The Feminist Library Has Fallen

[WootMoggie]

...apparently you are not welcome if you believe that trans people present even a mere ‘complication’ to women’s rights.

Oh - and you’re not allowed to discuss this either.

feministlibrary.co.uk/statement-on-transphobia-and-accountability/

[sleepyhead]

"We believe we can record and preserve the discourse around oppression and the struggle for rights without including literature that is published with the intent to cause harm. We are developing a Collection Development Policy that includes a commitment to critically reflecting on our methods and the systems we use and will make this publicly available."

Who will decide what was published with the intent to cause harm? Hmm.

[stumbledin]

They fell years ago. Some of us tried to complain about the fact that these trans cuckoos now have control over the personal papers of women who donated them to the Library on the agreed policy of them only being made available to other women.

But it also goes to show that if you become trans inclusive you get the money to get new premises.

The Library was kept going by a few volunteers for years and years in really grotty conditions with little money. And even having big name women writers as supporters didnt help.

But become trans inclusive / twaw and suddenly the local council finds you new premises.

But this is what happened to the Women's Library in Glasgow where the papers from what had been the Lesbian Archive were sent as it was thought to be (in the long term) a safe women's space. Well that lasted about a year.

And it is not just the fact that it means women who have donated papers not being respected, but if you look at the drivel that both libraries put on. If this is what younger women think is feminism, with or without trans inclusion, the future for feminism and women looks like a lost cause.

[OhGodWhatTheHellNow]

This is precious - "...We understand gender and sex as constructed categories with meanings that have changed over time and are dependent on time periods, geographical location, culture, amongst a range of other factors..."

OK. Sod'em. Can't fix stupid. Lets hope their new friends are happy to pay all the bills.

You would have thought reading all those books would have given them some insight into which type of people actually gets denied all the rights, and how strangely consistent and easy to identify that group is over all of the times, locations and cultures, and how completely co-incidentally it corresponds with the type of people that have babies...

[SunsetBeetch]

However, while the Library has historically sought to encompass a wide variety of different perspectives, priorities, politics and stances, a by-product of this has been that we as a collective have failed to present a united and unequivocal stance on certain issues where it has been most needed.

Sounds like they've been leant on.

[Ftumch]

It would be interesting to see how many 'likes' their page has lost on FB since their post, does anyone know what the count was before?

[Nomnomarrgh]

Is this different from the Women’s Library at LSE? Fantastic resource.

Also, do you have to declare your political beliefs before accessing the library?

[WootMoggie]

I’m wondering how they reconcile the statement that they are “always open to comments and feedback”, with the footnote to their Twitter post about the statement.

It must be “interesting” having to perform these kinds of mental gymnastics.

[WootMoggie]

do you have to declare your political beliefs before accessing the library?

Something about your phrasing of that sentence span me out of a second or two - a moment of temporary dizziness.

Anyone else ever get that dizzy feeling that your brain is prodding you shouting “It’s only a dream WAKE UP WAKE UP!”

I’ve been getting it a lot lately. I feel like the gas is being turned up to full on this issue recently.

[ZippedyDooDa]

How utterly depressing.
Thanks for the background @stumbledin it's just terrrible. "the future for feminism and women looks like a lost cause" - I agree and it is so utterly depressing when I think of all our daughters' futures

[stumbledin]

I think in fact the Feminist Library (that was always more grass roots than the Women's Library) is in fact now more "popular" as it isnt just boring old women droning on about liberation, it is all queer politics, and zines, and ...

They weren't leaned on. There was a very nasty period of time when queer activists infiltrated the organising collective, and after sucessfully hounding out women who had put hours of their life into it, just turned into something about them.

That's why I used the word cuckoo.

Apart from anything else, the personal loss and destruction of hours of work by women by these trans activists who rarely set up their own groups, but have become adept at entryism. ie feigning genuine interest is a women's group with the sole intention of corrupting its politics and ousting any women who oppose them.

Who cares if they want to put on vapid events for air heads? But what they should do is give back all the feminist collections that are not theirs by rights.

But seriously. Sorry to say this. But this all happened about 5 or 6 years ago.

[stumbledin]

Previous threads about the Feminist Library www.mumsnet.com/SearchArch?mustmatch=Feminist+Library&dontmatch=&nickname=&src_displ_option=s_t_d_t&fromDate=&toDate=&topicmode=chs&chosentops=5365

[Beamur]

Once again inclusivity stops at the point of disagreement.

[CaraDuneRedux]

[ArabellaScott]

'We aim to be inclusive of all feminisms, and particularly welcome those who have historically been marginalised within society as a whole, and within the feminist movement. Our organisation is anti-sectarian, meaning we believe in coalition-building among people with different backgrounds and experiences. Respectful debate, discussion and learning are encouraged, provided all users abide by our community policy. '

[Defaultname]

@OhGodWhatTheHellNow

This is precious - "...We understand gender and sex as constructed categories with meanings that have changed over time and are dependent on time periods, geographical location, culture, amongst a range of other factors..."

OK. Sod'em. Can't fix stupid. Lets hope their new friends are happy to pay all the bills.

You would have thought reading all those books would have given them some insight into which type of people actually gets denied all the rights, and how strangely consistent and easy to identify that group is over all of the times, locations and cultures, and how completely co-incidentally it corresponds with the type of people that have babies...

Nope.

Following a long tradition of writings and activism from black feminism, trans feminists and working-class women – we believe that there is not a singular, universal origin point for all women’s oppression across the globe nor should we attempt to find."

"

[ArabellaScott]

Do they have a list of 'trans exclusionary' groups?

[PersonaNonGarter]

The length of the message tho. I mean.

And CIS.

[MichelleofzeResistance]

It's like a vegan group being bought out and taken over by a steak eating society. Who then tell you all about their long tradition of proud veganism, animal welfare, ecological benefits, while focusing entirely on the sale of, preparation of and eating of steak. However it's written in the guidelines that to even mention that steak may be problematic for vegans is hateful and no one believing that may be a vegan.

Pretty much all feminist organisations have been targeted and subjected to a take over while eliminating any female people who set it up, invested in it and would want to focus on female type issues. Thereby permitting male people to direct feminism themselves without any bloody females messing it up, getting in the way and interfering with the making use of the organisation name and history to further male centric political objectives.



Any organisation named feminist, women's or lesbians should be assumed to be not female focused, and quite possibly with stern female excluding guidance for having female related issues.

[SweetGrapes]

WootMoggie It's the dizziness accompanied by thinking "which side is UP?"

[Daca]

We understand gender and sex as constructed ...
We aim to be inclusive of all feminisms ...
We believe we can record and preserve the discourse around oppression and the struggle for rights without including literature that is published with the intent to cause harm ...

The word 'we' is doing an awful lot of work here because means 'either shut up or leave'. I'm familiar with this tactic by now.

But seriously, if they are getting rid of some classics, can I have Janice Raymond & Mary Daly, please?

[BlackForestCake]

If your veganism doesn’t include steak, it's not veganism. Be kind.

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

We are inclusive of all feminisms.

Except actual feminism centred on actual biological women.

[CaraDuneRedux]

Michelle: Pretty much all feminist organisations have been targeted and subjected to a take over while eliminating any female people who set it up, invested in it and would want to focus on female type issues. Thereby permitting male people to direct feminism themselves without any bloody females messing it up, getting in the way and interfering with the making use of the organisation name and history to further male centric political objectives.

www.theonion.com/man-finally-put-in-charge-of-struggling-feminist-moveme-1819569515

Poe's law strikes again.

[xxyzz]

@MichelleofzeResistance - I like the vegan steak-eaters simile. Very apt.

[DaisiesandButtercups]

OhGodWhatTheHellNow

I am guessing they don’t read the contents of the libraries, the point is only to own them and have them in the power of adherents to the new ideology.