England and Wales, if not carried out according to the strict requirements of the Abortion Act 1967, is technically still a criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.”
She continues to address concerns around anti-abortion and women’s healthcare, adding, “We are marching because reproductive rights are being removed state by state in the US making it increasingly more difficult to access safe abortions, and where vital healthcare is needed to save a woman’s life. We are marching because discrimination and violence against trans women and girls has increased around the world. Anti-trans rhetoric prevents women from addressing the real issues they encounter by reinforcing the gender stereotypes that have oppressed women for centuries.”
No. Wrong. Rejection of the ideology that claims men are women if they say they are – what you call “transphobia” – is not reinforcing the gender stereotypes that have oppressed women for centuries. It simply rejects the fatuous idea that saying “I am a woman” makes you a woman.
Unfortunately trans rhetoric and its consequences are sucking away the time and energy that we could be using to address the real issues we encounter.
As I told “Silent Bob” almost 10 years ago, feel free to explain why abortion is a “feminist”/”woman’s” issue (as opposed to a general, wishy-washy “people’s” issue) without saying the kind of things for which people like “Bob” have already condemned others as “TERFs” and “transphobes”.
(still waiting for an answer btw.)
Bjarte, you actually found a way to make Silent Bob be silent.
At least it’s in the UK; no one’s getting Tianamen Square’d.
What is the point of “protesting the election” of the Mango Messiah? Do they expect the protests to shame Trump into quitting? to changing the domination of the United States by the GOP? Seems to be performative but ultimately useless????
Oh I don’t know – what’s the point of poetry? Protesting is, among other things, a form of expression.
Interesting, that they use the term “women’s healthcare”, as I think the concept of women’s health is the simplest rebuttal to the TRA idea that the word “woman” is not associated with biology, but rather is a cultural or societal notion that only refers to femininity. After all, what conditions are treated at women’s health clinics? Pregnancy, breast conditions like cancer, female sexual health, all to do with female biology. But they don’t treat any conditions of “femininity”, and I cannot say that I’m even clear on what those conditions might be. The consequences of tight lacing your corset? Or from wearing high heels? Swooning at bad news?
Protesting is just a fun group activity.
When I first started engaging seriously with politics, it seemed to me that only elections mattered. If you want to change things, you have to elect different people. Protests and demonstrations seemed inessential…fluffy…PR stunts…bread & circuses…and–most of all–ineffective.
I’ve changed my view. I think you need both. Elections do matter: ultimately, we do have to elect different people. But protests matter too. They get people’s attention. (If they’re big enough, they get *elected officials’* attention.) They keep people focused, and motivated. They help keep people from feeling powerless, or hopeless.
I was at the 2017 Women’s March in Boston. 150K people on Boston Common, in bitter cold, to make themselves seen and heard. It helped me to know that I wasn’t alone in opposing Trump. And the demonstration was entirely peaceful–which made me proud.
They also energize the protestors, and they help someone know they’re not alone. Networking is a possible advantage, too, getting people together to have the power to change things. It can be difficult to be involved if you feel isolated.