The General Medical Council Is All Confusion

[naomi24]

'The General Medical Council, that august body which regulates and disciplines the medical profession, has removed the term “mother” and references to women from its staff maternity policy', writes straight-speaking Ann Widdecombe.   'Well', she says, 'if the GMC doesn’t understand biology then who does? Let me help the poor confused souls by explaining it to them.'

 

Ann thought doctors were supposed to know what a woman is, and so she does explain it to them.  Well said that 'woman' - and for now I use the word advisedly. 

 

https://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/ann-widdecombe/1814578/woman-gmc-russell-brand

 

What can be done to halt this ridiculous march of fantasy once and for all?  A start, I think, would be to stop the demand to refer to men who claim to be women as 'she' or 'her'.  The media encourages this farce and even refers to convicted 'trans' rapists as 'she' or 'her', presumably as a token of respect - but what's to respect - and what happened to respect for real women?

[bednobs]

is respecting trans women and respecting real women somehow mutually exclusive?

[Canary42]

While I'm all in agreement to referring to transgenders by their "new" pronoun, this shouldn't spread to tangential areas - to call maternity patients anything other than mother seems utterly ridiculous.

[douglas9401]

They're just gently dilating to open up the discussion.

[bednobs]

the article doesnt quite make it clear - perhaps they are removing "mother" from their staff maternity policy because men can now take paternity leave proportionate to maternity leave (ie if the mother goes back to work, the dad can take the leave entitlement instead)?  it would be helpful to know a bit more about what she's talking about

[Zacs-Master]

But isn't AnswerBank perpetuating this 'ridiculous March of fantasy' as you describe it, by insisting we refer to certain members as 'them/they'? You as a mod seem to have a responsibility to uphold and even enforce this 'policy'. 

Do you not see an element of hippocrasy in your calling for the 'March of fantasy' to halt, yet, due to your status as Moderator, having to abide by an example of that very 'March' on here?

[naomi24]

I don't think there can be any doubt about the reasons.  More here, including //The GMC's menopause document also contains suggestions that it is not an issue exclusive to women//

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12528025/Fury-GMC-removes-word-mother-staff-maternity-guidance-concerted-effort-ignore-women.html

[bednobs]

ask my husband and 11 yo - they will tell you that menopause is not exclusively a problem for women 🤣

[bednobs]

zacs, where is this insistence on them/they?  ive never seen it on here

[Zacs-Master]

It usually appears on threads involving ClareTgold. 

[bednobs]

I seem to get by pretty well usually without saying him/her on here but mainly because I usually have no idea what gender abers are

[bednobs]

So are you saying that claretgold prefers to be called they/them?  And that the.mods have to tell people off/suspended people that don't?  I have never noticed that, but obviously don't read all threads. Useful to know tho, thanks

[naomi24]

Zacs Master, the editors are well aware of my views on the subject. In the one instance of a complaint of this nature I've encountered here I suggested the 'culprit' in future refer to the complainant by their username - which is what I do.  No rules broken that way.

 

Shame you aren't aware of what the unnamed mods write or do.  If you were you'd be able to harangue them at every opportunity.

[THECORBYLOON]

CLARETG0LD's gender shows as "Female" in the profile but I'm not aware of a request to use "they/them".

[Zacs-Master]

By asking someone to use their username instead of he/him she/her, you're perpetuating the 'March' Naomi. You're, by dint of being a Mod, upholding the very thing you're complaining about. 
How do you square that with yourself?

[bednobs]

but naomi, that used to be you till you went over to the light side, and Andy used to say the same thing to you n times a week!

[naomi24]

I wouldn't even attempt to square your wonky thinking, Zacs - and I'm not arguing with you.  This thread is not about me.    Please stick to the topic.

[naomi24]

Bednobs, not with you.  What used to be me?

[bednobs]

"Shame you aren't aware of what the unnamed mods write or do.  If you were you'd be able to harangue them at every opportunity."

It used to be you haranguing the mod you did know was a mod at every opportunity, whilst having no idea what unnamed mods were doing. And him constantly telling you so, and you constantly going back to him for 150 posts

[Zacs-Master]

You're doing one of your 'sidestepping' tactics again, Naomi. The subject of your post is gender 
Terminology which my posts are directly addressing. 
How can you support Ann Widdicome's stance yet ask people on AB to not use gender pronouns? The two are completely at odds with each other. 

[Kardashev]

Never before has a tiny minority had so much power. What changed so quickly that we now must all protrate ourselves before those that userp Biology? Where are we when even physicians seem unsure of what is obvious to any sensible person? You think it's bad over there, come over this side of the pond if you want to see total craziness! Eg we have parents paying doctors thousands to chemically castrate their kids! The world has gone mad.