FemiFest

[FloraFox]

www.femifest2014.com

Anyone going? I'm thinking about it.

[antimatter]

queen I agree. I think I need to read up more.
I may go to femifest for educational purposes.

[QueenStromba]

This blog is very good for explaining the radfem side of the trans story. I've not read all of it but the articles that I have read have been very good.

[antimatter]

thanx QueenStromba

[gargalesis]

I'm going!! I can't wait. I don't really have anybody in real life who I can talk to about radical feminism. They've all drunk the libfem kool aid. All my discussion about this stuff takes place online. So it's going to be wonderful to meet and discuss with women face to face. And some of the speakers are fantastic. I can barely contain my excitement!!

[ApocalypseThen]

I wish I could go. Reading threads here has really opened my eyes.

It's a bit shocking that women can't organise the conference they want to discuss matters of moment to women without having people police those to whom an invitation to attend has been extended.

I wonder if men would be expected to tolerate that?

[gargalesis]

I'm trying to imagine the opposite scenario. Imagine a conference for gay men to discuss issues affecting them, and transgender women kicking up a massive stink because they weren't allowed to attend. I just can't picture it.

[Curwen]

I am guessing here, but I doubt that anyone could be refused entry. The organisers just want to discuss their stuff with like-minded individuals. So why interfere with them? I love my wife, but we have some different interests and there is some stuff we do separately. Not having trans (or whoever else is 'discouraged' on that website) people there doesn't mean the organisers hate them. They just want their own space for a while.

[SevenZarkSeven]

Ooh sounds good!

Hoping to be able to go to FIL as well.

[gargalesis]

What's FIL, Seven?

[SevenZarkSeven]

Feminism in London I had an email a while back saying it's on in October, not heard anything since though.

[weatherall]

The desire for FAAB only conferences/meetings came after some transactivists hijacked a women only session at FEM 11. That had been a men and women all welcome 1 day conference in London. Some feminists wanted a women only space and so one women only session was run.

There was/is a divide between feminists, such as those who run UK feminista, who want the feminist movement to involve men and women, and generally more radical feminists who believe that the gains of the women's movement (eg WA & RC) were through the efforts of women only organising.

Back to FEM 11...this one session, an attempt to discuss the value of women only organising, which had proven to be successful in the past, was invaded by some loud transactivists who spent the session shouting out, harassing women, not letting others speak, behaving in an abusive and threatening way. Many women were left feeling very uncomfortable and no one as able to discuss the issues at hand.

Off the back of that and through the desire of many feminists to meet in a safe FAAB only space the radical feminist conferences have emerged. Femifest is the third of these in London, each of which has drawn controversy.

In a free society, which we are supposed to be, I don't see any problem with a self defining group meeting amongst themselves. I don't think that's a trans phobic thing to say. I imagine if a transman tried to get into one of the men only golf courses he would be promptly removed but no one takes issue with them.

[ApocalypseThen]

Thanks fir the link up thread. Really good posts there, excellent.

[magashira]

you'd think Japan would be quite progressive

Only if you were basing your opinion off near 100% ignorance of Japan and Japanese culture.

[ArcheryAnnie]

I can't go, but after looking at the website have decided to donate to it.

[femin]

Hi I am one of the organisers and just registered to respond to the comments posted here.

You don't need to be a radical feminist to go, or to know all about radical feminism. All you need to be is a woman who is interested in hearing speakers like Germaine Greer, Janice Raymond, Femi Otitoju and Julie Bindel, talk about feminism.

The conference is organised by RadFem UK and we also organise smaller events in other parts of the country. If you want to know more about us, we have a facebook page at www.facebook.com/RadFemUK or you can join our email list at [email protected]

If you want to donate to the conference, it is best to do it through our paypal www.youcaring.com/other/help-bring-feminists-to-femifest-2014/137452

Our venue was cancelled, after complaints by transactivists. But we have secured another venue and will be shortly announcing that. The conference will go ahead. The venue will have access to those who use wheelchairs. Unfortunately we do not have the money to provide a creche.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us directly.

[femin]

And gargalesis, great that you have already registered. Come and say hi to the organisers.

[femin]

We have made it clear Kim who the conference is open to and why. We would hope that everyone would respect that. And as far as we know, that has been respected in previous radical feminist events.

However I did just register to post the comment above. I don't have time to get involved in discussions here. So please if you have any specific questions, contact RadFem UK, as otherwise the chances are it will go unanswered.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Maybe, Kim, they aren't interested in policing it. (I don't know as I'm nothing to do with them and have never been.)

It's like the Mitchigam Womnyn's Music Festival, which has been going for nearly 40 years, and is yet again taking shit (pressure on performers to withdraw, petitions, etc - though how people think a petition will work on a private event I don't know) for their women-born-women policy. But they don't police it at all, just ask people to respect it, and it's possible stealth trans women have probably been there every year. But this is on the conscience of the trans women gatecrashing, not the festival organisers to police.

[ArcheryAnnie]

femin, if you are checking in at all - the donation page you linked to is closed, and you can't add to it. I just tried!

[ApocalypseThen]

If you did happen to go, Kim, what would you be intending to achieve?