FemiFest

[FloraFox]

www.femifest2014.com

Anyone going? I'm thinking about it.

There are some in the Trans community who have said extremely misogynistic things. I wouldn't hold you accountable Kim for what they had said. In the same way RadFem UK are not accountable for what every single other feminist says or does. And if you read radical feminist blog posts you would know that most radical feminists are very critical of Femen's tactics, although we condemn their treatment by the Russian authorities.

The speakers at a trans conference probably haven't said as controversial things as some of the speakers at radical feminists conferences have.

This is a massive assumption to suit your purpose. You already know that the "cotton ceiling" concept came from a trans only conference and that many lesbians and other women are hugely offended by it. It also smacks of blaming women for the unacceptable abuse and treats they receive (who else does this? Oh yeah, abusive men.)

Women have a right, as feminists, to talk about our opinions and beliefs about transgenderism, because it affects us, as women. It is an institution which gives the impression there is an internal gender that women are all, by default, happy with, which ties in with men's rights to treat us as sex objects.
In particular, women have a right to discuss what it means for us as a group that men who have fathered children are now identifying as women.
These comments may offend transgender people. That does not mean they should be no-platformed. There's a big difference between intellectual discussion that is interpreted as offensive and hate speech inciting violence.

www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Cambridge-politician-Sarah-Brown-reveals-mental-health-crisis-as-she-tells-blogger-to-suck-my-formaldehyde-pickled-balls-20140529065800.htm Sarah Brown makes a comment with allusions of sexual assault to a blogger wrongly assumed to have written a particular blog.

Not offensive?

Feminist?

www.vice.com/read/i-love-wolf-whistles-and-catcalls-am-i-a-bad-feminist Paris Lees encourages men to catcall women because Paris personally enjoys it.

Not offensive?

Feminist?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/aug/16/bondage-bdsm-consensual-slavery Jane Fae argues women don't have a right to give birth without being reminded of men's sadistic sexual practices.

Not offensive?

Feminist?

Janet Mock speaks about child prostitution (well, men paying to sexually abuse children) as being liberatory, powerful, part of the journey to womanhood.

Not offensive?

Feminist?

msmagazine.com/blog/2012/04/18/trans-feminism-theres-no-conundrum-about-it/ Julia Serano advocates that feminism develops in ' a move away from viewing sexism as an overly simplistic, unilateral form of oppression, where men are the oppressors and women are the oppressed, end of story'

Not offensive (when women have worked very hard to have sex-based oppression acknowledged at all?)

Feminist?

Kate Bornstein's written hideously iffy things about consent to sex but I can't find them online.

Is there a trans speaker who hasn't said offensive things publicly?

And does this mean women have the power to ensure they're no-platformed for their anti-feminism? Should we do this, if we could?

I don't think they should headline lesbian marches though - that's for sure.

I have seen that Cathy Brennan has actively worked for laws banning discrimination in housing, employment etc on the grounds of gender identity in her state. She is portrayed as a monster because she had the audacity to propose that access to women's spaces etc should be limited to transwomen who had taken some steps in transition, not just anyone who says they are a woman.

Oh, I saw an interesting interview with her just yesterday! (skip forward 7-10 mins as there's just all intro stuff.)

6 mins maybe, skimming through

Is this the Cath Brennan who has been hunted, trolled, her place of employment, address, phone number etc put up on the internet. The woman who has had death threats made against her both my trans*activists and their allies?

That Cath Brennan?

How bloody dare she say what she believes to be right?

So, she deserves death threats?

Are you really saying that a woman who has spoken up over her beliefs around transgender should be threatened, by transactivists who have said that her fears have no basis in truth, with rape and death? Come on Kim, please tell me you aren't!

Outing in the sense of contacting her institution with publicly available information, in light of said individual harassing CB on the internet? Yeah burn the witch. I mean terf.
If my children speak to women like that on the internet, do feel free to contact their school.

These accusations take on mythical properties. Just keep repeating it, with no context, or a context of 'she upset me so it was fine I made a rape joke' etc - and it's all fine. Nothing to see here. Just mean women who know lesbians don't sleep with males.

How are lesbians meant to feel about our identity being appropriated by males?
Are we meant to say 'ach it's no harm done' and sell young women down the river as they're pressured to accept males with penises into their sex lives?

Hatred no, mistrust, probably. Do I think she's wrong? Not really. I have a fairly healthy mistrust of trans*activists like auntysarah myself if I'm honest. I don't hate them, I don't much hate anyone, but I do wonder at the agenda that some of those activists have. Hate me and think of me as you will.

Radical Islamic speakers advocate killing and terrorism, can you show me where she has spoken and incited her followers to maim and kill?