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Original poster

Radfem 2013 and the MRAs

860 replies

MooncupGoddess · 22/04/2013 17:05

As many of you will remember, the Radfem 2012 conference in London was explicitly open only to born women and consequently attracted lots of condemnation and anger from people who saw this as transphobic. It was kicked out of its original venue at Conway Hall and went underground (very successfully in the end).

This year Radfem 2013 has not explicitly banned transwomen... but instead it's come under attack from Men's Rights Activists, who have staged a demo at the planned venue, the London Irish Centre, while making lots of unpleasant and ridiculous claims about how radical feminists want to murder small boys and the like. As a result the venue is threatening to cancel the booking.

www.mralondon.org/

bugbrennan.com/2013/04/20/statement-from-rad-fem-2013/

I have mixed feelings about the whole trans issue but have no hesitation in declaring the MRAs utter misogynist knobbers and am disappointed the London Irish Centre has seemingly caved into them.

OP posts:
BasilBabyEater · 22/04/2013 18:48

No of course it won't be cancelled.

Dysfunctional violent misogynist men are not going to stop women meeting, talking and dancing.

They can fuck off.

BasilBabyEater · 22/04/2013 18:48

It always amuses me when nutters accuse rad fems of wanting to kill boy babies.

Do they not think we could do that if we wanted to?

We produce some of them, FGS.

Idiots.

TunipTheVegedude · 22/04/2013 18:42

It won't be cancelled. If the London Irish Centre decide they can't be bothered with all the harassment the MRAs are giving them (whether or not they believe the loony stuff they are being told about how the radfems want to kill all the boy babies) it will move to a different venue and we will have the conference in peace and quiet like Radfem2012 did last year.

lemonmuffin · 22/04/2013 18:38

Has radfem 2013 been cancelled then at the london irish centre? It's not clear from the links.

GoblinGranny · 22/04/2013 17:40

I agree that it is wrong to selectively quote from unverifiable sources, but they can be used to stir up fear and resentment amongst a group that feel they are being targeted.
Does the venue have to give a decent reason for cancelling, or can they just say no. Presumably there are insurance issues if they cancel this late.

JuliaScurr · 22/04/2013 17:38

Had fun at that cancelled Radfem 2012 :)
2013 will be even funner

Original poster
MooncupGoddess · 22/04/2013 17:36

The Radical Hub website has closed now, and I never really used it, so I don't know how accurate the quotes are. In any case, though, using a few quotes from internet nutters to discredit an entire movement is wrong on every level. (And if one's going to play that game, it really wouldn't be hard to discredit MRAs based on the many vile quotes from them I've seen on the web and elsewhere.)

OP posts:
TunipTheVegedude · 22/04/2013 17:31

They are not very good at facts, are they? They say Radfem2012 was aborted. Er, no guys.... it was merely moved to another venue.

GoblinGranny · 22/04/2013 17:30

It's always distressing when a venue or an organisation doesn't have the strength or commitment to stand up to protests, especially if it's a cause you espouse.
It will be interesting to see exactly what reasons and excuses the LIC come up with to justify the cancellation, if that's how they choose to proceed.

However, some of the quotes that the MRA use are quite disturbing, and give them quite strong ammunition to use against RadFems. How accurate are the quotes from the Radical Hub website? The ones that they are using to rally opposition to RadFem2013?

TunipTheVegedude · 22/04/2013 17:29

Sample line from the MRA London page:

'the group's co-founder, Andy Thomas said, "We don't believe in shutting down debate. However, it is vital that there is someone speaking up on behalf of men and boys. And for the first time ever, they now have a voice."

Confused