Starting a feminist group IRL

[SorryPleaseTryAgain]

As some of the other women on this forum I am a radical feminist who is really interested in lots of women's rights issues. Gender ideology and it's consequences is of course currently an important one of those issues, but far from the only one.

Most of my friends would call themselves feminists, some are surface woke, some are more on the fence and do believe that biological sex is real. Overall none of them are very interested in having in depth discussions of women's rights issues. They'll nod along and agree with me on issues that come up in conversation, but it's clear they don't want to sit around and discuss things like prostitution, surrogacy or unpaid labour, which is of course fine.

I go to the Filia conference every year and I really love being around other women who are passionate about the same issues as me and who have a similar outlook. I find it so uplifting and I live off that energy for months afterwards.

So I am thinking of setting up some type of group in my local area of London. Perhaps something as simple as a feminist book club (obviously it would need to be online during covid, but maybe pub meets once a month afterwards).

I am wondering how to start, how to find like minded people. If I were to make a post on my local Facebook group about a feminist bookclub I fear I'd end up stuck with a group of wokies, where I'd have to debate the very existence of biological sex!

Equally, I don't want to publicly out myself as GC because it could seriously impact my livelyhood if TRA's would come after me.

Has anyone done something similar, set up a local radical feminist group? Any tips/ideas?

I am wondering how to start, how to find like minded people.

Carefully, as you seem to realise. Unfortunately some sort of vetting is needed, but the women you want to find would understand why and be glad of it.

@ErrolTheDragon

I am wondering how to start, how to find like minded people.

Carefully, as you seem to realise. Unfortunately some sort of vetting is needed, but the women you want to find would understand why and be glad of it.

Such sad times we live in that being a feminist is so controversial that we have to worry about setting up book clubs...

I thought about creating a reading list of the first few books that we would read (things like Being and being bought, Why are women blamed for everything, Invisible women) and hope to attract the right crowd that way. I don't mind on the fencers joining, or people who have never considered the trans issue and who might be positively influenced.

I would love an only-women book club or gaming club! Especially if I could be sure that women-only meant absolutely no males at all.

My hobbies lean more ‘typically male’, with video games and board games etc, but I would never feel comfortable joining a group nowadays because of how male dominated every group is or is becoming now.

I can’t be the only one thinking this, so I think there is definitely a desire for the type of group you want to create. Just hard to get the word out without some TRA deciding to muscle in as per usual.

I'd set it up by keeping it simple - just as an initial opportunity to share a book etc - limited forward planning / formal dates etc. That allows you to organically grow as you get the confidence in each other. If you set it up in a formal way then you are stymied by any community disrupters who may arrive and attempt to turn it into their version of a group. Starting small and informal allows you all to test it out and let women's relationships / confidence grow organically. Hope that makes sense?

I was about to make some suggestions on how to establish credibility but I stopped myself when I remembered that TRAs read this site too.

I think taking it slowly is a good idea, & good luck.

This is interesting and I suspect more women are thinking the same thing right now. It is almost as if we have to organise like the suffragettes a hundred years after the last big campaign. I was thinking about joining a women's group irl too. So we could pool research on how to lobby and vote to make an impact on defending women's rights.

I love this idea and would definitely be up for a group in my area (I'm not in London :¬( . Maybe we can look at establishing an irl network of groups after lockdown? We'll find a way ¬)

Oh, I remember women only groups...it was a long time ago, about 40 years, but I learned everything there! Good luck with finding others, but go carefully, as others have said.

I think a feminist book club would be a great idea. You should probably avoid using the term radical feminist as it will attract the trans ideologues, who love a noisy fight.

@IrenetheQuaint

I think a feminist book club would be a great idea. You should probably avoid using the term radical feminist as it will attract the trans ideologues, who love a noisy fight.

Yes, you are right, probably best to avoid that term!

@gardenbird48

I love this idea and would definitely be up for a group in my area (I'm not in London :¬( . Maybe we can look at establishing an irl network of groups after lockdown? We'll find a way ¬)

That is a great idea.

I think it's really important to organise in person. Even if it is just to discuss, hash out your own thoughts and get the perspective of others. Online is good too, of course. But I there is so much value in meeting face to face and having local groups, however small they may be.

I'd definitely join a group like this, wish you were in the West Midlands.

Definitely up for an online book club here too!

Maybe think about having a written constitution that gives you a mechanism for cancelling the membership of people who turn out to be non GC or just there in bad faith to hijack the discussions?

If you start online and you're the organiser you may be able to control membership quite easily.

Start a book club. Make it known that the first books will be by JK Rowling - that should drive away the TRAs (or at least out them so you can not invite them next time).

I think some women use FWR to make contact, ie asked anyone in the Norwich(?) area interested in forming a group. That way you can have some idea of who everybody is from posts and organise by DM.

Another option is that at the end of the WPUK conference women met up based on the area they lived in. I am not sure if WPUK kept a record of the contact for each area, but might be worth asking them is they did. Although every thing on hold because of lockdown.

This is of course the problem with current public feminist meetings such as FiLia and WPUK. They are totally top down. ie the opposite of original WLM meetings which functioned to allow existing local groups, and groups of share interest to meet up and have a larger discussion.

Rather than turning up to passively consume the edible bites of feminism that someone else has decided are important!

Unless and until women feel confident as feminists to form local grass roots groups to provide the foundation of action we are going to remain constantly reacting, rather than being proactive.

Best of luck!

Harry Potter book club!

I fear that what you want, namely to have a radial feminist group without attracting the attention of TRAs or outing yourself, is going to be quite challenging.

I say this because in the past few days a feminist Facebook group has had a group of TWAW advocates making a big scene about perceived transphobia. And whilst some people initially welcomed a debate as I expected this quickly descended into how JKR is a bigot and how anyone who won’t welcome all self identified women for all purposes are a bunch of nasty cows who need to #bekind. Basically they aren’t interested in agreeing to disagree, either you repeat the mantras with no exceptions and profess no reservations about any aspect or you’re a transphobic bigot.

Like you I have to be careful because of my job. So the only ways I can see your plan could work is to be firmly invite only and off social media or to set up a separate social media identity for any posts you do make and the try and screen out responders.

God that is depressing. That women have to be careful in meeting with other women to discuss lawful and widely held views for fear of unpleasantness. What has this become.

I think you are right AtLeastPretendToCare

Maybe invite only is the way forward. I also think it's a good idea, as someone mentioned upthread, to start informal and see how it develops, rather than committing to a format and setting lots of dates in advance.

I don't think my aim is to start any type of official organisation, more so to make a space where women can discuss women's rights issues and even though I certainly don't want to have to defend biological sex to TRA's that have no intention of listening, it would be a good thing for the group not only to consist of women who have already formed their GC views, but also other women who are just interested in women's rights who maybe haven't followed what is going on in the gender identity debate or who are on the fence. I certainly would not want gender ideology to be the main focus of the group, there are so many important issues that I want to talk about.

Yes, it's so, so depressing that something as simple as a local feminist bookclub has to be a covert operation and that I have to consider whether it's too risky...

There are quite a few of these kinds of small, informal discussion and support groups around. They are all invite only and not visible to anyone who isn't a member. It's terrible that this is the current state of things, but we women are resourceful and it can be done.

So yes, go for informal and small to start with. Really trusted few women. And as you all get familiar with each other, you can slowly invite new women that are absolutely trusted as well. It's a slow process, but fairly stable.

Before the pandemic, I would have said the best method is to attend various public meetings set up by WPUK and other groups. Network with women there and keep in touch - you might bump into some others who live near you and then set up your own private group to plan actions or read books etc.

Londoner here and I'd love to join an irl feminist book group/women's group

There are quite a few of these kinds of small, informal discussion and support groups around. They are all invite only and not visible to anyone who isn't a member. It's terrible that this is the current state of things, but we women are resourceful and it can be done

I know of a couple of online groups who have had security issues and women have had to leave. It just takes one man to pretend to be a feminist ally who wins the trust of women and who will then post private messages on to sm forums to out them (yes, with address, family details etc). So be careful.

OP, I successfully set up a small feminist group that pre-lockdown met up in real life once a month. If you want any advice on setting up, please feel free to DM me.