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Sady Doyle on “Fighting Sexual Assault, One Tweet at a Time”

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Sady Doyle of Tiger Beatdown fame has a great piece up at In These Times on the ways in which the Internet has helped to highlight virulent and violent misogyny — and inspire effective feminist pushback. It’s actually kind of … inspiring? (That’s a word I don’t use often!)Ā  Here’s the opening:

When a history of 21st-century feminist activism is someday written, 2011 may be labeled Year Rape Broke. Sexual assault and harassment have, of course, always been key feminist concerns. But in 2011, sexual violence, exploitation, or intimidation were part of nearly every major story that fell under the heading of ā€œwomenā€™s issuesā€ā€“and the activism against it has been particularly widespread, focused and effective.

As we enter this renaissance of sexual assault awareness, itā€™s worth considering the ways in which new media has informed itā€“and, indeed, perhaps even made it possible. …

You can read the rest on the In These Times website.

Full disclosure: I worked at ITT for a couple of years in the 90s (yes, I’m old), and Sady says some nice things about Man Boobz in the piece.

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Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

@Holly Pervocracy I have no problem with anyone saying any respective happy Chanukah/Christmas/Kwanzaa/Yule/Winter/Solstice/New Year, but being told your not allowed to say one or the other because it might offend someone is bullshit. Nowhere is my post did I say or imply seasons greetings was an anti christmas phrase, just that it was bland and boring.

I want the opposite, the freedom to say whichever greeting you wish, diversity makes things more interesting. Putting them all under a ‘seasons greetings’ is boring.

But yeah. Merry Christmans and fuck you too.

Holly Pervocracy
12 years ago

You have the fucking first amendment. If there’s a fucking Happy Holidays Enforcer with a gun to your head, give me a fucking call. Let me know when they put you in fucking Christmas Jail because you said THE FORBIDDEN WORDS.

But you could be fucking polite even if you aren’t legally fucking forced to.

Men's Rights Activist Lieutenant
Men's Rights Activist Lieutenant
12 years ago

Merry Christmas, Holly.

NullPointer
NullPointer
12 years ago

Ullere: The point of “Happy Holidays” instead “Merry Christmas” is that maybe the person you are talking to does not celebrate Christmas and saying Merry Christmas to them might therefore make them feel excluded or just generally weird, and it’s not nice to make people feel that way.

This is hardly a grave injustice. And you are presumably free to say whatever greeting you want anyway.

Holly Pervocracy
12 years ago

You too, MRAL. šŸ™‚

(I’m actually not allergic to those words. Just to people who pretend it’s a brave blow against oppression.)

Amused
12 years ago

Ullere: No one is “not allowed” to say Merry Christmas or to have a nativity scene on his or her own private property. I am not aware of anyone being arrested, fined or charged with a criminal offense to saying “Merry Christmas” or putting up plastic figures on his or her own front lawn. If you claim otherwise, kindly provide links.

Retailers often have their clerks say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” because they want to do business with non-Christians as well, duh. Saying the greeting that your employer wants you to say is a condition of your employment, not a violation of your rights. Employment carries lots of other conditions, like a dress code, not spitting in customers’ faces, etc. Saying “Happy Holidays” is no different.

As for nativity scenes on public property, this clearly violates the US Constitution (the Establishment Clause specifically). The US Constitution also grants people the right to challenge the spending of taxpayers’ money on establishing religion — while generally, the government has an unlimited spending power with regard to all other types of expenditures. So basically, my non-Christian tax money shouldn’t have to pay for your fucking reindeer unless you also put a chanukia nearby.

And frankly, this whole “war on Christmas” bullshit — at a time when every retailer and every coffee shop plays Christmas carols non-stop and “Christ is the lord” is blaring round the clock from every FM station — just insults my intelligence.

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

You have the fucking first amendment. You can say any kind of greeting you want, me saying that everyone using the same ‘seasons greetings / happy holidays’ is bland doesn’t affect you. Oh yeah cause societal pessure up to the level where on this blog you start with the ‘fuck yous’ because I said I prefer to use whichever greeting I want is neglible because it’s not illegal.

you too could be fucking polite even if you arenā€™t legally fucking forced to. Jumping all over me cause I find seasons greetings boring? Aye fine.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/3810153.Council_set_to_axe_Christmas/

‘Rabbi Eli Bracknell, who teaches at the Jewish Educational Centre, in Cowley Road, said: “It’s important to maintain a traditional British Christmas. Anything that waters down traditional culture and Christianity in the UK is not positive for the British identity. ‘

But hey fuck him yeah? Cause it’s not just Christmas.

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/council-backs-ramadan-but-wont-say-christmas/

‘Councils embarrassed by Christianity:

Bideford
March 2008 ā€“ the National Association of Local Councils wrongly advised Bideford Town Council in Devon that it could be sued for opening its meetings with Christian prayers.

Torbay
June 2005 ā€“ Torbay Council removes a wooden cross from the wall of a crematorium chapel, and renames the building a ā€˜ceremony hallā€™.

Norfolk
May 2005 ā€“ Norfolk County Council warns a Christian-run shelter for the homeless that it will lose Ā£150,000 of funding unless it stops saying grace at mealtimes and putting out Bibles for use by guests.

Islington
November 2005 ā€“ Islington Council bans Christmas lights and replaces them with ā€œfestive decorationsā€.

Peterborough
December 2004 ā€“ Peterborough City Council bans staff from sending each other Christmas greetings by email.

Worcester
November 2004 ā€“ Worcestershire County Council is urged by one of its ā€˜equality championsā€™ to scrap its 116 year-old tradition of beginning its bi-monthly meetings with Anglican prayers

Buckinghamshire
December 2003 ā€“ Buckinghamshire County Council banned a church from publicising its Christmas services on a community notice board to avoid offending other religions.’

Now I’m not even Christian but I still think this is bullshit.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-152361/The-Red-Cross-bans-Christmas.html

”When we asked we were told it is because we must not upset Moslems.’

Mrs Banks added: ‘ We have been instructed that we can’t say anything about Christmas and we certainly can’t have a Christmas tree.’

You have a grand festive season Holly.

Holly Pervocracy
12 years ago

oogy boogy we’re going to jew up your christmas

and that is the worst thing because it’s really christmas and not really anything else

oogy boogy

hellkell
hellkell
12 years ago

Ullere, those are some sterling sources you’ve whipped out. Just the kind of outlets that flog this “War on Christmas” nonsense.

ithiliana
12 years ago

When I see somebody using “PC,” or hear them (it pops up in classrooms and has since the 80s), I ask them what it means.

THe vast majority of people who use it cannot tell me.

I ask them why they are saying something if they don’t know what it means (the few who do give a definition–and it always differs, I as if they know where it came from and its history. They don’t). They don’t know, they just know they hear it.

So we often talk.

But the people who use the term, get pushback, and start yelling about ‘censorship’ make me want to smack them: free speech (as has been repeated often) does not mean “freedom from disagreement by those uppity people you want to continue to be marginalized,” not in this day and age. Too bad, so sad, the privileged groups (and I am privileged on a number of axes of identity) lost the ability to punish the less socially powerful groups from talking back or openly expressing disagreement in public settings. (note: i said want to; I have actually never smacked anybody on or off the internet).

If the government ain’t sending you to jail, shutting down your web site, or burning your publications, or acting in some other way to suppress your speech, you ain’t being censored.

Jon Stewart had a hilarious take on FOX news attacking the current governor of um some state for sending out a “holiday” card (and claiming the previous governor called it a Christmas tree–and Stewart showed the previous governor’s card which used the term HOLIDAY). He also pointed out that the reporter yammering on about the war against Christmas was on television wearing a cross. So YEAH, she’s really oppressed.

PLus, you dickbiscuits, the Christmas tree came from the pagans in NE Europe–ditto mistletoe and stuff–DRUIDS PAGANS AHAHAHAH (plus EASTER EGGS AND BUNNES, SO not in Jerusalem). As Jon pointed out: the PURITANS who came to this country BANNED Christmas, punshed people for saying Merry Christmas, and tried to shut the whole thing down because IDOLATRY.

History, assholes, learn about it before spouting this shit.

p.s. as far as they know, Jesus Christ was NOT born on December 25. That holiday got picked because, again, co-opt local non-Christian HOLIDAYS to justify your upstart new “cult.”

*stomps off to do some pagan stuff*

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

‘The point of ā€œHappy Holidaysā€ instead ā€œMerry Christmasā€ is that maybe the person you are talking to does not celebrate Christmas and saying Merry Christmas to them might therefore make them feel excluded or just generally weird, and itā€™s not nice to make people feel that way.’

Really? That is bizzare, I’m not christian but I just respond with Merry Christmas. Or if some says happy Chanuka I’ll say Happy chanuka. If you were to say Seasons greetings to someone who then responded with Merry Christmas would you feel weird? If someone said Happy Kwanzaa, would you then be wrong to respond with Merry Christmas?

People feeling excluded or just generally weird is hardly a big issue, certainly not one big enough to not say Merry Christmas

@Amused I’m not American, I said at the start ‘Part of the PC thing in my country ‘

However I agree with everything you said in your post. I just gave two examples of what PC is in my own country the UK, ‘And frankly, this whole ā€œwar on Christmasā€ bullshit’ Yeah I absolutely agree, however when I used Merry Christmas as an example I was run over with the wave of ‘hey you can’t say that because… Fuck you, itā€™s Chanukah right now.

Itā€™s Chanukah and Christmas and Kwanzaa and Yule and Winter Solstice and the New Year.’

internallydisplaced
12 years ago

“People feeling excluded or just generally wierd is hardly a big issue”

Genius! Um.

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

@ithiliana Yeah the trees came from Germany, some monarch brought them over when he married a German Princess. But it was Elizabeth who made them popular when she put gifts under them. I did a little research into Childermass once which lead me down a pretty interesting path of the history of Christmas. Remember to beat your kids to remind them of King herod, childermass was a weird one.

Holly Pervocracy
12 years ago

If you were to say Seasons greetings to someone who then responded with Merry Christmas would you feel weird? If someone said Happy Kwanzaa, would you then be wrong to respond with Merry Christmas?

That’s perfectly cheery, except: When you say “Happy Holidays” and someone responds “Merry CHRISTMAS” real pointedly like you just oppressed them so hard, that’s obnoxious. But in general, no one’s stopping you.

People feeling excluded or just generally weird is hardly a big issue, certainly not one big enough to not say Merry Christmas

Isn’t “feeling weird” your only issue here?

ithiliana
12 years ago

If I in fact had a super sekrit feminist power, EVERYBODY would have to read Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather

http://www.booklore.co.uk/PastReviews/PratchettTerry/Hogfather/HogfatherReview.htm

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

Well no Holly, my first post was ‘Part of the PC thing in my country is to say there are certain things that simply cannot be joked about, or even discussed. It closes down debate, closes down trains of thought and makes things bland. ‘

And this thread so far resonates with that. I couldn’t even discuss PC without a bunch of fuck yous flying at me, vague implications that by mentioning Christmas I’m ignoring all the other religions and seasonal practices, people telling me I have first amendment rights when I have said a few times here I’m not American, and etc. Could it be that the mere discussion of PC, is un PC? Or atleast if you think being PC can be a bad thing.

Holly Pervocracy
12 years ago

Apparently being un-PC gives you the right to not be disagreed with.

Because people criticizing your un-PC-ness hurts your feelings!

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

@ithiliana I loved his Guards series but could really get into the other books, I will check out hogfather at my local Library today though. It’s terrible what Mr Pratchet is going through, alzheimers is a curse to anyone but it seems like a greater loss to the world when it affects such a creative person.

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

@Holly Pervocracy My feelings remain unhurt. You didn’t disagree with me, you didn’t say PC is good or PC doesn’t shut down debate. Instead you listen religions and seasonal practices that aren’t Merry Christmas. In short you responded by being politically correct.

Holly Pervocracy
12 years ago

This really is turning into an amazing case of Tolerate My Intolerance.

“Please don’t criticize me for being un-PC. People need to respect and tolerate my un-PC ways of expressing myself, or I feel hurt and silenced. Words can have a big impact, and people rudely telling me not to be un-PC make it harder for me to go about my life. Please, think before you speak! Un-PCs have feelings too!”

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

You certainly didn’t say being PC does not make things bland, it creates greater diversity…

If everyone says Seasons greetings then thats so many other words left unsaid. Even the end of harmless greeting phrases is boring and bland. Evering saying the exact same thing, like some endless echo chamber of PC hellos is a boring nightmare.

Men's Rights Activist Lieutenant
Men's Rights Activist Lieutenant
12 years ago

In honor of Jesus’ sacrifice, I always try to not masturbate on Christmas.

NullPointer
NullPointer
12 years ago

People feeling excluded or just generally weird is hardly a big issue, certainly not one big enough to not say Merry Christmas

It’s not “people”, though, it’s the specific person you’re talking to. What’s the point of saying anything at all if you don’t care about the person’s reaction?

Personally, since you asked, “Merry Christmas” makes me feel like a part of the Secret Christian Club (I’m an atheist but grew up Christian), and “Happy Holidays” makes me think “oh yeah, it’s December”. And I normally just say “You too!” or say back whatever the person said. I have also been wished a happy Diwali and a happy Rosh Hashanah (obviously when those holidays were happening), and I thought that was cool.

But I could see how it would get annoying for someone who is not even slightly Christian to hear Merry Christmas all the time, given that I live in America and we’re very Christian-centric. Which is why, if I don’t know which holiday the person I’m talking to is celebrating, I say “Happy Holidays”.

Ullere
Ullere
12 years ago

Holly your being obtuse. You never criticised what I said, you just responded with drivvel, now your painting me as moaning for saying that PC in my country damages expression and makes things boring, is used to shut down debate. I never advocated saying anything offensive, Merry Christmas was the example I used.