A female lifting weights? Obv. a blokey looking lesbian...
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LondonEliza
Posts: 456 Member
in Chit-Chat
Full story here: http://www.standard.co.uk/olympics/olympic-news/london-2012-olympics-weightlifter-zoe-smith-in-battle-with-internet-trolls-who-called-her-a-bloke-and-a-lesbian-7972951.html
Extract here:
Teenage weightlifting star Zoe Smith today revealed she has been attacked by vicious internet trolls who said she looked like a "bloke" and branded her a “lesbian”.
But Smith, 18, from Greenwich, hit back at online bullies who subjected her to a barrage of abuse over her appearance, calling them “ignorant chauvinistic twerps”.
The weightlifter, who has a boyfriend, was targeted after appearing in the BBC Three programme Girl Power — Going For Gold, which followed her journey to making the British Olympic team and also featured fellow hopefuls Hannah Powell and Helen Jewel.
A number of critics posted abusive comments online, attacking her looks and calling her “a bloke” and “unfeminine”.
The attacks prompted the teenager to reply online and later write her own defence of the programme and expose the “close-minded, ignorant chauvinistic twerps” who criticised her.
Writing on her blog, she said: “The obvious choice of slander when talking about female weightlifting is ‘how unfeminine, girls shouldn’t be strong or have muscles, this is wrong’. And maybe they’re right … in the Victorian era. To think people still think like this is laughable, we’re in 2012!
“This may sound like a sweeping generalisation, but most of the people that do think like this seem to be chauvinistic, pigheaded blokes who feel emasculated by the fact that we, three small, fairly feminine girls, are stronger than them. Simple as that.
(More at above URL)
It made me sad to read this story, so much to despair at in it.
Regardless of what the weightlifter looks like, saying she looks like a man was considered an insult by the idiots that trolled her.
Regardless of what the weightlifter's sexual preferences, saying she is a lesbian was considered an insult by the idiots that trolled her.
Someone call 1812, some of their attitudes are missing.
This is why women (and all men who like women) should support or take the time to talk to women who make lifestyle choices we do not understand. If we fail to do this and settle for condemning their choices, we risk aligning ourselves with people who hate our gender.
Extract here:
Teenage weightlifting star Zoe Smith today revealed she has been attacked by vicious internet trolls who said she looked like a "bloke" and branded her a “lesbian”.
But Smith, 18, from Greenwich, hit back at online bullies who subjected her to a barrage of abuse over her appearance, calling them “ignorant chauvinistic twerps”.
The weightlifter, who has a boyfriend, was targeted after appearing in the BBC Three programme Girl Power — Going For Gold, which followed her journey to making the British Olympic team and also featured fellow hopefuls Hannah Powell and Helen Jewel.
A number of critics posted abusive comments online, attacking her looks and calling her “a bloke” and “unfeminine”.
The attacks prompted the teenager to reply online and later write her own defence of the programme and expose the “close-minded, ignorant chauvinistic twerps” who criticised her.
Writing on her blog, she said: “The obvious choice of slander when talking about female weightlifting is ‘how unfeminine, girls shouldn’t be strong or have muscles, this is wrong’. And maybe they’re right … in the Victorian era. To think people still think like this is laughable, we’re in 2012!
“This may sound like a sweeping generalisation, but most of the people that do think like this seem to be chauvinistic, pigheaded blokes who feel emasculated by the fact that we, three small, fairly feminine girls, are stronger than them. Simple as that.
(More at above URL)
It made me sad to read this story, so much to despair at in it.
Regardless of what the weightlifter looks like, saying she looks like a man was considered an insult by the idiots that trolled her.
Regardless of what the weightlifter's sexual preferences, saying she is a lesbian was considered an insult by the idiots that trolled her.
Someone call 1812, some of their attitudes are missing.
This is why women (and all men who like women) should support or take the time to talk to women who make lifestyle choices we do not understand. If we fail to do this and settle for condemning their choices, we risk aligning ourselves with people who hate our gender.
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Replies
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She looks pretty feminine to me. I bet there were more than supporters than naysayers, the media just didn't report it. I don't know for sure, but thats my guess anyway. 100 yrs ago she wouldn't even have been a candidate and she would been ostracized (SP?) and degraded far more than she has been today. Whats more, the article says she shot back at the nastiness, which shows me that she has some confidence in herself. You notice the bullies aren't saying it to her face, right? I can imagine they might be afraid to say those things to someone who can probably outbench them. :laugh:0
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Oh I completely agree. There is a lot of hope.
It is just a damm shame that in this day and age someone representing their country at an international event has to put up with online BS from dopes who think that 'man' and 'Lesbian' are now insults
Yes, she was well able for them but the next woman / man they pick to turn on may not be able for them and why should she have to spend her time dealing with idiots.
I bet the rhythmic gymnasts are not picked on in this way. (Nor should they be)0 -
I agree its awful for her to have to go thru. I'm glad that people will associate Zoe with lifting, though. Perhaps if enough people, especially girls, see what a female lifter looks like they'll be more inclined to lift weights themselves. Until about a month ago, I immediately associated female weight lifting with the over-the-top body builders that actually have masculine looking muscles. I stumbled upon a group of women who lift and still look feminine and that changed my outlook. Maybe the attention Zoe brings will move things forward a bit. Maybe in four years, it will be more common for girls to compete.0
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I agree with the sentiment of the troll posters who said stuff like that were probably wussy little men who couldn't lift half of what she does, and were thus intimidated by her, It makes me sad though, she should be seen as an inspiration, and I hope she does open more peoples eyes to weight lifting not being scary and bulkifying, She is the last thing I'd ever think of with the word blokey, she is cute as a button!0
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she's hot but she's no samatha wright! :smooched: :smooched:
Where can I find such a woman?!0 -
Even if she were not young, feminine, cute as a button etc etc why do her actual looks matter?
These trolls are directing hate at her because she was in the public eye doing something that intimidated them so they thought they could hurt her (bad target idiots, FFS - don't take up archery!!)
I'd love to give these trolls 30 mins in a room with some of the more feistier examples of lifters here on MPF just to contribute to their greater understanding ...
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Oh and Sam Wright is gorgeous and a snub in the eye for everyone who says that lifting for a female will make you look 'mannish'0
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