How to navigate the brocialists?

[WazFlimFlam]

I have been involved in lefty activism for about three years now, but have come to a bit of a cross roads.

The misogyny and rape apology is disgusting. My main friendship group within it imploded over some overt misogyny and I have had to leave a number of online forums/groups due to the rape apology that was so prevalent in them. I also can't stand the general anti-woman bollocks that is everywhere. You aren't anyone unless you are attacking Clinton and Jess Philips. I'm not the biggest fan of Oprah but they are now all failing over themselves to go on and on about what an awful neoliberal she is.

If I ever try to call this shit out I am accused of being a 'middle class feminist' and it is insinuated I don't really understand left wing politics. I am actually much more highly educated than any of them, and have worked in a couple of the industries they both lionise and demonise, but my expertise in this area is completely dismissed.

I am so sick of being expected to defer to the opinion of a self-described working class, white bloke, but do think that activism around socialist issues is important, ultimately for women.

There is a big demo coming up in a few weeks I will be expected to help with, but my resentment of the situation (I will be expected to do the shit jobs and then be ignored) means it just isn't fun any more. Yet I feel guilty for not taking part in something I know to be important.

Any words of advice?

Don’t do the shit work! Seriously, when women start to withdraw their free labour and their time it will start to hurt these lefty dudes and hopefully they can start to realise that it is a direct response to the way they treat women. Start your own group, hang around with some women, have some conversations that aren’t about rape apology and making sure women are shit upon time and again.

I agree with Badgerthebodger. That isnt socialism either.
Find some other group or start a small one.

The problem is when you have a group, there's always one person who has to be hardest, and they attract extremists, idiots, and people who cant say no.

If that person is clearly identifiable and also starts pushing for illegal activism, then assume they are a spy cop. And assume they aren't the only one in that group.

Badgerthebodger The thing is the friendship group blow-up means I don't have a lot of my female, feminist allies any more. That has made it no fun anymore.

IrkThe Purist lol!

Left wing men have always (as a class) been steeped in misogyny. You only have to read Doris Lessing (well known long term Communist) to see that.

I've never understood why left wing is supposed to represent equality, workers' rights etc. - not if you're a woman anyway. As an old school 1960s/1970s feminist I could never support the far left.

Is Doris Lessing herself a bit of a misogynist or does she write about her experiences?

I know someone around in the hard left in the early 80s who is deeply suspicious of Corbyn and hard left.

And the 60/70s wave of feminism partly reignited due to women in the civil rights era movements realising ‘equality’ didn’t extend to them. Lots of tales of being expected to make the tea at meetings etc.

Sheila Rowbotham is a classic 70s socialist feminist who became influential and us with a read.

Long time since I read Lessing's autobiography Waz but she was writing about her experiences with a "it was as it was" sort of air as I recall. Maybe someone else will have a more accurate recall.