Ben Summerskill Takes the High Road

[blahflowers]

Following on from here...

Dear Loz

Thank you for your note.

We will certainly be considering the point you’ve raised. However I have to add that any such approach would include disablism.

We have been shocked in the last few weeks at the number of trans people (including representatives of trans organisations visiting our office) who seem to use disablist language – ‘cretin’, ‘moron’, ‘nutter’ - in a completely everyday way.

Very best wishes.

Ben

Ben Summerskill
Chief Executive

To which I have just replied:

You're quite right, I knew there was one I'd forgotten. The issue of language came up amongst ourselves and, once discussed, people began to moderate their language. However, I do wonder whether you're finding it warm living in that glass house?

Because yes, he does have a point, but I will not be lectured by Ben fucking Summerskill, of all people, right now.

Comments

[elijahdprophet.livejournal.com]

I thought 'cretin' was anti-Greek, not disablist.

[blahflowers.livejournal.com]

Cretinism. It's a bit like 'poppycock', you don't actually realise how rude it is until someone explains it to you. I will be trying to moderate my language in future.

[xxxlibris.livejournal.com]

Oh you are *fucking* kidding. JESUS.

[rozk.livejournal.com]

I am contemplating, when I next contact Ben Summerskill, prefacing my remarks with ''no actual clueless people were harmed in my choice of the word clueless to describe your behaviour'.

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

Because yes, he does have a point, but I will not be lectured by Ben fucking Summerskill, of all people, right now.

Remind me of the etiquette here - it's bad to call people cat-fuckers, right?

[kerrickadrian.livejournal.com]

I believe asshat (arsehat? loses something without the hoho assonance) is an ability-neutral insult, unless there's a very specific kind of somatic difference I'm not aware of. Cat-fucker is also a good one...I think I'm okay with insulting people who fuck cats. I believe that issues of cat consent are tricky enough that there are two good reasons not to—the cat is unlikely to consent, one, and two, if unconsenting, the cat is quite likely to damage the hell out of one's nether regions. Catfuckery therefore requires both cruelty and dumbosity. The insulting of practicing catfuckers sounds to me like acceptable risk.

[alextiefling.livejournal.com]

With due deference to friends who are or have been satanists, it's generally quite rude to call them devil-worshippers, too...

[spyinthehaus.livejournal.com]

Not to mention (shudder) bisexuals... one can't help but feel that the "B" of oddball pursuits might better have been occupied by "Bindel".

[(Anonymous)]

it's still possible to say 'ben summerskill is a wanker' though? or is that also 'language'?


frances

[mordantcarnival.livejournal.com]

Do me a favour.

[barakta]

I had no idea about the terms "moron" and "cretin" being disablist. I'd argue that if I who have done disability-politcs for the last decade didn't know their 'etymological' meanings then 90% of people using them wouldn't have known either.

Sounds like Ben's all for the pointing out the splinter in other people's eyes while ignoring the log in his and his organisation's own! What's trans people using disablist language got to do with their trans and bi phobic support anyway?

I love your reply!

[kerrykat.livejournal.com]

I knew that "cretin" and "moron" were diablist. Learned in an undergraduate biology class many moons ago... However...

The hint that your communication with Mr S is weakened/ less valid because certain TG activists, with whom you *may* or *may not* be aquainted have used derogatory language seems like a naive stretch of argument to me.

As a "nutter" (I have dianosed bi-polar affective disorder and consider myself to have an unseen disability)and also as non-transgender person, I take Mr Summerskill's comments to be a true example of all that is wrong and lacking with politically correct hypocrisy. "oh and how we work for the rights and support the beliefs of everyone but *you*"

As a self-labelled post-feminist "nutter" who sees the everyday struggles that my rl transgender friends face, I feel empowered to say that Julie Bindel and Ben Summerskill are being complete cunts.

*phew* Sorry, just had to let go of that.

[kerrykat.livejournal.com]

Sorry, 8th word in above post should read "disablist".. but diablist seemed amusingly appropriate as an error too :)