MNHQ - would you mind if we made a Mumsnet banner for MN feminists to march behind?

[sethstarkaddersmackerel]

There were oodles of MNers at the Million Women Rise march in London on Saturday - probably at least 40 including children.

I think a contingent this size really needs its own banner, of the big, cloth variety carried by 2 people.

Now, if we do this we would be happy to discuss design with you so we don't inadvertently do anything to weaken the MN brand.

The text would be open to discussion too, just 'Mumsnet' or 'Mumsnet Feminists' for instance. I've started a thread in Feminism to see what everyone else thinks but would obviously not actually do it without go-ahead from MNHQ.

Does MNHQ have a view on this?

thanks

You know, though, that towns have banners saying 'Huddersfield Feminists' and peopel manage to work out that they don't necessarily represent the opinions of every single person in Huddersfield?

The feminist forum on MN is becoming a big voice, now. It is the best UK discussion forum for feminist issues on the internet at the moment, IMO (and in the opinions of a lot of other people too), and it's only going to grow and grow.

Do so many people sneer at Mumsnet?

I've never heard it mentioned by people in real life. I've heard it mentioned on the TV twice, and in the paper a couple of times.

yes but MNHQ would never give their consent to someone who wanted to support the BNP in their name so it's a moot point.

I think it's a great idea.

Yes, in RL people do sneer at Mumsnet.

And at mummys in general.

It's a real, gut instinct about mothers and their role.

And I think MN challenges that, which is why people have a kneejerk response.

Nobody is comparing feminism to the BNP...what a weird assertion to make.

It wouldn't matter what the other thing was. You can take it as a compliment that it's about the least popular political affiliation on here and being put in direct contrast to the feminist thing, actually.

MNHQ might well feel that feminism is a cause worth standing up for but there are those of us who do not choose to affiliate ourselves with it.

And it's a bit cheeky to want to put the MN brand to something that only a subsection of MN actively supports, politically.

Why should you lot use it (no offence) and not those who go on marches for other reasons...student fees...anti war...conservative party activists, labour party activists or yes, at the other extreme, the BNP or UKIP?

You really do need to have a proper think about this.

And I say that as someone who agrees with and defends a lot of feminist thinking - but not all of it.

IB - because the reason we would use it, would be to demonstrate that Mumnet stands shoulder to shoulder with the demand for something to be done about violence against women.

That's possibly the least controversial thing they would ever have done. The anti-sexualisation of children's clothing campaign is far more controversial.

No one is (officially) in favour of violence against women. Everyone thinks it is a Bad Thing. There are very few people who would stand up and say they think women should be battered more often and harder. They do exist, but mostly they shut up about it in public.

so mumsnet would support this,and perhaps other causes......but would not support others.....so who would make the decision? Justine?

violence full stop is a bad thing though......

'You really do need to have a proper think about this.'

Please don't patronise me Ingrid, there is no need to be rude when I have been polite to you.

It doesn't seem remotely contentious to me- mothers are women, and it's entirely appropriate for them to support women's causes. So if mothers have organised themselves to attend as a group, why shouldn't they take their organisation's banner?

It's clearly different for other political events, but I think it's self-evident that opposing violence against women is something every MNer can get behind.

in any case, these are not marches in support of feminism, but feminists marching to help women.
It is completely different from marching for a political party.
You could come on MWR or RTN without calling yourself a feminist at all if you agreed with the issues.

I don't really get that, though, Seth. I mean, if you tihnk that the disproportionate amount of violence against women is wrong, then you are a feminist, aren't you?

Bit depressing if it really is only the miniorty of MNers who are feminists!

well you could say 'I'm not a feminist but....' and still come on the march.
Or you could believe all sorts of stuff like women are biologically designed for housework, and still think they should never get raped.

Hi Seth, I'm really, really sorry that I came across as rude. I really didn't intend to be (and went out just after posting, so have only just seen further posts).

I was just trying to get across that there would need to be guidelines, someone (as has been said) would need to make the decision as to where and how the MN logo could be used.

When I said no offence, I genuinely meant it - but how would MN be able to say yes to this, then turn down other subsections of the forum with whom they may not share the same affinity?

I can see how my line about really needing to think about this sounded dead patronising and the last thing I wanted was to offend or upset anyone. I always enjoy your posts very much and have great respect for what you put in them.

So I hope you will accept my apology. I'm sorry.

Would they lend their name to a student fees protest? or an anti war one? I'm interested because I don't know how I feel about that.

I don't know how I feel about any protest really as I don't go on them (these days) and am thick headed when it comes to political issues (which I thought feminism was, in some respects anyway).

So I would feel uneasy about being affiliated with things I hadn't thought through.

I might possibly support using the banner on a march for the pathologically obtuse with untidy houses, because I categorically fit that.

I dunno I kind of think that being against violence against women is non political in the sense that everyone is against it (at least formally).

Whereas war, porn, student cuts etc. are quite clearly political issues which you can argue in favour of or against.

No one argues in favour of rape. Except a certain few loons who think if you're married the rape laws don't apply to you and they are politically very marginalised.

There are people who argue in favour of dv, but they are also very marginal. They tend to be mad evangelical christians who go in for biblical authority to beat your wife and kids and they are even more politically marginalised than the rape in marriage apologists. And even they probably wouldn't argue for the right to punch, kick etc. your wife as their violence tends to be ritualised and in-denial BDSM using religion as an excuse for sexual tastes they don't want to admit to.

Herbex it might be a naive question, but if everyone is against it, why do we need a march?

Because it's only lip service and even though everyone says they're against it, it keeps happening.

No-one's going to argue that it's an unworthy cause though, or too politically controversial.

Except Men's Rights Activists of course, who will immediately scream "but wotaboutthemenz?"

However seeing that this is a site predominantly frequented by women, I think we can be forgiven for focusing on an issue which affects more women directly.

have PMed you Ingrid, thank you for your lovely comments, sorry I was chippy in taking offence where it wasn't intended

I think it's a fine idea.
There can't be a single campaign that all members would be behind anyway. We're too vast. Look at the Eastenders complaints.

Engelbert! was hoping to see you. do you applique?