Transcript: Germaine Greer on the #MeToo movement (Al Jazeera, Head to Head with Mehdi Hasan, Oxford Union)

Germaine Greer · c. 2017–2019

Germaine Greer did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Denouncing the abuse of women is not enough

Their wordsIt’s not enough to denounce the abuse of women.
Our reading
Non-consensual sex is rape even without violence

Their wordsNow, most of the people in this country do not believe that non-consensual sex is rape. They think it has to be violent: wrong, it doesn’t.
Our reading
Heterosexual sex must be rescued from pornography, prostitution and commercialisation

Their wordsSomehow, we have got to rescue the institution of hetero-sex from the mess it is in and that is partly brought about by pornography, prostitution, commercialisation and the cheapening of everything about a woman’s body.
Our reading
Stranger rape is rare; most women know their attacker

Their wordsStranger rape is very rare. Most women who are, who complain of sexual assault, know who their attacker was and is a friend of theirs and is a part of their circle.
Our reading
Ever harsher rape sentences make juries less willing to convict

Their wordsOne of the reasons for that is the extremity of the sentences. We’ve had them raised and raised and raised in the misbelief that women, more women, will complain and more juries will convict. The effect is the opposite.
Our reading
Women should name and ostracise those who behave badly

Their wordsI agree that women should come out and take names and talk loud and draw a crowd and ostracise the person who is behaving badly.

Keep reading

The other pieces are the ones whose claims are worded most like this one's. That measures language, not agreement: they may argue the opposite.