Magdalen Berns: diferenças entre revisões

'''Magdalen Berns''' (6 May 1983 – 13 September 2019)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.feministcurrent.com/2019/09/13/whats-current-lesbian-feminist-shero-magdalen-berns-passes-away-at-36/ |title=What's Current: Lesbian feminist shero Magdalen Berns passes away at 36 |publisher=Feministcurrent.com |date=September 13, 2019 }}</ref> was a British software developer and YouTuber.  Berns, a [[lesbian]] and [[Radical feminism|radical feminist]], came to prominence as a result of a series of YouTube vlogs focusing on lesbian politics, free speech, women's sex-based rights and the [[gender identity]] debate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvTTakI97sQ4SkMnsH8r0qQ |title=Magdalen Berns |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Education ===

Berns attended the University of Edinburgh, where she was a recipient of a Doris Gray Scholarship Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wes.org.uk/content/current-recipients-doris-gray-scholarships |title=Current recipients of the Doris Gray Scholarships |publisher=[[Women's Engineering Society]] |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref>

=== Work and career ===

In 2013–2014, she participated in the ''Google Summer of Code'' programme,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/SciRuby/sciruby/wiki/Google-Summer-of-Code-2018-Application |title=Google Summer of Code 2018 Application |publisher=Github |date=January 2018 |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> working on implementing the ''FFTW3'' software library for the Ruby programming language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sciruby.com/blog/2014/06/04/introducing-the-fftw-sciruby-gsoc-project/ |title=Introducing the FFTW SciRuby GSoC Project |publisher=SciRuby.com |date=June 4, 2014 |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> She went on to join the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNOME_Foundation GNOME Foundation] as a software developer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dgsiegel.net/talks/gnome-outreach-yearbook-2013.pdf |title=GNOME Outreach Program Yearbook 2013 |publisher=GNOME Foundation |date=August 2013 |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> She developed the Java ATK Wrapper, a module to translate Swing (Java) events for the Accessibility Toolkit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gnome.org/news/2015/08/pictures-from-guadec-2015/attachment/magdalen-berns-present-her-work-with-improving-the-java-atk-wrapper/ |title=Magdalen Berns present her work with improving the Java-ATK-Wrapper |publisher=GNOME Foundation |date=August 2015 |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref>

=== Radical feminism ===

Berns' statement that "there's no such thing as a lesbian with a penis" made her well-known, as well as her opposition to the "cotton ceiling”, a term coined by Canadian [[transwoman]] and activist Drew DeVeaux, which refers to the perceived injustice of lesbians not wanting to have sex with transwomen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afterellen.com/general-news/571815-celebrating-magdalen-berns-a-lesbian-feminist-warrior |title=Celebrating Magdalen Berns, a Lesbian Feminist Warrior |publisher=Afterellen.com |date=May 29, 2018 |access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@mirandayardley/girl-dick-the-cotton-ceiling-and-the-cultural-war-on-lesbians-and-women-c323b4789368 |title=The Cotton Ceiling and the Cultural War on Lesbians and Women |publisher=medium.com |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref>

Berns was slurred by [[Transgender ideology|trans activists]] as a [[TERF|trans-exclusionary radical feminist]], and has stated that it was this accusation that first led her to research radical feminism. She was also known for her arguments against the concepts of gender self-identification and [[gender]] itself. Speaking on the subject of gender and sexuality, Berns stated: "You don’t get ‘assigned’ reproductive organs.....males are defined by their biological sex organs. Likewise, [[Homosexuality|homosexuals]] are people who are attracted to the same [[Sex|biological sex]].”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://feministlegal.org/scotlands-magdalen-berns-feminism-a-shero-among-women/#.XX5zTShKjIU |title=Scotland’s Magdalen Berns & Feminism — A ‘Shero’ Among Women |publisher=feministlegal.org |date=September 7, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> In June 2019, British author J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter fame) followed Magdalen Berns on Twitter, bringing her more visibility and prompting criticism towards Rowling from trans activists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indy100.com/article/jk-rowling-twitter-transphobe-magdalen-berns-terf-lgbt-8974041 |title=JK Rowling criticised for following 'transphobe' Magdalen Berns on Twitter |publisher=indy100 |date=June 25, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/news/j-k-rowling-transphobic-behavior/ |title=J.K. Rowling Faces Backlash For Allegedly Displaying Transphobic Behaviour |publisher=altpress.com |date=June 28, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> Berns was labelled a [[transphobia|transphobe]] and a self-professed transphobe.<ref>{{cite web |author=Narjas Zatat |date=June 25, 2019 |title= JK Rowling criticised for following a 'famous transphobe' on Twitter |url= https://www.indy100.com/article/jk-rowling-twitter-transphobe-magdalen-berns-terf-lgbt-8974041 |website= Indy100 (from The Independent) |access-date= 15 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Emma Maurice |date=June 25, 2019 |title= JK Rowling under fire for following a ‘proud transphobe’ on Twitter |url= https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/06/25/jk-rowling-under-fire-following-transphobe-twitter/ |website= Pink News |access-date= 15 September 2019}}</ref> In August 2019, Dr. [[Rachel McKinnon]] of the College of Charleston attracted criticism after describing the celebration of Berns' impending death as "ethically justified" in light of Berns' positions on gender.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/news/the-tweet-heard-round-the-world-charleston-professor-sparks-global/article_4a462cda-c9c7-11e9-8134-d32dc721835d.html |title=The tweet heard 'round the world: Charleston professor sparks global Twitter debate |publisher=Evening Post Industries |website=The Post and Courier |date=August 29, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-15 |author=Jenna Schiferl}}</ref>

=== Health and death ===

Berns was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (aggressive brain cancer) in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-brCJkXxzaM|title=My ladybrain update #2}}</ref> Notably, Irish comedy writer [[Graham Linehan]] voiced vocal support for Berns on Twitter and other platforms,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Linehan|first1=Graham|title=Magdalen Berns 1983–2019|url=https://glinner.co.uk/stunning-and-brave-magdalen-berns-1983-2019/|website=Glinner|date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> and visited her in palliative care. She was also visited by fellow radical feminist activists [[Julie_Bindel|Julie Bindel]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/bindelj/status/1171341052109873152 |author=@bindelj ([[Julie Bindel]]) |date=September 10, 2019|title=I am visiting our Queen, Magdalen Berns tomorrow. I would be delighted to pass on any messages of love and appreciation to her if you would like to send me in a (short) DM? Thank you x |website=Twitter }}</ref> and [[Rachel Moran]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/RachelRMoran/status/1172459990570938368 |author=@RachelRMoran ([[Rachel Moran]]) |date=September 13, 2019|title=I just feel so lucky to have been able to spend time with Magdalen the two weekends before she died. If people could see the carry-on in that hospice room there would be peals of laughter. She was absolutely her feisty determined self to the very end. Rest well little Sister, xxx |website=Twitter }}</ref>

She died on 13 September 2019, aged 36 in Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.feministcurrent.com/2019/09/13/whats-current-lesbian-feminist-shero-magdalen-berns-passes-away-at-36/ |title=What's Current: Lesbian feminist shero Magdalen Berns passes away at 36 |publisher=Feministcurrent.com |date=September 13, 2019 }}</ref>

== References ==

== External links ==

* [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvTTakI97sQ4SkMnsH8r0qQ Official YouTube Page]