Yesterday afternoon, men took to Twitter to demean my gender, my degree... and my dad
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I start my masters soon, a research-based degree in gender studies. I’m excited, and I talk about it a lot - it’s something I’m passionate about. My thesis, I hope, will be about trans* and non-binary gender representation in literature and as such, I’m eager to find books I can discuss in my writing.
I sent out a Tweet, asking if anybody knew any. Most people were helpful and lovely, but as is often the case, some weren’t.
A man asked why it was relevant, used a transphobic slur and then asked where all the trans people are that I feel are under/mis-represented – proving my point, I felt.
WHY??
— Cranberry Dazquiri (@Daz13DD) September 28, 2016
How (& why) would you know they were trans?
How is it relevant if you've currently no story??? https://t.co/vIswMFtXex
Could be about a bank robbery, WW2 or one man's quest to save the whales- so long as there's a trannie?@6ame https://t.co/vIswMFtXex
— Cranberry Dazquiri (@Daz13DD) September 28, 2016
Dafuq you studying???
— Cranberry Dazquiri (@Daz13DD) September 28, 2016
Where is this abundance of trans people you believe are under/mis represented??@6ame https://t.co/x1pTPv5W1o
I replied, letting Twitter know it wasn’t even 11am and a man had managed to annoy me already – the plan was then to leave it and not waste my time or my energy. I was forced to, however, as he had tagged ‘6oodfella’ - who has a bit of a following. Now, I blocked and reported this guy, and so his offending Tweet has since been removed (a win, in my opinion) but it was a screenshot of my Tweet as well as a screen shot of my bio, with “Masters by Research in Gender Studies” underlined in red. So much anger. Within seconds, I had an influx of notifications…
@6ame @KatyGilroyBlog should read: "11am and I've already *allowed myself* to get pissed off by some man child when I could just block them"
— Dyspepsia (@DyspepticCodger) September 28, 2016
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@KatyGilroyBlog imagine hating yourself so much that you think Gender Studies is a serious subject
— Allen Starr (@AllenStarr1) September 28, 2016
(I should point out, this was happening amongst the Twitter-storm in which a TV presenter mocked somebody for eating a sandwich AND a croissant for breakfast.)
@KatyGilroyBlog @IGSChester Ah yes. Gender Studies. That literally useless leftist propaganda.
— Mark Taylor (@iYelawolf) September 28, 2016
@6ame Hey now, @Starbucks needs workers as well. @KatyGilroyBlog
— Hugh Mungus (@DrakhorT2) September 28, 2016
There was another one (he’s blocked me now) that was particularly odd – something along the lines of ‘How sad for her, how sad her father would be if he had stuck around.’ Must tell my dad, when he gets home from work. And so on, and so forth. It was interesting to see the Tweets came from men; it was interesting that it was the middle of the day, and that it only took seconds for the harassment to unfold after ‘6oodfella’ posted his original Tweet about me. I’m studying – and writing about – something that I think needs more attention in the media, in literature, in film and music and magazines. If trans* and non-binary individuals feel under-represented, or mis-represented, then things need to change; if me simply asking for help and recommendations for my studies leads to men from all corners of the globe harassing me then again, things need to change. I’ll leave you with possibly one of the weirdest…
@6ame @KatyGilroyBlog well, like most cults there's a membership fee and in this case it's in the form of tuition fees
— No. 6 ✡ (@InSonicbloom) September 28, 2016