Women's March London 21st January

[user1481714646]

In solidarity with women's marches across the globe on 21st January there will be a march in London, ending up at Trafalgar square.

It is a show of numbers to condemn many harmful attitudes towards women, minorities of race and religion, LGBTQA+ peoples and survivors of sexual assaults.

These issues will not go away by this march, but it is to remind to the global audience that they are prevalent and not enough is being done to curb harmful rhetoric and actions against these people's.

www.facebook.com/womensmarchlondon/

this is the sort of question that curtailed the Occupy movement and will not add to this. The aim is to make a unified stand against rising forces of division. The problem with being so internet based is that we are forgetting the real, powerful, galvanising, heartening strength that comes from bodies getting out on the street together. I went on a BLM march after the death of Philando Castille. Its was amazing and it directly helped me to feel energised to fight back. The internet is crippling social action. Get out on the streets and see what happens. Or don't and see what won't.

I am going to stop engaging in this. It's deeply uninspiring. I am marching on the 21st. Happy New Year to you all and the best of luck with your political actions for 2017.

Who is behind it? There is is no information about the organisers.

"BLM" is a specific group with an aim.

"make a unified stand against rising forces of division" as a group? Catchy name and not at all a wishy washy response.

There is no comparison with the very focused aims of BLM and this march.

Lass put it more concisely than me

It's kind of like the march equivalent of a general strike.

Not at all Starry I thought this summed it up well.

"I'm unhappy and I will march, with no specific cause or aim!!"

The thing is, divisions exist because of differing philosophies, beliefs etc. Unless opposing or disparate factions have a common goal, there is no reason for them to come together. And so far the publicity surrrounding this event has failed to articulate a clear goal, apart from maybe anti-Trump, according to your website, but specifically not accordingly to what organisers are posting on here, which just adds to the confusion.

I went on a UAF march against the EDL a few years ago. It was fab, there were all factions there - various religious groups, political groups, LGBT groups, militant anti-fascists, anarchists (a lot of whom got themselves arrested walking down streets we'd been told not to by police), as well as families and individuals. We all sang and stood together and opposed the EDL and stopped them entering a park they had announced a rally at (the park had been named after a Bangladeshi man beaten to death by racists, so did not seem a fit place for an EDL rally). Anyway, a lot of people had opposing ideologies that day, but came together for a common goal - protest against the EDL.

If there is a clear common goal, people come together. If there isn't a common goal then it's a lot more difficult. The worry is that participation would be interpreted in a different way from that which you intended. I bet any money that no matter what you say, the media will report marches on that date as protesting against Trump.

Being against 'the rising forces of division' and for 'the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities' sounds fine, and I might support that stuff, but it's not feminism.

No mention of rights, dignity, equality, safety, health, strength of women, girls or even females.

It reminds me of something my father used to say about some campaigns being 'for all the good things and against all the bad things.'

This march is a very particular one at a very particular time. No one would usually come together under such a broad umbrella. The reason this very broad movement is happening at this time is that the conditions for Trump and Brexit and many other political developments around Europe have been created by a centralised 'establishment' politics that has left huge swathes of society feeling invisible, unvalued. The division that has been allowed to grow has created a level of unrest and fear in 2016 that needs to be addressed. To march for equality, dignity, respect for human rights across the board at this time is because, across the board, our divisions are being actively and exploitatively played upon. The fault lines for these divisions run along the usual veins of misogyny, racism, poverty, etc. There will be other actions in 2017. Hopefully laser focused ones. This one will be to bring us together and to strengthen us to fight back. There are many organisations getting involved with this march. They will be in communication with each other. They will be a sounding out the lay of the land and working out how to move forward. It is an uncertain space that is being opened here but alliances are being built.

There are many organisations getting involved in this march. They will be in communication with each other.

Please can you name the organisations, User?

I think the question was asked before and never answered.

It's clear that user148 and OP, another user148 whatever, I can't help thinking that anyone who can't be arsed to bother to create a username is unlikely to want to engage for more than a thread or two are flouncing because they can't answer our questions. It seems no one has actually agreed any specific objectives for this march. Very odd. They seem to have assumed that all they had to do was announce a feminist march and women would sign up without wanting any further detail.

I can entirely see the point of the American march. The London one doesn't seem to have any. The date chosen makes it certain that any coverage will frame it as anti Trump.

It's not as if the British establishment is cheerleading for Trump. They will, of course, work with any American president but their lack of enthusiasm is palpable. There's no suggestion that reproductive healthcare for women is under threat here and, although I feel great sympathy for American women facing obstacles in obtaining abortion, it's not something a march in London will affect.

That sums it up well Prawn

I see from the website they list the Women's Equality Party, Amnesty and Unite as partners. If I were part of the management teams of Amnesty and Unite I would be thinking seriously about not associating with this.

The WEP has so little credibility it hardly matters.

Well, the women's march twitter account has just tweeted two things about "cis privilege" , so I think we can safely assume what sort of fun fem handmaidens are in charge

I am very happy to march with people I don't agree with on other things but there has to be a clear objective or there is too much of a risk of ending up marching behind something you don't agree with.

I will be making the trek from the frozen North for Million Women Rise again but can't risk doing so for something as vague as this march, sorry.

I know it's hard organising things, your harshest critics always seem to be people with whom you have a lot in common, but I still can't take the risk (it being a lot of time and money that could be put to better use) without clear aims.

The line about gorgeousness is a massive red flag to me that this might not actually be a feminist event, not to mention the use of the word cis which many feminists find hugely problematic.

Cis privilege?

It's actually an anti-women march then, isn't it? I think that's a clear warning to stay away.

Oo, choosey choosey, eh?

That's a definite out from me then. Making my choice not to attend and assuming no one will have a problem with that. Cause feminism is all about choices isn't it :)

Quick explanation of the implications of "cis privilege" for anyone not familiar with the term.

"Cis" is an offensive term used to describe biological women as opposed to transwomen. It implies that "woman" is someone who identifies with the feminine gender stereotype (eg "pink brains") and that biological sex is relevant only insofar as that some women are born with vulvas and some are born with penises. Women born with vulvas are said to have "cis privilege".

This then makes a total nonsense of reproductive rights, forced marriage, FGM etc being women's issues. It's a very short step from using the phrase "cis privilege" to calling the term "female genital mutilation" transphobic or saying that the Nepalese teenager who died after being banished to a shed while menstruating was actually privileged over a transwoman who would like to menstruate but can't.

I'd just like to add:

Cis privilege tweet and The misogyny you enable

Shame on the lot of you for claiming to support women but denying our biology.

empress - the responses to their "cis privilege " tweet are great though!

They are indeed herm, I only saw literally a handful that I disagreed with

in defence of human rights threatened by the inauguration of Donald Trump as POTUS

To march for equality, dignity, respect for human rights across the board at this time is because, across the board, our divisions are being actively and exploitatively played upon

So it's gone from the above to needing to identify "cis privilege" Setting aside whether cis privilege is "a thing" or not , even if it is, it's hardly relevant or a main focus to the threats to say the environment or the poor generally which Trump might pose.

Oh and completely agree with Prawn's post

I can entirely see the point of the American march. The London one doesn't seem to have any. The date chosen makes it certain that any coverage will frame it as anti Trump

It's not as if the British establishment is cheerleading for Trump. They will, of course, work with any American president but their lack of enthusiasm is palpable. There's no suggestion that reproductive healthcare for women is under threat here and, although I feel great sympathy for American women facing obstacles in obtaining abortion, it's not something a march in London will affect

Random but semi related, what is LGBTQA+ or LGBTQIA I've seen mentioned I swear it used to be LGB or LGBT and I know what it stands for but what's the rest stand for and is it a recent Addition?

I think I'm right in saying that it's LGBT plus Queer, Intersex and Asexual. However there are variants on that. See here. Seems to date back to 2008 at a quick scan.