Feminist Left Australia are warning women not to attend Standing for Women events with KJK because the tour is funded by CPAC

[IwantToRetire]

I suppose its a sort of backhanded compliment that so many women are putting so much effort into pointing out all the ways KJK is wrong personally & politically.

Just think how much they might have achieved if they had put that energy into doing something pro-active in line with their own politics.

So this is the latest:

" ... When a behaviour is repeated and the tendency appears to be increasing, it seems to be a choice and a strategy rather than a one-off mistake. We don’t think that KJK is a “bad” person, or that women who choose to follow her are “bad”. It is not a question of morality (or jealousy, or trashing), but a question of political strategy: what strategy should we choose, according to our political understanding of oppression and power, and the political outcomes we hope to achieve?

Australian and NZ feminists have spent years campaigning against a transgender ideology that wants to erase women. Feminists have lobbied governments, held meetings and conferences opposing self-ID legislation and fought for the right to women-only spaces.

Local actions have often been poorly supported with mere handfuls of women at street protests. So it is ironic that when a “celebrity” activist comes from overseas, so many women are interested in joining Let Women Speak events, even though these events are sponsored by the right and run by a speaker who has repeatedly expressed right-wing ideas.

KJK says that she will speak to anyone but that the right are the only ones to give her a platform. This is true, but uncritically relying on the right to express these views is a very dangerous strategy. It means sacrificing the struggle for the majority of women’s rights, as well as for all other oppressed groups. ... "

feministleft.wordpress.com/2023/03/06/are-you-thinking-of-going-to-kellie-jay-keens-events-in-australia-or-nz-read-this-first/

Zombie

Any idea who is behind the Feminist Left blog? Because it does look suspicious.

Particularly the use of 'anti-imperialist'??? That is not a term I have come across in use in Australia. Anti-monachist. Yes Republic campaigner. Yes. But you are right, something doesn't seem right about that website from an Australian perspective.

Either that or they are so extreme in their 'left wing' ideal that they will have the opposite effect to that they are aiming for- deterring women from going to see other's speak.

Maybe people who have ulterior motives always think that everyone else has ulterior motives,

Bit like drug users always seem to think that everyone is doing drugs, especially soft drugs like cannabis (I'm stating what they think, I dont agree cannabis is soft) and chronic liars always believe everyone lies a lot.

And yes surely women the cunty type are just women, any stripe, any colour, any political persuasion. So appeal to women like that and you'll get more to your events.

I feel for australians I do. I’m not fully understanding of their political prospects but as a left center leaning american myself I do not like voting right but I will as the left has given me no good options as a woman! They can say they’re the most feminist party until the cows come home but that does not make it so!

Yes the right took our abortion rights and I hate that but women will be much worse off if we allow the left to completely and utterly legally erase us! What will be left to fight for without legal recognition? Nothing! They have quite literally backed us into a corner. At the the republicans have dangled a rope for us to grasp and hang on to.

The democrats no longer care. I completely resent them for it. They’re trying to steal our freedom of speech and even the freedom to listen. They’ve had the stage for too long and it’s turned them cocky. I hate them for making republicans the voice of reason.

So of course women are flocking to these right wingers. That’s what happens when you completely ignore women’s needs. They talk a lot about male privilege but then they totally pander to it. The right wingers are making more sense right now sadly. It doesn’t mean we like it. But they are the logical thinks in this debate.

The feminist left can suck air between their teeth for as long as they like because KJK won't conform to their ideological purity. I suspect once ordinary women get past being painted as evil, transphobic bigots who eat babies for breakfast because they have the temerity to stand up for single sex spaces, then saying that some of these people could also hail from the right lacks any kind of punch.

I recommend Call Jane a film by Phyllis Nagy. I think it really provides a clear example of how organic and women centered work can take place. Service at its heart, all welcome, clear goals and open comms trying to accommodate others needs without undermining the overall structure. It was abortion rights at the heart of it. Go watch!

The thing is DarkHorizon, because of compulsory voting, Australia has a rather rich choice of political party and a rather lot of swinging voters. There is also a rich tradition of independent candidates. I don't believe it is as polarised as the US at all.

If I hadn't been living here in the UK and known about the "Conservative party", I would have been confused by the constant use of 'conservative' in Australia - or I wouldn't have really cared.

I don't find the comparisons to be all that relevant between UK and USA and Australian politics. Sure, there are some similarities. However, there are significant differences too.

I suspect that whoever has put together that blog either is not Australian or is probably more extreme in their politics than the majority of people. I think that if I was back in Australia, I would have read that blog and thought, who the fuck are all those people they are talking about, do I actually even give a rat's arse to look them up? Abortion is not under threat of being rolled back in Australia and there are many people with many different opinions on it anyway. Tony Abbott was a religious conservative, Alan Jones is a tosser and well known for it, Mark Latham was actually high up in the Australian Labor Party the opposing party to Tony Abbott, Jacinta Price is an elected senator who obviously represents enough people in her region to have been elected so she should be listened to in that light, who is Rita Panahi (who can afford Sky in the first place!) and who cares about Nigel Farage! So I would simply look at that conference line up and go, meh, they have a wide range of view points, it is not something I am interested in, but crack on. Each to their own.

That this conference was the number 1 issue in their list and used as 'the' example is probably not going to have the shock effect they expect. The painting of the opposition of Indigenous Voice to Parliament as a 'classic racist argument' dismisses that some indigenous Australians disagree that this will be an effective means to get those very important voices heard in Parliament. It is simplistic and it is absolutist thinking to position it that way.

I doubt that many people will take much notice of that group's opinion to be honest. And those who are very well read about the issues and how they impact women and children will know that there is this disconnect between some people on the left and facts. This became very apparent with the media coverage of Katherine Deves and the absolute dismissal of her discussion points.

I hope they will be written off as irrelevant by many people with the exception of a very small minority who would already be not attending the events for those reasons anyway. It would be sad to think they will be considered convincing.

This right there. Not a good look at all.

And the mean girls keep on gossiping. Everyone of those is pathetic and I view them more as TRA than as GC at this point. All that time and energy spent actively pushing against one of the most succesful women of our movement does more to set us back than anything.

To any of the mean girls reading this, you can have criticism if its objective, by all means have a go. But we all can see that it's never objective. Keep seething and get a pastel flag instead of a suffragette one. It's more accurate.

'Not a good look', 'seethe and cope'. Its certainly familiar language. I'm not sure where you're planting your flag, but you're not re-branding Terf Island any time soon.

It's like they refuse to back down even though they know she's doing a good thing. So they are going out of their way to find the slightest bit of wrong think and then slinging it at her in the hopes that enough sticks and she loses the goodwill of the people.

Well they can do one I'm not interested.

I don’t respect anyone who says seethe and cope regardless of their opinions or who they are. They are just intentionally antagonizing people at this point and that’s not someone I need on my team.

Well have to admit that probably before posting I should have checked the source, and spotted that it is the only post on this new blog, openly created to oppose KJK. (We are a group of Australian feminists who has come together in the lead-up to Kellie-Jay Keen’s Australia and New Zealand tour. We are leftist, gender-critical, anti-racist and anti-imperialist. We believe that feminists should not work with the right.) But because it was late I just thought oh no, not another one, must share this.

And upthread I did admit that I wondered, knowing that mumsnet is well indexed by google etc., that effectively I was helping to give more publicity than it probably would have had. And that indexing can backfire because others will just see the title and just assume it is more (not the usual same anecdotes being cobbled together) information about how really bad KJK is.

I think I saw it referenced on a facebook group. So now I am thinking (again going back to the stitch up at FiLia) that this is yet another part of the WPUK / AGCL network and they have infiltrated another group. If it in fact exists.

Maybe someone based in Australia or NZ could contact them and ask about them because you are concerned and want to know more?! [email protected]

And where have they been having meetings because it would be good to help publicise them and get more women involved.

Or I could just ask mumsnet hq to delete the thread. :(

I never said "seethe and cope". This isn't reddit. Seething is an actual word that adults use dear

Did I hit a nerve there?

Or I could just ask mumsnet hq to delete the thread. :(

Maybe a good idea

Good thing I didn't say "seethe and cope" than

I archived the site on archive ph if anyone wants to read that 'blog' without giving the site clicks, they can go to the archive site.

I never said you did. Are you okay?

The person you quoted did. Are you okay?

Who are "Feminist Left Australia"? They don't seem to have a public internet profile anywhere. I've gotten the impression its a lot of lipsticky loudmouths hiding their identities, in typical libfem fashion - its all snipe and criticism from an anonymous keyboard, prioritising protecting your identity, jobs, family and assets first, you cowardly cows.
Antifa are now linking to your agitprop piece telling women not to attend Let Women Speak rallies.
I was a former leftie, Greens voter 40yrs, even in Extinction Rebellion! haha. Never again. I am going to the right at a zillion miles an hour driven by snobby twats like you. I don't hide, my name is Pearl Red Moon and I have a public online profile. I've lost work, been cancelled and abused while squeamish middle class twats like you play hoity toity in the ladies parlour.
Shame

They’re allowed their opinion. Frankly, if women stopped holding KJK up as a celebrity we would all be better off (I support her doing what she does, but I do not ‘follow’ her and she is not above criticism — that, I think, is the issue).

It’s also ironic she derived the tour name from a grassroots feminist group yet complained about others taking the dictionary definition of ‘woman’ that she herself used.

Do women treat Kellie Jay as a 'celebrity'?

I think that most of the people I see defending her right to hold her events recognise her faults and support her anyway. She is not above criticism when it is properly aimed and not using lies as a basis. The lazy criticisms of 'right wing', or 'anti-abortion' or homophobic etc are due to people's prejudice rather than applying critical thinking and are dishonest.

I welcome any person though who does hold her up to celebrity status to correct me though. Any one?

I agree @Helleofabore, I think here on FWR we're the first to point out if we feel she has taken a misstep and can be vigorously critical of her when necessary. I certainly haven't seen her held up as a celebrity and find the comment suggesting such very peculiar.

I don't hold KJK up as a 'celebrity' (??) but I do hold her up as a stone cold HERO of the highest order!

It ought to (but I know it won't) go without saying that this does not mean I think she's perfect, above reproach, right about everything etc etc. It means I think she is incredibly brave, brilliantly effective, inspiring, fun, creative and a great leader.

I agree with the last few posts.

Kellie-Jay is doing a lot more to raise awareness and empower women to speak than all the AGCL women griping about her are.

If KJK really is a celebrity then I would say that's largely down to the work of certain left wing feminists - if it hadn't been for their continued attempts to discredit her then I'd probably mainly remember her as someone who used to post on Mumsnet.

She has most certainly led activist protestors a merry dance! And she simply doesn't back down.

It has brought women together from diverse backgrounds and.... allowed them to speak! That has been a heroic effort. Particularly in the face of the adversity that she and so many women encounter.

She deserves support. She is not a celebrity. Yet, I guess if you watch the Australian media at the moment, you might think that she is. So much of the media is about her and fails to ever discuss just what she is actually doing and the women's voices she is amplifying. I am so ashamed of Australia's media on this topic.