The following is written by Sam Berg.
There are a lot of lies being told about me right now. I’m used to that because it comes with the pro-woman activism that kooky kid called life dropped into my lap like an unexploded bomb, but it’s rather concentrated at the moment. Most of it is nonsense, like that I’m trying to get the pro-sex work group kicked off campus (I’m not) or that I’m afraid to debate sex workers (I’m not) or that I said RenEv made threats personally to me (she didn’t and I didn’t say she did), but there is one very serious bit of business tucked into the ever-heaping distortions that I feel must be addressed.
Renegade Evolution is saying that I sent her threatening private emails. I have never emailed RenEv. Not once. What would be the point?
So where did the supposed emailed “threat” come from? I think I know, and I think you’re all going to want to learn what I know, because the pieces are fitting together for me very clearly for the first time.
Remember that shitbag who committed fraud by lying to one of Genderberg’s moderators about being anti-pornography and anti-prostitution so they could spy on our private forums and then release words from there publicly? If you need or want a recap about the violation of women’s safe space that happened one year ago today in April 2007 you can read here.
Caught up? Good.
Also in April 2007, the aforementioned lying shitbag started a hate blog called “Radical Feminist Terrorism” where the person who stole private writings from GB spewed her vituperative guts out with such psychotic absurdities as:
“You can’t really understand the hatred that is embodied in many of the posts on Genderberg. Many members of that forum simply do not see other women as human at all.“
“I am not sure why the belief that women should be free to live as they wish is so dangerous. I do know that to many in the Genderberg this belief in women’s freedom is utterly inexcusable. They will do anything to destroy it.”
“While many will claim that Genderberg is a “safe space” my belief is that there should be no safe space for those who work to destroy women. There should be no dark corner where ANYONE can get together and plot against or foster hatred of women.”“There is no evil that these haters of women will not stoop to. There is no vile act of malice they cannot justify. They will do anything in their power to destroy or silence anyone they disagree with. In their hate they are trying to destroy her. In their blood lust for a purge they are trying to force Renegade Evolution to reveal who I am. They want to close the hole so they can go back to plotting against women in the dark.”“In my time on Genderberg I read more hatred of women than I ever read or saw in pornography.”
Seeing how loony the anonymous Radfem Terrorism blogger clearly is, I brushed off replying substantively because the raging dementia speaks for itself.
Throughout May and June the moderators at Genderberg worked like demons to try and figure out which of the 100 or so members was the leak. We ask every member a series of questions before approving them and we were going member by member to try and restore some of the lost sense of security that made one prostituted woman feel she had to leave GB. By early July we pooled our research and figured out that the leak was someone who registered as “Miriam” with a bunch of hooey about being anti-pornography and caring about prostituted women. I deleted “Miriam” from the memberlist and sent her the following email on July 5, 2007:
“I feel bad for you because you’ve obviously been seriously fucked up by people in your life, but if you don’t back off slagging on radfems you’re going to force my hand.I can prove you committed fraud when you lied to moderator deedle about your gb membership, and I can prove you were the one who leaked Pony’s words. Because you’re a pathological liar, you’re probably thinking you can lie your way out of this just like you’ve done other times.You can’t.
I didn’t out you before because I have a soft spot for seriously fucked up women like yourself, but I’m not above initiating legal action to show the ex-sex workers in my little community that their privacy and continued peace of mind is something I take very seriously. If you cared about sex workers one tenth as much as you manipulatively tell people you do then you would not have violated a sex worker-heavy community like you did.
Stop telling lies, Miriam. You’re not as good at it as you think you are.”
Now ask yourself why RenEv thinks my email to Miriam threatening to reveal that I know Miriam wrote the Radical Feminist Terrorism blog was somehow a threat to reveal personal information about RenEv.
33 responses so far ↓
thebewilderness // April 23, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Criminy.
The link is faulty.
witchywoo // April 23, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Thanks b. Fixed now
stormy // April 24, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Now ask yourself why RenEv thinks my email to Miriam threatening to reveal that I know Miriam wrote the Radical Feminist Terrorism blog was somehow a threat to reveal personal information about RenEv.
Because as I’ve always said, RenEv is self-outing, and self-tangled in the web of fabrication.
Yeah, we kind of figured out who ‘Miriam’ was, the Miriam who tried to gain membership to Genderberg under false pretenses. And when called on this, she moans of ‘outing’.
The thing of it was, I had no idea if Miriam was her actual name or not, only an identity, when I threw it about on the infamous Witchy-megathread. She fell for it, mainly because it was she who was trying to do something dishonest/misrepresentative. It was she who actually confessed that it was her middle name.
All the ‘outing’ of RenEv has come from RenEv herself.
All she needs is a little nudge, and she takes the bait.
But of course she twisted it to suit her purpose. Gosh, let’s recap. RenEv uses ‘Miriam’ to register at Genderberg and is rejected due to lack of substance/authenticity. Stormy throws out the word ‘Miriam’ to try and shut up a way-out-of-control person and see what sticks. RenEv cries of victimisation and outing, and calls in bestest buds like Kennerson to fight her corner, whilst revealing way MORE personal info that I/we have ever known about her (or really, ever wanted to know about her).
I was more amused than anything else. Oh yeah, and libelled by the gazillion blogs that Kennerson has under different aliases.
Oh, but let me throw in, how honest has RenEv ever been, when a year ago, posting pictures that she insinuated were of herself (take the pole one for example) then compare with her very own video diary stuff? It really does not take a rocket scientist on this.
The only stuff I ever had on RenEv was stuff that would expose her as a fraud and dishonest, but shit, she does a mighty fine job of that herself without any help from me. Anyone with basic observation skills can see the personae that RenEv projects, and can fall like a house of cards at the merest puff of wind.
Well done RenEv, you do a fantastic job of self-exposure as a fraud. Really, don’t expect anyone to take you seriously. Except your groupies.
stormy // April 25, 2008 at 12:01 am
Postscript:
I really don’t think ‘outing’ as a fraud counts as outing. Much as they would like it to be true…
Post-postscript:
You are an even bigger moron kennerson, if at all possible, congrats.
Three words:
Agenda, agenda, agenda.
Sorry Witchy, when I am bored, I like to throw the shit right back at them.
witchywoo // April 25, 2008 at 12:53 am
Hey Stormy, no need to apologise for the succinct tying up of some loose ends in the exposure of the *agenda*.
Some people’s lives seem to be ruled by ’sex, lies and videotape’ in more ways than one.
I am just so sorry that there have been real life casualties in all this - some we know about, most we don’t and never will.
Laurelin // April 25, 2008 at 2:53 am
I’ve really found myself losing my temper this time around, you know, partly for selfish reasons- one of the things that has been said about me was so damned vile… and what makes me most angry is that they would never dare say these things to my face.
They pick on those they consider vulnerable; they are bullies. I hate this cowardice, this total abdication of responsibility.
As you say Witchy, some of these people seem to have no language other than that which you mention, and cannot see sex or life in any other terms than those of domination/ submission.
Welcome to the patriarchy.
witchywoo // April 25, 2008 at 3:43 am
If they knew you, Laurelin… if they knew you they’d no more say the things they do to you than they would to me - or Resisterance, or Stormy, or Annared, or Heart, or Sam, or Charliegrrl, or Arantxa,or RMott, or Debs, or Maggie or any of us - if they knew us.
Because, if they knew us, we would no longer fit their ‘disposable women’ mold - we’d become as real as we are (and a tad scary to boot, I’m sure - after all, contrary to the pornographer’s fantasy, we wouldn’t simply roll over and die).
We’d be people - just like them only perhaps a tad more honest .
We’re dealing with the poverty sticken here, Laurelin, and they want all humanity to dredge the depths of human cruelty for the potential, selfish “buzz”. We’re dealing with those who have absolutely no human aspiration whatsoever - no care for another human being apart from what they can ‘get’ out of them. We’re dealing with the dregs of humanity and, personally, I giggle at everything they have to say about “me” because it’s so wide of the mark, such a caricature, a cartoon, it bears no resemblance to me - the woman I am.
I don’t giggle when it’s not personal though. I hate the way that humanity is framed in terms of sexual domination/submission because most of my waking hours are spent mopping up the results of that ‘oh so fun’ outlook on the lives of very real women and children. (And before some ‘clever’ troll asks “do you work with any prostitutes/’sex-workers’/ex prostitutes/ex ’sex-workers?” Yes, of course I do, you idiot. I work with women.)
That ‘oh so fun’ outlook? That’s bullying. It’s cowardice and and an abdication of responsibility. It’s patriarchy - practiced, defended, politicised, personified.
Maggie Hays // April 25, 2008 at 3:35 pm
These pro-porners are so awfully manipulative in the pursuit of their patriarchal agenda. All they’re trying to do is to shut us up, and this ain’t working!
Thanks for your comments here, Stormy, Witchy and Laurelin. Very interesting!
Especially due to the fact that I wasn’t on the blogosphere during the April 07 “object lesson” mega-thread here, you’re giving me even more insight on what happened.
“You are an even bigger moron kennerson, if at all possible, congrats.”
Ha, ha, well-put, Stormy!
He’s being real seriously pathetic by doing all his silly nasty repeated targeting and stalking of us…
The best thing we can do in the future is to ignore them. They clearly aren’t worth paying attention to, IMO, even though we really had to show all this support for Sam lately (as it was way too awful the way they’d treated her recently)…
stormy // April 25, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Sorry about the outburst Witchy. It’s been about a year, a year whereby I got constantly trashed and lied about what I did and didn’t do.
What I did actually do was bait.
I was told recently that a radfem who commented at RenEv’s, had her blogname on the comment changed to “stormy”. How dishonest is that? What won’t they stoop to, to discredit us? FTR, I have never commented at RenEv’s, and likely never will.
Is it any wonder that Sam stood up for her principles and refused to waste time and money debating such dishonest people? Well done Sam, the right decision.
Arantxa // April 25, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I’m uncomfortable with all this and if I don’t say what is bothering me I know it’ll just be left unsaid and I think - I really do believe - that it’s important it gets said. It seem’s that perhaps I’ve been slagged off; that things have been said about me? I didn’t know and I wouldn’t know. I stick to my blog and to the blogs of women who seem to share my perspective. That’s not say that I haven’t or that I don’t, on occasion, followed links and/or read the blogs of women who promote prostitution and pornography but on the whole I don’t seek it out as it just makes my heart sink.
I firmly believe that there is no point whatsover in engaging with women who’s clear intention it is to argue in favour of systems of prostitution. No point whatsoever. And I still believe this even after having watched women go from being consumers of pornography and defenders of pornography to questioning their beliefs and then to getting involved in anti-porn activism. It wasn’t anything anyone said. If and when a woman finds herself, for whatever reason, doubting or being dissatisfied with her pro-sex-industry beliefs, she will seek out the information that she feels might satisfy those niggling questions that tell her things don’t make sense the way they used to.
I have felt irritated and frustated with the publishing of comments from women who argue that prostitution is ‘choice’ on feminist blogs. But in hindsight, I find it difficult to reconcile the publishing of these comments with what is now being said about ‘Renegade Evolution’. If her comments had, all along, been published as an act of solidarity then I would not have expected to see her words ridiculed, her person ridiculed or her reality forgotten about. If what she says is true and does strip and take part in pornography, I know that she is regularly abused sexually by men and I know that no matter which way she tries to spin it that abuse harms her and that the harm cannot be undone.
You know what? I want nothing whatsoever to do with ‘Renegade Evolution’. She is most unwelcome to comment on my blog and I won’t comment, any longer, on any threads (or indeed on blogs) where she and other women spouting the same anti-feminist lies are hanging out. But still, (and this is something that I have found very hard to come to terms with) she is a woman, like me. And her being fucked-up is because someone fucked her up. And I wouldn’t expect any woman who has been or who currently is sexually abused, degraded, battered - no matter what spin she puts on it - to behave in a nice way towards anyone, especially not towards women who are basically making that abuse feel real and more diffult to deny.
Argh, I’m tired. I don’t think I’m sure where I was going with this. I have experiences two episodes of being outed and/or harrased and/or gang-up upon by so-called ‘radfems’. In front of other so called ‘rad-fems’ - most of whom made no comment and who did not intervene. Basically, I’m not at all convinced that we as as good at recognising bullying full stop as we are at recognising it when it’s happening to us or when it’s done by someone we dislike.
To end, I’m not leaving this comment here because it’s a criticism of you Witchy but because it seems, to me, the least inappropriate place to leave it and because I guess I think you’ll get what I’m saying.
Baby Cats // April 26, 2008 at 5:12 am
Renegade Evolution lives on the very fringe of society, and I don’t think anyone would be surprised if she engages in illegal prostitution. She’s a shady person who lives a shady, sketchy life. That is, whatever life she has that isn’t centered around maintaining her trite little blog. Thus, I am sure that she was the “radical feminist terrorist.” The congratulatory statements made in reference towards her, and given that most of the people commenting on the blog were her friends make it plainly obvious that she was behind it all. The spirit of all, the hatred for those who disagree with her, the in-your-face smugness, reeks of her vile stench. Also, consider that this was probably done by someone who has A LOT of time on their hands, such as a woman whose life outside of the internet consists of getting dolled up and groped for cash. May I repeat to all who read this, Renegade Evolution is a prostitute who lives on the fringe of society, and because of this, you should not believe anything she says.
Liz // April 29, 2008 at 2:00 am
I feel I agree with Arantxa because it just seems pointless to try and change the minds of women who are pro-porn/prostitution. They believe what they believe, even more so if their income and self interest is involved in the sex industry. Being a bit naive I guess, I read Ren Ev’s blog occasionally but then she posts something that makes me despair because I know that so many men and women think the way that she does - that porn isn’t a form of violence against women, etc.
I went to FEM08 on Saturday and sat through a panel on the harms of prostitution. It was so upsetting, so raw and sad, knowing that women out there are suffering, have hit rock bottom. But the uplifting thing is that organisations like CROP and Eaves are there, that something IS being done, that we CAN do something about it, despite the fact that some women don’t make it out.
It really is that whole 10% thing; yes, I am sure there are happy people in the sex industry, but at what expense?
What about the women working as strippers who are sexually harrassed every night? Or about the women and girls being groomed for prostitution by men that they trust or being sold by “boyfriends”?
It makes me incredibly angry because just because you profit from something and are happy with what you do doesn’t mean it doesn’t HARM other women in indirect ways. With Ren Ev and other bloggers who may be pro-pornstitution, it is always about saying ‘yes I know it harms some women, but…’ There is always a but. Which I find unacceptable, really.
And I hate all this blog-warring stuff, I just can’t believe that this is still ongoing, that people are still getting hurt and it all just blows up like this. I don’t really think that it is worth much to create a dialogue with people that aren’t going to change their mind anyway. So yes, I totally agree with Arantxa.
Much love xxx
Valley // May 2, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I normally do not comment on blogs due to my need to process the comments and the subject matter. I discuss it with my friends and go from there. However, Baby Cats comment rankled me something fierce. Especially this part:
May I repeat to all who read this, Renegade Evolution is a prostitute who lives on the fringe of society, and because of this, you should not believe anything she says.
It is almost as if she is saying that really ANY prostitute should not be believed due to living on the fringes of society-or even that anyone living on the fringes of society should not be believed-because by doing so there is something wrong and less worthy.
Prostitutes often face shame and disbelief when reporting abuses johns heap upon them, or just any abuse by any party (cops, judges etc) that I find it hard to believe this comment hasn’t been refuted.
As to the subject matter-Renegade Evolution-believe her or not due to a myraid of reasons but not because she lives on the fringes of society and because she might be a prostitute.
Just my two cents.
L.M. // May 2, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Baby Cats - because a woman is a prostitute, even one who is in illegal prostitution (and in the US, all prostitution is illegal, except in Nevada), or works in the sex industry, does not mean that she should automatically be considered a freak or a liar. We’re talking about someone’s possibly abusive and duplicitous actions here, not about her profession.
L.M. // May 2, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Sorry for the serial post, witchy:
Here’s a post by a woman who is a survivor of prostitution, about how damaging it was for her to be labeled spitefully because of being prostituted.
Pippa // May 2, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Baby Cats: do you REALLY mean to suggest that all prostitutes are liars? That’s not cool. I absolutely support Sam in this. She did exactly the right thing, it all sounds like an ambush to me.
v // May 2, 2008 at 5:22 pm
re baby cats “Renegade Evolution is a prostitute who lives on the fringe of society, and because of this, you should not believe anything she says.” and the ‘vile stench’ thing -
i think renegade evolution shouldnt be trusted because i think she’s shown many times that she is a dishonest person. however i dont think that her status as a prostitute (or not), or where she lives, is relevant at all, and i think its fucked up to suggest that it would. im assuming that baby cats is a troll stirring the pot up because that whole comment just comes off like bait.
sparklematrix // May 2, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I’ve just caught up with Baby Cat’s comment.
“May I repeat to all who read this, Renegade Evolution is a prostitute who lives on the fringe of society, and because of this, you should not believe anything she says.”
So once a woman is/has been involved in prostitution she’s not to be believed? Why don’t we just extend it to “all” women - it is starting to sound familiar.
Yeah it is sounding “baity” V
hexy // May 2, 2008 at 6:21 pm
May I repeat to all who read this, [a woman who] is a prostitute who lives on the fringe of society, and because of this, you should not believe anything she says.
I saw this comment, and the lack of objection, and very deliberately left it twelve hours after my first viewing before responding.
I’m glad to see some of you have objected. It’s reassuring. I’m still disappointed to see that witchy hasn’t pointed out the clear prejudice in that comment and that commenter herself.
Laurelin // May 2, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Woah, just read BabyCat’s post (note to self, don’t skimread, do it properly!)… I agree with v and Sparkle, sounds very baity to me… the ‘prostitutes are liars’ logic is just that used by those who commit violence towards women- because prostitutes are not believed, as many of Witchy’s readers who have been in the sex industry can testify.
Hexy- I see your concern here, but you should be aware that Witchy is on-call for the majority of the day/ night and thus is not always immediately able to respond at length. Not trying to be snarky; just saying.
Kim // May 2, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I, as well, am relieved that many of you also responded negatively to Baby Cats’ comment.
Credit where credit is due.
Thank you.
Maggie Hays // May 2, 2008 at 10:08 pm
I agree with Laurelin on Witchy.
Also:
“May I repeat to all who read this, Renegade Evolution is a prostitute who lives on the fringe of society, and because of this, you should not believe anything she says.”
I also 100% support Sam in what happened but I agree that this comment from Baby Cats was totally out of order and I was also surprised myself when I saw it appear. Baby Cats is probably a troll, as V said.
I agree with Sparkle*Matrix. She clearly made a great point right here:
“So once a woman is/has been involved in prostitution she’s not to be believed? Why don’t we just extend it to “all” women - it is starting to sound familiar.”
Misogyny and “All women (especially prostitute) are liars” myths are so damn rampant in this patriarchal society, unfortunately.
And V: I agree that the dishonesty or cruelty of a person having shown often is completely irrelevant as to whether that person prostitutes or not, and, as you said, it is so fucked up to suggest that this detail should be relevant!
Maggie Hays // May 2, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I should also add: I was disturbed by the ‘vile stench’ comment.
P.S.: I meant to write= Misogyny and “All women (especially prostitutes) are liars” myths are so damn rampant in this patriarchal society, unfortunately.
(pls excuse my typo).
delphyne // May 2, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Maybe it’s a little test from BabyCats - put up some vile misogyny about a prostituted woman on a rad fem blog and hope the rad fems join in, cos we all know rad fems hate women don’t we? It’s true, porn-lovin’ MRAs told us so.
You need to learn a bit more about radical feminism if you think that shit would fly here BabyCats. You also need to check your woman-hatred, particularly your hatred of women in prostitution.
Maggie Hays // May 3, 2008 at 12:20 am
Agreed, Delphyne.
L.M. // May 3, 2008 at 5:56 pm
For the people who are attacking witchy woo for publishing Baby Cats’ comment-
Notice that the offensive portion is cleverly buried at the very bottom of the comment.
I don’t think it’s fair to hold witchy woo responsible for every comment that appears here, a few threads ago she published several comments that ranged from strong disagreements to vicious attacks on her.
Like delphyne, I’m increasingly convinced that the comment was planted to perpetuate the myth that radical feminists hate prostituted women.
Sarah (Ethically Speaking) // May 3, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Personally, I trust Witchy to publish what she sees fit. After all this is her blog, her space and it’s up to her what gets on the page, not us.
Standing beside you and lending strength and support Witchy.
hexy // May 4, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I’m not criticising Witchy for letting the comment through moderation. I’m much more distressed by the fact that she hasn’t published an objection to it.
And yes, I understand she’s busy, but she’s had time over several days to let comments through moderation. Surely there’s been enough time to post a few-sentence comment expressing disagreement with BabyCats’ views.
I hope she does.
stormy // May 4, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Like delphyne, I’m increasingly convinced that the comment was planted to perpetuate the myth that radical feminists hate prostituted women.
Me too. The comment was a little too trite.
Anyone who knows Witchy’s blog also knows that Witchy is busy IRL in the areas of DV and rape counselling. It was an incredibly cheap shot to expect that either Witchy herself responded, or that general comments got through moderation in a timely fashion. Of course, the ‘timetable’ was set by those looking for an opportunity to discredit radfems… (big hint there Kim and Kaka)
stormy // May 4, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Ooops, that should have read:
Kim and Hexy.
v // May 4, 2008 at 11:42 pm
hexy - “Surely there’s been enough time to post a few-sentence comment expressing disagreement with BabyCats’ views.”
to be fair, there is this *entire blog*. oh, and the fact that witchy woo has been and continues to be a supportive friend and ally to people like me.
don’t you have something better to do with your time than demand attention for troll-stuff that anyone could have sussed within nano-seconds? you give the trolls nonsense far too much credibility, if you insist that it warrants any sort of serious attention, that witchy must make special time to ‘express disagreement’ with something so idiotic and misogynist, from some fly-by who hasn’t even posted here before. several regular and irregular commenters spoke up, it’s the community in action folks.
and cut it out with the patronising, for fucks sakes. it demeans you, hexy. no-one here needs congratulating for considering women human - it’s central to radical feminist politics. since when did we need approbation for something so basic? and who made you and kim the feminist blog judges, to dole out these credits for refuting stupid trolls? seriously - get down off your high horses.
witchywoo // May 5, 2008 at 12:57 am
it’s the community in action folks.
Yup, it’s been done. Well done
And, tbh, I’m a tad pissed with all the “Witchy, say something!” orders I’ve had. Like I’ll somehow get creds? When these people who demand my *personal* input (as opposed to that of my community) prefer to completely debase my personal input when it doesn’t suit their own agenda? Yeah…right.
I think the radical feminist position regarding prostitutes/women who perform in porn has been made clear here.
Radical feminists do not think of prostitutes/women who perform in porn as “filthy” in any way. Whatever BabyCat thinks about RE, that is NOT how radical feminists think about women in sex-work.
For the love of the Godess, I wish all you dissenters could trust my community as much as I do.
witchywoo // May 5, 2008 at 2:05 am
Ok Hexy, just for you (as you’re the one who seems to need it most). Women in sex work are still women. They’re not “filthy” - no radical feminist has described such women thus - as Belledamme would have us believe (see Kim’s blog for Belledame’s projection).
The “filth” is put upon them by the john’s who use them - whether in pornography or prostitution (they’re one and the same - from now on called pornstitution).
And you, Hexy, “hope [I] disagree with the view expressed by BabyCats”? Sounding as it does like more of Belledamme’s radfem baiting? But you run with her?
The radfem community is solid - as illustrated here.
Comments on this one are now closed - we proved our point.
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