Gender Discussion #72

[Weebles Wobble]

Spanish marathon runner Elena Congost was cruelly denied a Paralympics bronze medal after letting go of her tether to help out her ailing guide across the finish line.

Congost, who is partially sighted and runs in the T12 category, crossed the line in 3hrs 0.48secs to seemingly secure a podium finish behind Moroccan pairFatima Ezzahra El Idrissi and Meryem En-Nourhi.

But with guide Mia Carol Bruguera suffering from cramp, the 36-year-old briefly released the rope connecting the pair.

Rules state that all runners in the T12 marathon must be connected to their guide via a tether at all times, leading to a disqualification for the Spaniard.

Japan’s Misato Michishita, whose world record was broken by El Idrissi in the race, was upgraded to third place.

“I would like everyone to know that I have not been disqualified for cheating, but rather I have been disqualified for being a person and for an instinct that comes to you when someone is falling and is to help or support them,” Congost, who claimed gold in Rio in 2016, told Marca.

Paralympic marathon runner denied bronze medal after helping guide

Elena Congost thought she had secured a third Paralympic medal but was disqualified for releasing her tether

www.independent.co.uk

This seems incredibly harsh, given that Mia was unwell and Elena had no competitive advantage in letting go of the tether.

But I guess when competing at the elite level rules have to be strictly upheld to prevent cheating and uphold fairness for all.

Oh wait.....I'll correct that. But I guess when women are competing at the elite level rules have to be strictly upheld by women to prevent cheating and uphold fairness for all men.

Woman breaks rules to be compassionate = disqualified.
Man claims to be a woman in order to beat other women and rob them of an opportunity to compete = inclusivity and fairness.

Got it.

 

[IcanSpellBéchamel]

I am a wheelchair user, and I had to have a polite conversation with the store manager of my local big Sainsbury's when they put in produce weighing scales and the shop&scan self checkouts. The top lines of the scales touch displays are too high to reach from a chair, as are the top lines of the checkout displays. The sectioned off area for the self-checkouts is too narrow so my chair gets in other people's way.

To be fair to the two stores I use most often, both of them have now put in one lowered produce scale each. The checkout problems are still there, though.

All that money to upgrade their stores, yet nobody in the whole of Sainsbury's plc thought about accessibility for the scales or checkouts. But come pride month, there's money for endless bloody rainbows.

 

[TheMiceInTheShed]

Last year I posted about how our local supermarket had a huge Pride display in the entrance, but didn't make it clear that not all of their check outs were wheelchair-accessible. A cashier explained that there were a few wider aisles further up, but that I had to "look for them". Shame they couldn't make them as colourful as the Trans Pride display!

For context, my partner uses a wheelchair and is reliant on someone else to operate it (for health reasons). We either attach a wheelchair trolley to the front or he puts a basket on his knee. We find the self-service tills very difficult to use due to lack of space, at least the ones locally are designed for one person and his wheelchair blocks the next till, also forcing customers to squeeze past him.

So I was interested to read a BBC article about self-service tills, especially this bit:
Tesco said it introduced self-checkout tills nearly 20 years ago. A spokesperson for the country's biggest supermarket said: "We are proud to offer customers choice when it comes to checking out and customers can always ask a colleague for a manned till to be opened."

But Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, said customers should not have to ask for a staffed till to be opened. "They're not always that visible, these staff. What if I can't see them?"

This is true of many situations when a person has a disability. The help is there but not always obvious (I didn't know I could request this) and often involves wandering around trying to find someone to help - quite ironic that those with mobility difficulties often have the furthest to go!

But it was her next sentence that really caught my eye and made me think about the Trans issues.

However she acknowledged that reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities "have to be proportionate".
"What's reasonable for a multi-million pound chain may not be reasonable for a corner shop," she said, but added that choice was important as everyone's needs are different.

From a disability viewpoint I agree with her. Adjustments have to be reasonable and proportionate. A simple adjustment to the till situation could be to have a buzzer to press to request assistance instead of hunting a member of staff down.

But look at that sentence again replacing disabilities with Trans.
...reasonable adjustments for Trans people "have to be proportionate".
...choice was important as everyone's needs are different.

This is what's not happening. Adjustment for Trans people are not proportionate. Their needs are trampling over everyone else's. Choice is not given, we have to go along with the mantra or be labelled as bigots, Nazis and or cancelled.

Trans people have a choice. They can choose not to infringe our spaces, take our places in our sports and insist that our language is changed to suit them.
The vast majority of disabled people have no choice. They can't identify out of their disability and fit in with the rest of the world.

Here's the article.

What could Asda and Morrisons move away from self-checkout mean?

Supermarkets are beginning to question the divisive technology after years of criticism from shoppers.

www.bbc.co.uk

Adjustment for Trans people are not proportionate. Their needs are trampling over everyone else's.

Not even their NEEDS.

It's their DEMANDS and WANTS that are trampling everyone else's needs.

Visually impaired people are at serious risk in many areas if there aren't adaptations to help them.

Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson had to crawl off a train because there was no-one to help her, and seemingly nothing to indicate who to call to get help.

Tanni Grey-Thompson: Paralympic legend faced online backlash after having to 'crawl' off train

The wheelchair racer, who won 11 gold medals at the Paralympic Games, repeatedly posted on social media after there was no passenger assistance to greet her on her way to Paris 2024.

news.sky.com

These are life-limiting things. They are often humiliating, dignity-destroying things. As someone has said - No-one yes because the shop they want to go into hasn't got a trans flag - but people lives can be seriously limited, their humanity seriously eroded , their dignity destroyed, by things that would cost not much more to instigate - and they would positively affect considerably more lives, too.

 

[Metropolis]

Currently in the news here in Oz, a man identifying as Indigenous is going around performing Welcome to Country (acknowledging Ancestors and traditional land owners before meetings, sports matches etc) which is reserved for Aboriginal people who've grown up in and are part of the culture.

Interesting parallels between the language used by the real Indigenous people and women wanting men out of their spaces.
I wonder, if this goes to court will the judge decide that being First Nations is as flexible as being a woman?

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/row-erupts-over-selfidentifying-aboriginal-man-neil-evans/news-story/84c32e1ac89c029730b6f3a64bb35532

That’s so insulting - it reminds me of Rachel Dolezal. The nerve of some of these people (which is borne of the same arrogance as men identifying as women)!

That arsehole football manager ‘Lucy’ Clarke has begun his mission to replace the female members of the women’s team he manages with TIMs. First to go is the goalie to be replaced by this oaf:

Sharron Davies has a thread on it

It’s completely demoralising for women and girls who just want the chance to play football. There are countless men’s teams and clubs at all levels but these misogynist pricks ride roughshod over everything women have fought for and established for themselves.

 

[maytoseptember]

I've noticed that even the most reasonable, well adjusted man can get angry and dismissive when feminism is brought up in conversation. When I was discussing with a male friend how distressing the frequency of women being murdered by men was, he actually said "Yeah, well men have done more for science than women."

I was shocked that a normally sensitive and intelligent man that I've known for well over 30 years would say something so brutally misogynistic and horrible. We aren't friends anymore, I blocked his number and won't answer his emails.
Sad to lose a friend I have so many memories with but that showed me the real him.

OMG I have some thoughts on this too.

Men, possibly even most men, get so rattled when VAWG is brought up because they can’t bear to have male violence shoved in their faces. They feel threatened by feminism as a very concept and cry misandry. Their egos are so fragile they can’t handle it.

There was a story in the papers last week about women purchasing safety keychains for themselves so they can fight off an attacker in public (usually violent stalker ex partners but sometimes fear of stranger violence). Some are classed as illegal weapons. Now it’s ironic that rape is basically legal these days, but a woman carrying a keyring/knuckleduster is illegal but hey ho…

Anyway, a company called Get Personal is selling keychains with various bits of apparatus (light, alarm, spray dye etc) and getting a lot of traction on SM. I found them on TikTok and the comments from men would absolutely blow your mind. I was SO ANGRY.

You know what men think about women desperately trying to find ways to feel safe walking alone in public?

One man said: what about the women who [he retold a story about women abandoning a man on a mobility scooter… I hadn’t heard it]

Another said: what about male suicide rates?

What the actual fuck?

All they can think about, when confronted with VAWG in this country in 2024, is “what about the poor poor men?” Not an ounce of sympathy, concern or respect for women. These will be ordinary men with mothers, sisters, wives and possibly daughters. Their only comeback to VAWG is to expect women to fix their fucking problems too.

 

[Miggsy]

Today I am mostly absolutely enraged at the time spent discussing some cheating male has been in women’s para sport, whilst an ACTUAL PREGNANT WOMAN won a gold medal and got much less attention

 

[Metropolis]

His claim of indirect gender discrimination succeeds. Judge orders Tickle be paid compensation of $10,000. Upshot is that in law, in Australia, women seem to have lost the right to their own spaces.

 

[Scotch Mist]

Found on Facebook

 

[tablesandchairs]

I came here to talk about the ‘demure mindful’ bullshit. OF COURSE it’s started by a man telling us how to be women I saw an influencer moaning about it on her stories saying she doesn’t like or get it. Then a bit later people had obviously messaged her as she posted another story saying she’d been informed more about it and told how it’s funded this man’s transition and ‘now I think it’s beautiful’ ffs - literally like trans people are some sort of deities that can’t possibly be questioned or insulted.

 

[looserj]

Hiya
Lurked on this thread before but not commented
Feel really hopeless at today's judgement, the world is getting worse for women and girls and it annoys me that no one is admitting the problem is men and men invading women's spaces are only making safeguarding worse. I don't believe inclusivity and safeguarding go hand in hand when it comes to the sexes.
Keeping my eye out for any local women's protests, I cannot 'be kind' about this any longer
---

Oh, shut up and get a fucking job.

Not the first 'went to Cambridge, refused to ever do a real job', got given/bought/left property and acts like they're a sad povvo down with the werking class' individual I've known. No patience for it

Doing feminism in public what does that even mean? sounds so entitled words fail me

 

[VeniVidiVicki]

I have been spending time in the real world recently - well, with friends with younger children anyway - and they are still as mesmerised by Harry Potter as they‘ve ever been.

However many memes that unhinged lawyer woman and her mates make, or statements Emma and Daniel make, JKR is never going to be cancelled.

 

[Metropolis]

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...-blasted-woke-new-rules-ban-maiden-names.html

The 154-year-old charity, which has King Charlesas a patron, told staff 'people who are not women' can get pregnant and have periods.

Descriptions such as 'born a man or woman' or a 'biological male or female' should be avoided as it could offend transgender or non-binary individuals, said the guide.

It added a 'trans woman is as much of a woman' as someone born with female genitalia.

Saying 'ladies and gentlemen' is 'not inclusive' along with asking someone about their 'maiden name'.

The document even says trans people should be able to use whichever toilets and changing facilities they want.
Esther McVey MP, ex-Tory minister for common sense, said: 'I am sorry the British Red Cross has fallen victim to such woke nonsense.


ex-minister for common sense is a new one on me

What’s wrong with asking people maiden names? I’m not married but I can’t imagine being offended over that if I changed my name. More of a boring interesting fact about someone.

It’s so tiring reading one organisation/charity after another is parroting this bullshit. It just makes me not want to support them. On another note, the current government definitely needs a minister for common sense, if not a whole department.

 

[Phil I Buster]

This has probably been shared before. Hell, I have maybe shared it. I’m forgetful. But it never fails to make me laugh when it pops up on my Facebook feed.

 

[Metropolis]

How have we (society) got ourselves into a position where we unquestioningly go along with male fetishes in the name of ‘equality’ to the exclusion of the safety and wellbeing of defenceless infants?

 

[petitspois]

Long story but I had to wait in an area where a large group of teens were sitting last night. Usual chat but then one of them said something (didn't hear it) but my ears picked up most of them then turning on one boy for being 'transphobic' as if that was the worst thing in the world. It made me listen in to their conversation and they then preceded to absolutely rip the p*ss out of a boy for being ginger and then a woman at a nearby till for being a 'Karen'. Why does trans seem to have been elevated to this untouchable state where even kids often blindly defend them? utter madness.

 

[Metropolis]

I thought this was a parody account when I saw it. Now being bisexual is everything to do with gender and nothing to do with being attracted to both sexes. Wish they’d just leave LGB people alone.

 

[Tofino]

Fuck off BBC, you dick-pandering twats

But Grover believes no human being has or can change sex - which is the pillar of gender-critical ideology.

Grover is a self-declared ‘TERF’ - an acronym that stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” TERFs’ views on gender identity are widely considered to be hostile to trans people.

Roxanne Tickle: Australian court rules in case that asked 'what is a woman?'

Roxanne Tickle has won a landmark case which questioned who can legally claim to be a woman.

www.bbc.co.uk

Yet again reported by their ‘gender and identity’ correspondent. You only have to look at Sofia’s Twitter feed to see her bias at play. Where is the BBC’s gender critical/women’s rights correspondent?

 

[klarakluckbag]

This made me laugh...

 

[DoraMaar]

Wong is the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (earlier today )

 

[jolly_parsley]

This made me snort today (written by a man)