People going to Radfem2013

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I am going. I know lots of people on here may not feel it's advisable to say publicly that they are going, but I thought maybe they might still want to meet up once we're there, at some point over the weekend?

I'll know you're up for it by the deafening silence, hopefully one or two replies and maybe a wee red dot if you are in the 'not saying publicly' camp.

I'm not but hope you enjoy it.

Me too. I am a little bit nervous it'll be full of 'proper' feminists.

Well, it may be too early for me too, stick. I'm curious to see what it's like. I think MN is sometimes a fairly positive atmosphere for talking about radical feminism while the rest of the web sometimes isn't, so we'll see.

kim - thanks, hope so.

I will not be saying pole dancing is empowering.

I doubt I will be saying much at all.

Maybe next year?

Thanks very much for the good wishes.

At the risk of being seen as trying to stir trouble (I'm not), what kind of political movement intimidates its own members? Are feminists really that terrifying

I didn't know you were a member, namechange, nor that you were intimidated.

Would you like me to hold your hand? Or is it the dictionary definition of 'nervous' and 'joke' you're needing?

Oh, no, don't feel like that, stick! I meant, there's a difference between being nervous and being intimidated. The first one implies it's my reaction ... the second implies something has been done to me by scary rad fems. And it hasn't at all.

I don't think I'm intimidated (and I could really do without namechange's sneery pass that that tired old 'feminists are so scary and nasty' trope). But I am nervous.

Then, I thought saying it like that might be unnecessarily harsh, so I would say it in a more jokey way in order to show him I know he doesn't always know how he comes across.

That's all.

I very much appreciated your posts and it was nice of you to reassure me.

As punk said, you said you were nervous, and she said it was too early for her (in her feminist journey, I assume). If neither of you meant it that way, apologies, but it sounded like you both found the idea of it intimidating.

I think we cross posted there.

Thanks for the apology.

I wasn't. I misunderstood, and there appeared to be two of you with similar feelings. But I think you have both cleared that up now.

No, I didn't (and don't) know either - that's why I wanted to put it as a joke so hopefully he'd realize that.

I'm familiar with the 'feminists are intimidating' trope, and I used 'nervous' deliberately, because it's a feeling of my own, which no-one else caused, whereas intimidation usually carries a connotation of someone else doing something, either deliberately or as a sin of omission.

I'm nervous because it's going to be a big group of people I don't know, and I wonder whether I will agree with most of the things they say, or not.

I wouldn't begin to suggest it was anyone else there's responsibility to stop me feeling nervous for those reasons. So I don't feel I'm being intimidated. And I certainly don't like the idea that feminism as a political movement 'intimidates its own members'. That's just scaremongering bollocks IMO. But maybe he didn't realize how rude it sounded.

Cross posted again.

We all misunderstand sometimes, namechange. Glad to hear you didn't mean to suggest what you said.

Shurrup! You're fine, stick, and thanks again.

I was a bit scared before I went last year, as I don't class myself as a radical feminist and am a bit hazy on some of the theory. I had a great time, though - lovely women and very intellectually stimulating. Enjoy!

Water=crowds. Got it!

moon - that's really good to hear. I suspect I'm similar to you, definitely hazy on some theory, so good to know you found it useful.