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

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[–]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.