Grotesque effigy of the Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, a woman, hanged from a tree because she criticized the proposed trans law

submitted by BEB from twitter.com

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[–]purrfect 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Apparently this is "fake news". Not the hanging of the effigy business, but the motive. In reality hanged effigies of politicians and accompanying mocking messages are a carnival tradition in that town.

[–]MarkTwainiac 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

And not just in that town. All over Spain.

[–]BEB[S] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

I tried to figure out if it was legitimate or not, including looking at the Deputy Prime Minister's Twitter itself. My Spanish is about the level of a 4-year-old's, but the Deputy Prime Minister herself seemed outraged, as did other feminists, including Spanish feminists, so I posted it.

[–]MarkTwainiac 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

BEB, the larger issue is why you feel compelled to post so much stuff seen on Twitter on this forum. And why you often do so without giving full or proper context; in fact, as you and I both know, sometimes you've spread misinformation by doing so.

Twitter is a cesspit, not Mt Olympus or a font of truth the way some seem to think. I'm here precisely to avoid Twitter. Some of us are seeking better quality information and discourse than can be found on Twitter, and are striving to provide it in our own small way too.

Also, anyone who wants to know what's being said on Twitter can look at Twitter directly. It's open for the whole world to see.

I am thinking of leaving this sub in large part coz I'm sick of having to point out that items posted from Twitter and presented as the gospel truth are often themselves inaccurate, and are presented here in ways that make them more so.

[–]BEB[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Twitter, which I only became aware of about three years ago, has been IMO, essential to feminists' ability to organize, to see what's happening in other countries, as well as to push back against politicians, corporations, NGOs, Blue Checks, etc., slamming us over the head with gender ideology.

Especially given the US medias uncritical support for gender ideology, I would never have known, nor been inspired by, the UK feminists push back on gender ideology were it not for Twitter (the old Reddit GC sub too).

Were it not for Twitter, I would probably have never have known, or I would not have been bothered to keep daily updated, about Save Women's Sports, WoLF, Feminists in Struggle, or some of the other US groups fighting gender ideology.

Twitter makes it easy for me (and for everyone else who has a few hours everyday to look at dozens of Twitter accounts) to keep up with what's happening in the GC world.

And in the US especially, "Progressive" politicians seem to be running for Congressperson Twitter, so I think it's important for GCers to see what politicians are actually saying/ reading in their own Twitter posts & responses.

I think that on this forum we're intelligent enough, with enough critical thinking skills, to make up our own minds, and I also think that many women on this forum, given what they themselves have said, are not on Twitter. And, as I mentioned, I have time to keep updated on Twitter whereas I'm guessing many other interested women do not.

I myself would be sad to see you go as you add so much value to this forum.

EDITED TO ADD:

Also, I try to make sure what I link from Twitter has the source material in the Tweet. That sometimes means the source material isn't the same as what I wanted to post because I use a different computer/browser to read Twitter than the one I use to post on SAIDIT. Websites often don't let me have access when I use the browser I use for SAIDIT, so I sometimes have to go looking for an article that covers the same material.

If I can't find anything, I post a Twitter account with a link to an article that covers the same material, but again, it's sometimes not the same article that I originally read and wanted to post.

For instance, with the TiM Capitol rioter, I read an article on my other computer, but the browser on this computer wouldn't let me access it, so I had to post a Twitter user who had posted something similar to the article I read.

This browser also didn't let me access YouTube, although that seems to have changed - so I would link to a Twitter account with the YouTube link I wanted to post.

Hope that explains some of my use of Twitter. I do always try to post from accounts I trust, and, again, try to post the source material too. But I would encourage everyone to do their own homework about everything, not just on this board, but in life.

[–]our_team_is_winning 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

If the post says "from Twitter," I have the option of clicking or not. Personally, I like to know what's going on over there without having to browse Twitter myself, so I appreciate the posts. I would never find a lot of good women's activism otherwise. Twitter IS evil, but millions are still using it, and many ONLY use that site. Can't get the info unless you look there.

If things are factually true or not no longer matters. Public perception is the thing. People make decisions based on beliefs, not hard reality. The two rarely overlap it seems.

As for hanging people in effigy being a Carnival tradition -- well, that's pretty sick! Imagine hanging a Black politician's effigy and claiming "it's just Carnival tradition" -- you think that would fly?

[–]BEB[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I find Twitter, for all its many flaws including its incredible misogyny, a valuable tool. When I found it, it was like a whole new world because I could see what a feminist in say, Argentina, was tweeting.

So I think Twitter is a double-edged sword, but it has been a valuable tool for feminists to connect globally and to push back. Well, as much as Twitter lets us, which isn't much, but still.

EDITED TO ADD: I also link to GC Twitter accounts that I myself feel are delightful, informative or both, in hopes that SAIDIT users who are also on Twitter will follow these accounts and the GC universe will further expand.

[–]purrfect 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Don't worry, I was alarmed at first too, so I'm not surprised other feminists fell for it, too.

[–]MarkTwainiac 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

I'm not excusing this at all, but from what I know of European and Spanish history, symbolic killing of politicians and other important figures by effigy is a popular tradition that goes back centuries. In Spain, executing effigies has been a pastime since at least the Spanish Inquisition, and nowadays burning effigies is particularly popular. So I don't think it's accurate to suggest that misogyny is the main motivation behind the making and hanging of this particular effigy. Some would argue it would be sexist if female politicians in Spain were not subjected to the same symbolic executions as male politicians and public figures routinely are.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/503320/6-people-executed-effigy

In 2016, UNESCO added an annual effigy-burning festival in Spain to the world's list of important events representing the important "cultural heritage of humanity":

Spain's traditional Fallas de Valencia festival on Wednesday was added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, sources from the United Nations' cultural organization UNESCO told EFE.

thousands of puppets and sculptures_ ninots_ fill the city of Valencia on Spain's eastern coast, where they are paraded and burned in some of the most emblematic streets and squares.

Each ninot is created, often over a period of months, by a special neighborhood council called a casal faller.

The artisan creators of the satirical sculptures use the event to highlight political gaffes, notable current events and the controversial personalities of the preceding year.

Featuring heavily in the ceremony are Spain's political personalities as well as world leaders and prominent celebrities.

The burning of the effigies is considered a cathartic rejuvenation process that welcomes in the spring and blends ancient rituals associated with fire and a mordant sense of humor.

https://www.efe.com/efe/english/life/spain-s-iconic-effigy-burning-festival-added-to-unesco-heritage-list/50000263-3112118

An effigy of Trump being burned at this festival in 2017 can be seen here: https://youtu.be/uqUX-LHbfm4

A similar festival in another Spanish city:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hogueras-de-alicante-bonfires-of-alicante

For 200K euros, this art gallery in 2019 offered the chance to burn an effigy of the current Spanish king, Felipe VI:

https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/1313089.html

More about effigy burnings in Spain of in recent years:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1200681/royal-news-king-felipe-queen-letizia-princess-leonor-catalonia-barcelona-protests

https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/europe/catalan-separatists-burn-effigies-of-spanish-kings.html

https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/23/locals-in-spanish-town-shoot-and-burn-carles-puigdemont-effigy

https://www.thenational.scot/news/17589775.watch-effigy-carles-puigdemont-shot-burned-spain/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-06-24/grab-your-wooden-effigies-it-s-san-juan-day-in-spain

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-tale-of-two-effigies/

https://www.nysun.com/foreign/spain-rethinks-burning-effigies-of-muhammad/40777/

Also, since 1986 there of course has been the infamous "Burning Man" festival in the US that grew extremely popular amongst with cutting-edge and wealthy wokesters:

https://newrepublic.com/article/150497/vanishing-idealism-burning-man

[–]purrfect 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Yeah, I lean on freedom of speech on this one. It wasn't a threat and she is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. I'm not sorry to say, I consider this one fair game.

I checked her Twitter earlier today and she hasn't acknowledged the outrage has been a mistake. I consider it bad form on her part.

[–]BEB[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

My Spanish is terrible, but here is the Deputy Prime Minister's Twitter for anyone who can read Spanish. Like all Twitter you can read it without being signed up to Twitter.

And perhaps the Deputy Prime Minister received other threats? In looking at other Spanish rad fem Twitter accounts it seems that gender activists in Spain are the same peaceful, non-threatening lot they are in other countries /s

https://twitter.com/carmencalvo_/status/1363089859968184326

[–]purrfect 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

They are an absolute threat to feminists and they are just as vile as in any other country. However, this is not the case this time and I'm pretty sure Carmen Calvo has been made aware of this tradition by now. But in true politician style, she's taking full advantage.

[–]BEB[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I don't know enough about her, and shame on her if this is political opportunism, but looking at the reaction of the US Congress people caught up in the Capitol riots (a lot of them were so shaken that they are now in therapy/ support groups) I think that maybe at some point politicians just get fed up with being threatened. This might have been the threat that pushed her over the edge.

And beyond that, this type of threat is what women who speak up about women's rights are getting all over the world. There have been other incidences of "Hang the TERF," as well as at least one guillotine brought to feminist speaking events - so if this incident forces people to confront trans activists' violent threats against women globally, well, I'm OK with that.

[–]purrfect 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I completely understand, where you're coming from, but to put your mind at ease, there was no threat involved, just mockery against her. "I'm lost... where is the patriarchy?" is the typical strawman argument against feminists, but clearly not a threat. I wish she had corrected the misinformation about this, which she must be aware of right now.

[–]BEB[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's too bad she didn't come clean, because there are so many real threats against GCers. Sigh.

[–]GConly 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Always with the threats of violence.