Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Finding/ starting radfem groups

62 replies

Merchfach · 15/05/2018 09:37

I'm just back from a long weekend away with a group of women, most of whom would call themselves feminists, whom I've known for several years. I didn't see Genderquake so when some of the younger women (30s) started talking about it I stayed out of the generally pro-trans conversation until one of them said that Germaine Greer ought to be silenced. I piped up to say that she held a valid point of view that represented many women and that I found it worrying to hear women trying to silence other women. One of the younger ones said: 'You'll be saying transwomen aren't women next' and I agreed that I would. It was downhill from there. At some point I was accused of misgendering someone and two young women walked out shouting that I was hateful and should be ashamed of myself. I asked a third party to mediate so that we could see if we had any common ground that we could build from and was told the young women would not discuss this subject with me. So, no debate. There's a surprise!

Most of the other women don't understand why what I said was so offensive but assume I must have said something dreadful to warrant such a response from educated and on the whole pleasant young women. I don't imagine I'll be invited to participate in this group again which saddens me.

I don't feel bad for saying what I think but I do feel battered and there's a tiny part of me wondering whether I've got this all wrong. I know I'll bounce back and there are a couple of people I'm in touch with on line who'll help me do that. But what I could really do with now is a local radfem group: women whom I could meet up with for some eye contact and a coffee and a reassurance that I'm not the nazi dinosaur the handmaidens say I am.

I've googled for radical feminist groups in my area and found nothing. There's a feminist group at a university some distance away but I have a suspicion that it'll be full of handmaidens. If you're a member of a real rather than virtual group, how did you find each other? What should I google for? Any ideas on how to start something up?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Alexa488 · 26/06/2018 07:59

I'm in Bath

Writersblock2 · 26/06/2018 07:41

You don’t have to wait for WPUK to hold a meeting - start your own. :)

LightofaSilveryMoon · 26/06/2018 00:21

Swansea in South West Wales is convenient for me.

In light of recent developments on MN, feeling that maybe getting together in real-life, if that is possible, may be useful.

Attending the Cardiff WPUK meeting, back in April, certainly inspired me.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 18/05/2018 16:55

OP, meant to add that I really feel for you. What a crap experience. Flowers

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 18/05/2018 16:51

I'm based in Guildford. There doesn't appear to be a single feminist group here, even at the university. Would love to meet up in RL. We could even use my house if pushed. I say pushed because my house is tiny and very untidy. And I smoke. Even if I don't smoke during meetings the smell will remain.

BeyondPink · 18/05/2018 16:48

Merch, a bit far away for a meet up, but if you're near the capital, give me a shout :)

BeUpStanding · 18/05/2018 16:26

Hi Merchfach, I've sent you a PM Smile

DJLippy · 16/05/2018 20:02

Manchester rad fems I started a thread...
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3251279-Manchester-Feminists-Wanna-meet-up

WhatTheWaterShowedMe · 16/05/2018 19:56

If anyone else is from the Brighton area, and are interested in forming a local radfem group, please DM me.

(Have NC’d).

Original poster
Merchfach · 16/05/2018 11:36

Thanks, that's reassuring. I'm practically back to myself again after my pummelling. What really helped me was looking at the stuff on suicide figures. One of the women said that if I could ignore the terrifying suicide statistics for trans people then I couldn't possibly expect anyone to respect my views: I was contributing to trans deaths by my hatefulness. Having been socialised to be horrified at the thought of being hateful, I was really worried that I was missing something. But the Transgender Trend commentaries and some of the other research (all of which has question marks hanging over it, I realise) don't support her statement at all. That reading took me off in the direction of exploring other research into the mental health issues that many trans people also suffer — and also autism, particularly in girls. So I know a lot more than I did and feel firmer on my ground.

Will still be looking out for or trying to create a real-life group, though. Nothing better than being able to say what you think without fear in RL.

OP posts:
SaraTree · 16/05/2018 09:45

I managed to connect with an awesome group of local GC/radical feminists when I attended a 'We Need to Talk...' event. Before that, I'd searched online but found nothing. We mostly discuss in a very secret online group, but meet up occasionally - I can't quite put into words how empowering (not in a libfem sense!) it feels to be able to discuss issues face-to-face, to share information, ideas, tactics & strategies etc.

I've lost (in some cases abandoned) quite a few former friends due to my GC views, but over time have been able to be increasingly open about my concerns with a couple of my closest friends, and while they're not (yet) willing to publicly 'out' themselves as I more or less have, they're privately outraged & completely support my perspective over self-ID etc. (Rather than 'telling' them why I think as I do, I suggested they google a few terms such as 'TERF is a slur', 'cotton ceiling' etc, asked them to let me know what they thought about what they'd read, and left it at that - seemed like a better strategy to allow them to discover for themselves, rather than trying to convince them of my position...)

Guess I'm just trying to reassure OP & PPs that it is possible to build a GC support network over time, especially as more & more women are now beginning to realise the implications of self-ID.

GraceMarks · 16/05/2018 08:17

It might be that there are GC groups near you but they're wary of openly identifying themselves as such. I go to exactly such a group - we don't discuss it much on our FB page because of the student/libfem contingency but once we get together in person, the gloves come off! Oddly enough, the libfems seem to have little interest in getting involved beyond sniping at other people online, so we tend to get left alone.

ErrolTheDragon · 16/05/2018 07:54

Thanksthanks. Not sure how I missed that.

DJLippy · 16/05/2018 00:16

Can any Manchester based Radfems DM me?

ErrolTheDragon · 15/05/2018 23:29

Thanks... I thought I'd checked their website but couldn't see upcoming events, must have missed it somehow.

MrsUnderwood · 15/05/2018 23:26

@ErrolTheDragon Woman’s Place UK has a website with upcoming events on it. I m going to the one in Cornwall- it’s not local at all to me but I want to go and listen to what the speakers have to say, and speak to others who are worried.

MrsUnderwood · 15/05/2018 23:23

@Satorye if you could DM me that email that would be fantastic.

Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 23:01

I was approached by a local Journalism student at the weekend who is making a film about trans people.
I was in the local paper recently talking about the conflicts with women's rights, which she saw, and so she wants me to do this on film in the documentary she is making.

I messaged her some fairly blunt GC things about AGP etc and said I would do it if she could read that without thinking it is hate speech.

She wants to go ahead.

It will be interesting to meet her....

ErrolTheDragon · 15/05/2018 23:00

Well next time there’s a woman’s place meeting in my area I plan to go along

I don't know how to find out when and where they are even. Apart from seeing a few threads on here, but none near me.

DJLippy · 15/05/2018 22:53

FFS ladies what is happening? Women afraid to meet to discuss politics?

Polynerd · 15/05/2018 22:41

I follow someone from my town on Twitter who is clearly GC from the people she follows and also liking the odd post. We have lots of mutual friends but I'm too shy to approach her!

RealityHasALiberalBias · 15/05/2018 21:28

Well next time there’s a woman’s place meeting in my area I plan to go along. Hopefully there will be people who want to meet regularly there.

I’m not on Facebook so that’s a no-go.

Satorye · 15/05/2018 21:12

Yeah Germaine had valid points tho she didn't have much time to speak to be honest it was a mess of a show.

I have actually found a group of feminists in my town that hold more radical views but as someone noticed, they do not meet up much, if at all. I suppose because they really would be under radar as we saw with what happened with WPUK events.

And the atmosphere in group is bit quiet and suspicious, as a woman in 20's I feel odd even posting if someone is up for coffee-everyone is in 30's/up and it doesn't help that I'm not local either. Yikes.

It's so damn hard to socialise with other radfems.

In terms of finding a group, some of them are secret so asking in places like these might get you added in some near you.
In the meantime comb through all social media with search like; women's group, gender critical, radfem, radical feminism and well you know the drill. Facebook has plenty where you can always ask someone in it if there's anyone nearby.

As for the starting a group yourself, I can actually forward you email that you can contact for help with that. I wanted to start but as I said above(+taking care of toddler all day) 😢 ...

Stressfull.

Swipe left for the next trending thread