FemiFest

[FloraFox]

www.femifest2014.com

Anyone going? I'm thinking about it.

I'm sure you'd find something else to have a go at transwomen for.

And when I see rad fems campaigning against the online hate of transwomen by other rad fems - maybe I'll start campaigning against lesbians villified.

But that's not going to happen,

It already happens. I have seen occasions when a conversation has got heated, and radfem A has stepped in to say to radfem B that it wasn't fair to say xyz, however upset they were.

But hey, you seem determined that nothing will ever change, so I suppose you will scoff at this, too.

They say they are against oppression of any group facing discrimination and then go on to bar certain people from the conference. Isn't that a bit of a contradiction.

Not really. Unless it's oppressive for women to want to gather with other like-minded women to discuss topics relevant to those women? The conference isn't open to homosexual men, homosexual men are an oppressed group, do you think it's contradictory not to invite homosexual men?

No. Because they're men.

Do you think it would be reasonable for a group of, say, Muslim women, or disabled women, or women who were brought up in strict religions and are now atheist, or any other group of women who have a thing in common, to organise a conference where they seek solidarity and information on the thing that they all have in common, Viviennemary? If not, why shouldn't women who share the experience of being socialised as girls organise together?

I think people should try to be inclusive and not exclude people if they have an interest. But if groups decide to exclude people that's up to them. I suppose.

Well, are these transwomen going to block discussion about the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on women because they find it transphobic to discuss these as women's issues?

Just out of interest, which came first, the silencing, no platforming and accusations of TERFness or the decision not to invite Trans* people? Does anyone know? Because women's spaces are so rare and so precious, that, if people are going to cause trouble in them, then it seems sensible not to give those people the opportunity to do that.

You wouldn't expect a group of Muslims to invite Britain First dickheads to one of their conferences, why should radical feminists have to invite people who hate them similarly? It makes no sense to me.

Would it be the end of the world if, for once, there was a space for discussion of feminism that didn't put trans issues front and centre? And that focussed on women who were born female, and whose oppression stems directly from that?

Kim I am sure I have read previous posts of yours that said you respect the right of women who were born female to have their own spaces and that you have defended previous radfem conferences. Have I remembered wrong or did you not really mean it?

The women born women thing is probably in large part to protect JB and those who want to hear her talk. Is that ok with you?

It's interesting. I hadn't considered it much before, but now it seems clear that these spaces must be important, must be protected. I hadn't truly realised how much of a radical and profound challenge to society it is for a group of women to set a boundary. Any boundary! Saying no is just about the most impossible thing for a woman to do. Wow.

Why do so many feminist conferences these days not provide a creche? So we're excluding single mothers and primary caregivers, wonderful bravo brave "feminists"! A specific oppression that makes it harder for women to access society reinforced by these " feminist " conferences. What's the point then?

Yes I agree that is an issue. In our case it is a lack of money, alongside the practical difficulties of organising a creche when venues inevitably cancel on us. I suspect for other conferences the issue is purely money. Most feminist conferences are run on a shoestring.

But I do think that is not good enough and it is an issue we need to solve.