I have always liked Rachel Stewart’s work and Cam has always rated her highly. We might not agree with everything she writes but she is a skilled journalist and she owns a falcon which is really cool no matter which side of the political spectrum you sit on.
It is shocking that the NZ Herald was too scared to publish her latest article and it shows the integrity of the lady that she has quit rather than have her work censored and suppressed.
As the editor of The BFD I would love to have her write for Insight Politics once a week. At The BFD she would be free to write what she wanted because at The BFD we welcome a range of different viewpoints. We certainly would not be cowed like the NZ Herald, as Free Speech is something that we are 100% committed to: unlike Massey University which is a complete disgrace!
Speak Up For Women is publishing Rachel Stewart’s latest column, as the New Zealand Herald would not publish it. Rachel is an award winning journalist and one of New Zealand’s favourite opinion writers. It seems in today’s anti-women political climate, some feminist opinions are not welcome at the Herald. Please note it was written prior to the news breaking that Massey Uni had cancelled our venue booking.
Rachel’s column:
It seems far-fetched that the mere hiring of a Massey University venue by a feminist organisation could cause so much indignation and rage, but these are not typical times.
A bunch of females getting together within a public space to discuss the issues currently affecting them is far from new, and very far from radical.
Yet, the idea that ‘Feminism 2020’ would dare to congregate at a venue on Massey’s Wellington campus saw a number of students stage a sit-in, which culminated in the handing over of a petition calling on the university to cancel the event.
What is so threatening about women coming together and talking? According to the protestors and petitioners, the organisers of the event – Speak Up for Women – are essentially devil incarnates.
Petition organiser Charlie Myer said the university shouldn’t be “facilitating this kind of discussion”. Feminism 2020 “could have [the event] anywhere” but it wasn’t appropriate for them to hold it at a university, which was supposed to support transgender students.”
Last time I looked universities were required to respect and uphold the quaint, old-fashioned tenet of free speech too. And Massey has, thus far, held out against the pressure of every thrown guilt trip known to mankind. You know, we don’t feel “safe”.
Myer also disputed the group was feminist and simply meeting to discuss women’s issues. “If your feminism isn’t intersectional, it isn’t feminism.”
Don’t you just love it when men tell women what feminism actually is? I find it adorable. Like a possum in my pear tree. So endearing.
Another endearing move was to then see the spokesperson for diversity and inclusion accreditation business Rainbow Tick Martin King say that if Massey did not cancel the event it was likely it would trigger a review of its accreditation.
The spectre of losing their Rainbow Tick must be downright scary for them. I mean, since students are now their financial customers, Massey naturally wants to keep the client happy at all costs.
But back to ‘Speak Up For Women’ and their apparently devilish ways. Why do some students so feverishly want them cancelled lest they be “harmed” by their words? Of course, you’d think simply not attending would put paid to that, but I’m being far too logical.
No. These students believe that no one should be allowed to discuss, debate, or hear the reasons why many women are concerned about an amendment (currently on hold) to the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Bill that would allow a person to change their legal gender by simply signing a declaration.[…]
You can read the rest of Rachel’s forbidden column over at Stand Up For Women.