Wimmin, womyn, women

[scotty]

This is a question for the women of the board. The university womens room has just reopened and it is now officially the 'wimmin's room'. Does the spelling infer the what kind of womens room it is? Is it intimidating when you come across different spelling of 'women' in general? Mazz was the Women's Officer at Wollongong Uni when she did her time as a student, and she hates it because she thinks it discriminates against regular women.

Maybe I'm not being very articulate, I just want to know your thoughts on this though.

[HEIRESS]

I hate it when restaurants try and be create with their naming and/or symbolic representation of the mens and women's washrooms

its fucking lame

...and maybe sometimes confuses me
!!

[skra75]

in Women's Studies in college I was asked to spell it Womyn. Can't help but think of fairies, crystals, and lavender when you write it that way though. Womyn.

[QueenAdrock]

The whole "womyn" spelling is because they don't want to have the word "man" or "men" in the name because that's sexist. :rolleyes:

I say "wimmins" all the time, because it's like "sammich" in that respect. Just an urbanized version of the name.

[fraserallison]

SAMMICH??????

[skra75]

It makes me think of think of the Lord of the Rings. Not Sammich, that makes me hungie.

[HEIRESS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFPQuMAfj1Q

[skra75]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFPQuMAfj1Q

I have that album but I never listen to it :(

[scotty]

Where I am, using the different spelling is the domain of your hardcore feminists. I just thought that, for a space that is meant for all women, the image that the spelling projects might put off a majority of women and says that it is a place for women with similar beliefs.

[dirtgirl]

I don't see the need for a change in name. I do see the need in people realizing how far women have come in such a short period of time. I think that many young women have no clue how different things were for our mothers and grandmothers. Why are so many young women set on looking like sluts? Why subjugate yourself? I think there is a difference between looking sexy and looking like an object...but it's a fine line and everyones' perception is different. hmm...

I still experience a lot of sexism these days, but it's nothing compared to what our elders went through. I often ponder subjects relating to the empowerment of women and body image issues with different generations of women.

If people want to change the name, they should change it to "wombin" or "wombyn". :p

[hellojello]

Yeah at my uni it's called the womyns room. As much as I am empathetic to their cause I have to say its ridiculous. And what about humans. I mean, evidently that's testimony to our patriarchial society. We'd better change it to hupeople or something.

It did put me off going there too, and I read one of their publications and they had an add from a magazine with this massive rant about how sexualized and exploitative it was.
I just thought to myself, well to be fair you see a lot of adds these days aimed at metrosexuals with the same sort of exploitation and sexualization of men.
I just tend to think they don't want equality they want role-reversal.
And that shits me.

[The Notorious LOL]

feminists are corny

[dirtgirl]

Heh.

I doubt many of the students here would understand if they changed the name and I don't think it would even fly with the facutly.

It's kind of related to how certain words have stopped having a previous meaning. Like the word Gay...it used to be used to be described being joyful. When was the last time you've heard it used in that context? Now its a faux pas to say the word Straight. Forward.......onward......straightforward. :rolleyes:

[Caribou]

I don't see why there has to be a special womens room. Isn't the point of emancipation that man and woman are EQUAL? Having everything seperately for women is not going to create equality. It just makes men think of us as little whingers who can't spell the word women properly and need special girly things for everything because they can't handle the real stuff.

I see that sometimes women need to get away from nasty neanderthal men, but still. The separation isn't helping.

[kaiser soze]

wouldn't changing it from woman to womyn be sexist as well?

[The Notorious LOL]

I don't see why there has to be a special womens room. Isn't the point of emancipation that man and woman are EQUAL? Having everything seperately for women is not going to create equality. It just makes men think of us as little whingers who can't spell the word women properly and need special girly things for everything because they can't handle the real stuff.

I see that sometimes women need to get away from nasty neanderthal men, but still. The separation isn't helping.


Same with gay rights. Like, when they have gay pride and run a news reel of a bunch of super flamingly gay dudes in assless chaps making out in the street followed with someone talking about how they want to be treated as equals it tends to cancel itself out. If you wanted to be treated as an equal and be respected, dont focus so much on separating yourself.

[ms.peachy]

Those kind of loopy feminists give the rest of us headaches. It's like having really embarrassing relatives. Or like being an American abroad, for that matter.

[Big Gus]

It's written that way in the UK usually to determine hardcore feminist/militant girls.

Or lesbians.

[The Notorious LOL]

its typically semi-unattractive girls in college that get into that whole feminist shit, and renounce their heterosexuality shortly thereafter but unsuprisingly become straight again after a few months.

[HEIRESS]

I don't see why there has to be a special womens room. Isn't the point of emancipation that man and woman are EQUAL? Having everything seperately for women is not going to create equality. It just makes men think of us as little whingers who can't spell the word women properly and need special girly things for everything because they can't handle the real stuff.

I see that sometimes women need to get away from nasty neanderthal men, but still. The separation isn't helping.


Im not sure if you meant that having unisex bathroom would be a plus

I work in a place where the employee numbers have risen from 5-10 to 50+ in the past year so we only have ONE bathroom and its for all to use

I cant even begin to expand upon the grossness of this situation

[The Notorious LOL]

wimminz bathrooms are nice. Usually if theres no one around I duck in there and have a pee in the sink. :D

[QueenAdrock]

Those kind of loopy feminists give the rest of us headaches. It's like having really embarrassing relatives. Or like being an American abroad, for that matter.
(y)

[steve-onpoint]

Do you have to ask? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y7y7AEq82I)

[dirtgirl]

Definitly on point there.

Is that woman with a Y?

Funny how old those shows are....maybe the Canadians (or maybe TKITH) started the spelling change. :p

[Caribou]

Im not sure if you meant that having unisex bathroom would be a plus

I work in a place where the employee numbers have risen from 5-10 to 50+ in the past year so we only have ONE bathroom and its for all to use

I cant even begin to expand upon the grossness of this situation

There are 3 toilets where I work. 2 for the ladies and 1 for the guys.
The guys' one is furthest away from the door, so they always end up using the ladies toilets and peeing on the seats/floor. (n)
Dudes, you are gross.

So eh, I am pro womens toilets, but against special womens lounge rooms/hangout places.

[beastieangel01]

don't tell scotty

cause scotty doesn't know

[scotty]

don't tell scotty

cause scotty doesn't know

Hence the question :confused:

[guerillaGardner]

I think sometimes that women are just as cruel to women as men are. I certainly hear terms like 'fat bitch' from women's lips more than men's. I think I've seen women be more scathing to other women's appearance and abilities than men have.

And I certainly see women making life hell for each other in the workplace. In jobs I've had where there have been lots of women the bitchiness and back stabbing is incredible.

My better half recently worked in a place that had lots of young girls and they were hell - always trying to get one over on each other while appearing all friendly.

She then moved to a place that was predominantly staffed by older women ranging from their 30s up to their 60s. There was an initial assumption that some level of maturity would prevail - but did it hell? In-fighting, factions, power struggles, etc.

Now I'm not saying men don't have these things. I do think they are less so, though. But I defy the belief that women have some greater moral high ground than men.

Put women in charge and they'd screw the place up just as bad as men have but in a different way.

[hellojello]

I think sometimes that women are just as cruel to women as men are. I certainly hear terms like 'fat bitch' from women's lips more than men's. I think I've seen women be more scathing to other women's appearance and abilities than men have.

And I certainly see women making life hell for each other in the workplace. In jobs I've had where there have been lots of women the bitchiness and back stabbing is incredible.

My better half recently worked in a place that had lots of young girls and they were hell - always trying to get one over on each other while appearing all friendly.

She then moved to a place that was predominantly staffed by older women ranging from their 30s up to their 60s. There was an initial assumption that some level of maturity would prevail - but did it hell? In-fighting, factions, power struggles, etc.

Now I'm not saying men don't have these things. I do think they are less so, though. But I defy the belief that women have some greater moral high ground than men.

Put women in charge and they'd screw the place up just as bad as men have but in a different way.
That's just the way women are though I wouldn't say that's anything to do with feminism or patriarchy. They're just more insidiously bitchy like giving u dirty looks or making bitchy comments.
Men are just more likely to punch another man in the face or something.
Well that's what it seems like to me anyways.

[skra75]

Im not sure if you meant that having unisex bathroom would be a plus

I work in a place where the employee numbers have risen from 5-10 to 50+ in the past year so we only have ONE bathroom and its for all to use

I cant even begin to expand upon the grossness of this situation

I've been in really fancy 'hotel lounges' and dance clubs in ny and tokyo where there are two unisex bathrooms instead of separate bathrooms. on one occasion I was in such a 'bathroom', two stalls over two girls were making out with each other, and three down 3 people were crammed in a stall doing Coke. I was too drunk to really care though. Next day I was like wtf. I guess that's what happens in a place that thinks they can charge 15 dollars for a 40 ouncer.