Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood faces backlash over #MeToo think piece

Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood has sparked a feminist backlash after writing an opinion piece about the #MeToo movement.

The writer asked in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper whether she was a “bad feminist” for demanding due process for those accused of sexual harassment.

The reaction has been similar to that faced by actress Catherine Deneuve, who was forced to apologise for signing a letter saying men should be “free to hit on women”.

Atwood has been widely admired for writing about the condition of women and the latest TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale won eight Emmys for its portrayal of women oppressed into sexual slavery in a totalitarian society.

Her article was in reaction to criticism she has received for signing a letter in 2016 attacking a university which she says failed to protect one its male lecturers.

In her op-ed piece, she wrote: “It seems, I am conducting a War on Women, like the misogynistic, rape-enabling Bad Feminist that I am.

“My fundamental position is that women are human beings, with the full range of saintly and demonic behaviours this entails, including criminal ones. They’re not angels, incapable of wrongdoing. If they were, we wouldn’t need a legal system.

“Furthermore, I believe that in order to have civil and human rights for women there have to be civil and human rights, period, including the right to fundamental justice, just as for women to have the vote, there has to be a vote.

“Do Good Feminists believe that only women should have such rights? Surely not.”

She said the University of British Columbia failed in its treatment of its former chair of creative writing, Steven Galloway.

After he was accused of sexual assault, she added, the institution “went public… before there was an inquiry”, resulting in the public being left with the impression “this man was a violent serial rapist”.

Despite this, she said, an inquiry by a judge later found “there had been no sexual assault, according to a statement released by Mr Galloway through his lawyer”.

Some twitter users reacted with anger at her comments, attacking her for failing to understand the consequences of what she said.

Elaine Corden wrote: “Margaret Atwood has been told-repeatedly, in person, with compassion and without rancour-the painful & chilling effect of her involvement with UBC Accountable. She has been told of specific instances of pain, and given additional details wrt the case. She knows. She doesn’t care.”

Dr Lucia Lorenzi tweeted: “Atwood hasn’t a CLUE about what dealing with assault at UBC is really like, or dealing with administration and institutional silencing even while trying to create change. Ask me how I know.”

Laura Krabappel said on Twitter: “I’m not reading Margaret Atwood’s piece. The answer is yes. When you prioritize your powerful male friend over women’s pain, and then double-down when you’re called out, you’re a bad feminist.”

But she also had her supporters.

Jenn Verma said: “Not one bit of my being believes @MargaretAtwood is a bad #feminist – excellent piece in @globeandmail Atwood writes, ‘in order to have civil and human rights for women there have to be civil and human rights, period.’ #speaktruth”

Sithlord Sabrina tweeted: “Excellent article by Margaret Atwood. I’m happy to be a ‘bad feminist’ too, who believes in complexity & agency of women. Be wary of ‘good feminists’ who say things like ‘believe all women’ – they are fundamentally denying women full range of autonomy.”

(c) Sky News 2018: Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood faces backlash over #MeToo think piece