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Swedish army lion gets the snip (8 years ago)
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:23 amby Socialist Tera
Swedish military lion gets the snip after women troops protest (
Image)
The proud lion of Sweden's Nordic Battlegroup's coat of arms has been emasculated because a group of female soldiers lodged a complaint with the European Court of Justice.
Christian Braunstein, from the Tradition Commission of the Swedish Army, said: "We were forced to cut the lion's willy off with the aid of a computer."
Although the army was happy to make the changes in the interests of gender equality, the artist who designed the insignia was less than pleased.
"A heraldic lion is a powerful and stately figure with its genitalia intact and I cannot approve an edited image.
"The army lacks knowledge about heraldry. Once upon a time coats of arms containing lions without genitalia were given to those who betrayed the Crown." Vladimir Sagerlund told the Göteborgs-Posten.
Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... otest.htmlhttp://www.thelocal.se/20080221/10064Do you think it is a good idea? I think it is great idea because it shows that the military is gender neutral and moving away from the stereotypical, men fight, women stay at home gender roles. It is time that we gradually get rid of gender roles, current gender roles are not working at all.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:30 amby Teemant
F*ck is this?
Sweden has seriously gone mad.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:33 amby Soselo
A lion, the bloody king of the jungle introduced to me as a eunuch.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:33 amby Ashmoria
that's funny
but of course it doesn't make it gender neutral because the prominent secondary sex characteristics of male lions shows that it is an emasculated male lion.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:34 amby Soselo
Ashmoria wrote:that's funny
but of course it doesn't make it gender neutral because the prominent secondary sex characteristics of male lions shows that it is an emasculated male lion.
How diabolically fitting.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:34 amby Knask
Your sources contradict your headline.
After an initial flurry of media reports in December last year, the Commander of the Nordic Battlegroup, Karl Engelbrektsson, revealed that it was he who he had ordered the alteration. This ran contrary to initial reports suggesting that the emasculation occurred following pressure from female soldiers.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:34 amby Ethel mermania
Ashmoria wrote:that's funny
but of course it doesn't make it gender neutral because the prominent secondary sex characteristics of male lions shows that it is an emasculated male lion.
Shave the mane
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:36 amby Herskerstad
Let's replace it with something more applicable. An ostrich with it's head in the ground or would that offend some other group?
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:38 amby Allmann
Same reasoning and headlines has been done with regard to the Coat of Arms of Gothenburg also featuring a lion. As far as I know all the lions in the Coat of Arms of Gothenburg wether it is on a trashcan or on a flag still have the penis.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:39 amby Imperializt Russia
Removing the genitalia won't make it "gender neutral", since a heraldic lion has a mane.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but lionesses don't have manes.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:40 amby Ashmoria
Imperializt Russia wrote:Removing the genitalia won't make it "gender neutral", since a heraldic lion has a mane.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but lionesses don't have manes.
I think there may be one variety of lion where lionesses have manes but they don't appear in Swedish heraldry.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:42 amby Exxosia
Other heraldic lions used in Sweden have a sheathed penis, so I think they could have followed traditional cues AND met the demands by downgrading from erect with ample testicles to subtly sheathed.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:44 amby Alto Mantovano
Herskerstad wrote:Let's replace it with something more applicable. An ostrich with it's head in the ground or would that offend some other group?
Duh! It's a metaphor for rape! The ostrich sticking the HEAD INSIDE the ground!
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:46 amby Romalae
Herskerstad wrote:Let's replace it with something more applicable. An ostrich with it's head in the ground or would that offend some other group?
I'm an ostrich and I find this offensive.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:47 amby Imperializt Russia
Romalae wrote:Herskerstad wrote:Let's replace it with something more applicable. An ostrich with it's head in the ground or would that offend some other group?
I'm an ostrich and I find this offensive.
How?
You've your head in the sand.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:51 amby Avaerilon
Good to know they're sorting out real issues of importance in Sweden; they've got they're priorities right... that's for sure
Really, someone thought this was necessary? The lion is a traditional symbol of honour, martial skill, defence, and plenty of other things that suit an army. It's not denigrating anyone who isn't male just because it happens itself to be a male animal. Plus, as other people have pointed-out, genitalia or not, it's still obviously male due to the mane. If you're going to be offended by a heraldic animal because of its sex (which somehow denigrates people of the opposite sex), you're probably going to be offended by anything.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:54 amby The Huskar Social Union
Avaerilon wrote:Good to know they're sorting out real issues of importance in Sweden; they've got they're priorities right... that's for sure
Really, someone thought this was necessary? The lion is a traditional symbol of honour, martial skill, defence, and plenty of other things that suit an army. It's not denigrating anyone who isn't male just because it happens itself to be a male animal. Plus, as other people have pointed-out, genitalia or not, it's still obviously male due to the mane. If you're going to be offended by a heraldic animal because of its sex (which somehow denigrates people of the opposite sex), you're probably going to be offended by anything.
It was the commander of the Nordic battle group who ordered it changed, not because of protests by female soldiers.
He felt it was inappropriate.
But even then its still pretty obvious its a male lion, so i dont get the backlash for it, well i get it a bit, it has been around for ages and apparently lions without genitalia where meant to be presented to traitors but even then.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:55 amby Alto Mantovano
The Huskar Social Union wrote:Avaerilon wrote:Good to know they're sorting out real issues of importance in Sweden; they've got they're priorities right... that's for sure
Really, someone thought this was necessary? The lion is a traditional symbol of honour, martial skill, defence, and plenty of other things that suit an army. It's not denigrating anyone who isn't male just because it happens itself to be a male animal. Plus, as other people have pointed-out, genitalia or not, it's still obviously male due to the mane. If you're going to be offended by a heraldic animal because of its sex (which somehow denigrates people of the opposite sex), you're probably going to be offended by anything.
It was the commander of the Nordic battle group who ordered it changed, not because of protests by female soldiers.
He felt it was inappropriate.
The swedes are quite bent.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:56 amby Herskerstad
Imperializt Russia wrote:Romalae wrote:I'm an ostrich and I find this offensive.
How?
You've your head in the sand.
Sand? Like middle eastern sand? Now you're just being islamophobic.
Lunar ground.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:59 amby Scepez
Oh...what a delight.
Honestly, this is starting to look like censorship.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:03 amby The Holy Therns
Yes, how dare they censor the lion's inspiring penis? The rest of the sword-wielding lion is mere background, clearly the penis is the star of the picture and the lion just won't work as a military symbol if its proud appendage is not there. Where has Sweden come to when pictures of lion penises are not treated with the respect they deserve as rigid pillars of martial might, thrusting valiantly into the heat of battle?
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:06 amby Ifreann
Socialist Tera wrote:Swedish military lion gets the snip after women troops protest (
Image)
The proud lion of Sweden's Nordic Battlegroup's coat of arms has been emasculated because a group of female soldiers lodged a complaint with the European Court of Justice.
Christian Braunstein, from the Tradition Commission of the Swedish Army, said: "We were forced to cut the lion's willy off with the aid of a computer."
Although the army was happy to make the changes in the interests of gender equality, the artist who designed the insignia was less than pleased.
"A heraldic lion is a powerful and stately figure with its genitalia intact and I cannot approve an edited image.
"The army lacks knowledge about heraldry. Once upon a time coats of arms containing lions without genitalia were given to those who betrayed the Crown." Vladimir Sagerlund told the Göteborgs-Posten.
Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... otest.htmlhttp://www.thelocal.se/20080221/10064Do you think it is a good idea? I think it is great idea because it shows that the military is gender neutral and moving away from the stereotypical, men fight, women stay at home gender roles. It is time that we gradually get rid of gender roles, current gender roles are not working at all.
The Local seems to think this decision originates with one Karl Engelbrektsson* and was not the result of pressure from female soldiers. So there's that. But I can dig it.
Soselo wrote:A lion, the bloody king of the jungle introduced to me as a eunuch.
Not having a visible penis makes it a eunuch? Cos I'm no expert on feline sex bits, but I was under the impression that they keep their penises on the inside when not in use.
*#GetEngelbrektsson
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:07 amby Solaray
It still has a mane, so not only was this pointless to begin with, but it also failed.
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:09 amby Avaerilon
The Huskar Social Union wrote:It was the commander of the Nordic battle group who ordered it changed, not because of protests by female soldiers.
He felt it was inappropriate.
...yes, I never said it was female soldiers who got it changed I stated someone felt it denigrated female service personnel because the lion was obviously male. If you read what I wrote again, you'll see I never jumped to that conclusion (having already read it was a [male] commander who ordered the change). I know other people have made that mistake, but I never did
Posted:
Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:11 amby Dread Lady Nathicana
It's a penis. And not a particularly graphic one either. A good portion of the population has them, both humans and animals. Removing it ... ye gods, are we back to the Great Emasculation levels of pants-on-head-stupid here? Oh lawdy lawd, someone might be offended that nature hath provided outies as well as innnies for reproductive organs. I think I may just get the vapors simply thinking about it. Three scarves waved in shock out of five.
Someone needs to check Sweden's water supply. The silly has been getting increasingly strong there.
