A bit more on the pickle that the women's prize has got itself into.
The Women's prize is a charity whose object is restricted to promoting literature written by women.
The Women's prize is a charity whose object is restricted to promoting literature written by women.
https://twitter.com/WomensPrize/status/1313059947626848256
Last year they shortlisted Akwaeke Emezi - who identifies as non binary, but who people and the law would recognise as a woman.
So far, so uncontroversial. Should identifying as non-binary exclude you from women's prizes?
Of course not: women are adult human females.
So far, so uncontroversial. Should identifying as non-binary exclude you from women's prizes?
Of course not: women are adult human females.
Still they played it for publicity w Chair of judges @KateWilliamsme in March 2019 calling “It a historic moment,” & another writing "I hope the...discussion not hijacked by gender politics "
(why then a thing of it?)
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
(why then a thing of it?)
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
I doubt there was anyone who thought Emezi's gender fluidity should disbar them from the prize.
This is quite a different situation than when Pips/Phillip Bunce was given an award for women in business.
standard.co.uk/news/uk/gender…
This is quite a different situation than when Pips/Phillip Bunce was given an award for women in business.
standard.co.uk/news/uk/gender…
In April the Women's Prize said it was working on a policy around gender fluid, transgender and transgender non-binary writers thebookseller.com/news/womens-pr…
But the terms and conditions for entry for the 2021 Prize for Fiction (which opened on 14 September 2020 and closed this morning) are still the same as they were last year.
There is no sign of the promised policy on their website
There is no sign of the promised policy on their website
This morning Emezi wrote this thread
Saying that the previous nomination had brought a "ton of violent shit their way" and angry that when their publisher has submitted their recent novel the prize had asked for "Akwaeke Emezi's sex as defined by law.”
https://twitter.com/azemezi/status/1313003554018332673
Saying that the previous nomination had brought a "ton of violent shit their way" and angry that when their publisher has submitted their recent novel the prize had asked for "Akwaeke Emezi's sex as defined by law.”
Emezi interpreted this as meaning the prize was only for "cis women" (which does not make sense since Emezi does not identify as cis and was eligible)
They talked of transphobic violence "spearheaded" by their their favourite childhood author, calling her a "violent bigot"
They talked of transphobic violence "spearheaded" by their their favourite childhood author, calling her a "violent bigot"
The women's prize put out what looks like a hurriedly written statement at 11:14
https://mobile.twitter.com/WomensPrize/status/1313059947626848256/photo/1
Its not so much journalism as writing stuff down.
Flood quoted Emezi on the “violent shit" (What violence? Was it reported to the police? Did they act on it?)
...obviously if there was any violence I condemn it but it is weird for a newspaper not to enquire
Flood quoted Emezi on the “violent shit" (What violence? Was it reported to the police? Did they act on it?)
...obviously if there was any violence I condemn it but it is weird for a newspaper not to enquire
@WomensPrize 's fence sitting statement has pleased no one, because it included such "transphobic" concepts as legal sex and being female AND the misogynist idea while also scrapping the idea that a literary prize just for actual women (i.e. female) is still possible or needed.
Like @fawcettsociety @WEPHEADQUARTERS
they have found themself flailing in the impossible middle ground.
What they should have done is to say this is a prize for women, by which we mean, as the word has always done: adult human female. Gender nonconformity welcomed.
they have found themself flailing in the impossible middle ground.
What they should have done is to say this is a prize for women, by which we mean, as the word has always done: adult human female. Gender nonconformity welcomed.
Some people would have stormed off, and they could set up their own prize for people who identify as women, (plus female nonbinary people?), (plus male nonbinary people?)
Let someone else play these language games. The word woman describes 50% of the population.
Let someone else play these language games. The word woman describes 50% of the population.
The difficulty that the Women's Prize is having in defining "women and transwomen" while not using the word women for female people (because thats transphobic) is ridiculous enough for a literary prize, but it is exactly the same problem that is faced for single sex services .
For services to differentiate between men and women, we need clear words and concepts.
The concept "woman" is too important to rewrite in a rush tweeted statement in response to a twitter thread.
And it turns out that its replacement is unworkable.
The concept "woman" is too important to rewrite in a rush tweeted statement in response to a twitter thread.
And it turns out that its replacement is unworkable.
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