Opinion of Memphis

[Antonio the Sixth]

We've got our resident Todd Akin. And he has a red avatar.

Memphis, do you think if a woman goes outside dressed in a "slutty" outfit and gets raped that it is her fault for dressing that way?

I would not blame a victim of rape. Ever. At the same time, we all live in an imperfect world and need to be mindful of that fact. I wouldn't leave my front door wide open lest somebody loot my modest possessions. It wouldn't be my fault somebody stole my stuff, but it would have been wiser to be more conscious of the risks out there in the world.

[Antonio the Sixth]

He's not a Todd Akin type, he's a bro who thinks that being politically liberal excuses him from having to develop a personal understanding of people who aren't like him.

I'm willing to bet that all our well-known nutty Republicans precisely think that being politically conservative excuses them from having to develop a personal understanding of people who aren't like them.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This is a very biased OP

I didn't know posters on a political forum were supposed to be neutral...

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well he's a FF on everything that doesn't have to do with women...

^  Especially religion.  And I'll admit that I haven't even read any of his posts on women to know what's got everybody so butthurt about him.

How about the one I quoted, is that enough for you?

And look, I'm a proud anticlerical (in the sense that I vehemently oppose any attempt by institutionalized religion at exerting social control or political influence) and often find myself in agreement with people like Afleitch, but Memphis' pompous and condescending attitude toward any form of religiosity is just as insufferable as the attitude of real-life fundies.

[Antonio the Sixth]

He's not a Todd Akin type, he's a bro who thinks that being politically liberal excuses him from having to develop a personal understanding of people who aren't like him.

I'm willing to bet that all our well-known nutty Republicans precisely think that being politically conservative excuses them from having to develop a personal understanding of people who aren't like them.

Plenty of people here avoid that type of personal understanding without that excuse.

That wasn't supposed to be an attack on conservatism (albeit I think an argument of the kind you're thinking about could be made, at least wrt the peculiar American form of conservatism)...

[Antonio the Sixth]

What he said was stupid but he's just going to keep on saying it. In part, I think because the reaction to it is so sanctimonious it's nauseating. This forum has a misoygnistic streak to it and Memphis' comments while blatant are disturbingly more 'welcome' than the more subtle examples that we are used to hearing and which never get called out.

Do you have any example of this? I don't think that I or the other feminist posters have ever overlooked displays of prejudice by other posers. Of course, I could have missed something.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What he said was stupid but he's just going to keep on saying it. In part, I think because the reaction to it is so sanctimonious it's nauseating. This forum has a misoygnistic streak to it and Memphis' comments while blatant are disturbingly more 'welcome' than the more subtle examples that we are used to hearing and which never get called out.

Do you have any example of this? I don't think that I or the other feminist posters have ever overlooked displays of prejudice by other posers. Of course, I could have missed something.

The infamous Sandra Fluke thread.

I recall that many posters (me comprised) expressed rightful disgust at that abomination.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, there's still Oldiesfreak.

[Antonio the Sixth]

According to recent exit polling, 40% of this forum approves of transphobia, sexism, and ignorance.

Way the go guys!

While they might not approve, there is indeed a worryingly large proportion of this forum who thinks such attitudes are tolerable and can be counterbalanced by other factors. Which is absolutely depressing.

[Antonio the Sixth]

And I'm a fan of its etymology.

Yes. It's an elegant, simple etymology, easy to grasp with minimal Latin and forming an immediate and direct dichotomy. (I'm not sure the concept in question should have such a firm dichotomy--in fact, I'm almost sure it shouldn't--but from a philological perspective it's wonderful.)

Seconded.

[Antonio the Sixth]

So... should we add a C to LGBTQQIAAP now?

What's the P? Did I miss out on the new gay thing?

Pansexual?

Guess so!  It's so hard to keep up these days, isn't it?

"What do we want?"
"Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer-Questioning-Intersex-Asexual-Allies-Pansexual-Cisgender Rights!"
"When do we want them?"
"NOW!"

It's catchy.

If you have cisgender in it, you should have heterosexual too.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This

Of course the immediate tendency for most people (particularly over a certain age) leans towards finding the whole trans thing as (at best) a bit weird; it runs very much against the way we're socialised from a very early age. But the same was true of homosexuality not so very long ago as well. Sometimes we have to revise our attitudes; fundamentally we are talking about a comparatively tiny group of people who are no threat to anyone (and not even, not really, to the various gender and sexual identities of the rest of us), and who are, fundamentally, real people with real feelings.

Or, rather:

Earlier this year a transgender teacher at a primary school in Lancashire killed herself after being persistently harassed by journalists; harassment that included a vicious verbal assault in a widely-read column in a national newspaper.

and this

May I ask you a question? Can you commit to not railroading people's beliefs, personalities, and habits into inane generalizations against their will in the future? If not, why not?

are the most important points brought up so far. How surprising Memphis hasn't even bothered addressing them.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What's "sjw"?

social justice (keyboard) warrior.

So fighting for social justice is now a bad thing?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Oh come on, 5 infraction points for calling Mint an asshole (in the wake of a post which was clearly nasty and offensive)? Are you trying to become our next Inks, Badger?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Are you trying to become our next Inks, Badger?

Yes.

Duly noted...

[Antonio the Sixth]

At least I can be proud of having started a 15-page flame war.