I had an amazing time. Partly we talked about feminist issues & how we began to become aware of inequality being a problem, etc, partly we talked about upcoming protests & talks, etc, but mostly we had a really great time & I met some potential genuine friends with whom I've spent the night having a laugh & reasonably intelligent conversation.
I'm telling you because I'm a bit tipsy 
but because you should all try & find a group, because it's amazing how liberating it is to be able to speak your mind without having to defend it. It was this section on MN that gave me the nudge to find my local group & I'm so pleased that I did :)
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
Feminism: Sex & gender discussions
Tonight I went to a social with my local feminist group.
21 replies
RespectTheDoughnut · 29/01/2011 23:59
OP posts:
Earthymama ·
30/01/2011 00:19
I would love to go to ours but I'm scared that they will all be younger than me (it's not hard 
) and will find my presence uncomfortable.
It's heartening to know you had such a good time, May you go and the group go from strength to strength.
RespectTheDoughnut ·
30/01/2011 00:39
Earthy, there was a massive range of women at the group tonight - different ages, races, classes... Honestly, there wasn't any 'type' of woman at all. It was just women as a whole.
Tapselteerie, that's a shame :( Have you looked on Facebook & Yahoo Groups, or whatever? I found mine on FB, but people were talking about how the current group is a splinter from an original one which was set up through Yahoo, which I'd never have thought to look at. Starting a group wouldn't be too hard, I wouldn't have thought. Obviously there's an element of organisation involved, but I was surprised at how many people turned up today. & apparently there are 250+ on the mailing list. There are interested feminists out there :) I feel quite optimistic tonight!
Going to bed now - I'm tired out from all the talking & laughing
OP posts:
sethstarkaddersmackerel ·
30/01/2011 09:20
' potential genuine friends with whom I've spent the night'
good grief, they've sucked you into their lesbian commune already?
the UK feminista document on starting a group is quite off-putting. You don't need to be quite as formal as they suggest if you (to start with) just a social/discussion group; it's only when you start really actively campaigning and doing things that involve money that you need to be properly constituted. (Or so we concluded at our group the other week in discussion with someone from a nearby group who is 6 months further down the road than ours.)
AliceWorld ·
30/01/2011 10:11
Good to hear respect
Concur that you don't have to be a certain age. My group has students, mothers and women from 'back in the day'.
Setting up a group is easy. Book a room, tell people when and where. You don't need constitutions etc. Imo they are some patriarchal throwback anyway . Groups in my area use consensus decision making. The local student one defies the union's attempts for them to have structured officers. I was going to post something about consensus decision making but all the links I find make it seem way too complicated. Basically you discuss till you all agree, or people stand aside (as in they're not bothered). You use hand signals so everyone can indicate their view without having to have everyone speak. It avoids the saying 'what does everyone think' and no-one want to say. Instead you just all use hand signals at the appropriate time.
AliceWorld ·
30/01/2011 12:04
Yes you could include some choice ones that really wouldn't be in the spirit of consensus
Jazz hands is I agree. We do lots of jazz hands.
JaneS ·
30/01/2011 12:35
Aww, that's lovely.
I am slightly terrified of feminist groups, that's why I prefer to come on here. I can't help feeling they'd judge me to shreds for not having read anything much and wearing heels. 
Please tell me if there are heel-wearing feminists who go to groups? Or can one wear one's heels in such a way as to send secret feminist foot-signals? Perhaps a special man-stomping tread?
AliceWorld ·
30/01/2011 14:13
LRD at my group you'd be asked to remove your heels, which we would then ceremoniously dismember, and if you were wearing any make up would be taken to the toilets to have it scrubbed off with soap and scourer.
You can wear heels, straightened hair, make up, wedding rings, pink, glitter, short skirts. Or none of those. I have never heard anyone mention what someone else is wearing, nor judge for it. People at mine wear all sorts.
JaneS ·
30/01/2011 14:18
Alice, that reminds me of the mythical entrance policies at lesbian club nights (I'm too young to remember if they were ever more than mythical, but they spirit was still alive back when I went clubbing!). 'If you were lipstick, you are clearly an impostor peddling the filthy wares of heterosexuality!'
On a serious note, I'm just aware that I'm not able to reconcile my feminism and my choice of clothes, and I quite enjoy this internet feminist group for that reason.
Btw, what experiences have people had of what you do in feminist groups? I used to see very heavy-duty reading lists one when I lived in Cambridge, but does anyone go to a group where it's less theoretical, or are they basically for talking about theory?
(Sorry, I'm very ignorant. )
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.