Who‘s coming to FiLIA?

[lanadelgrey]

I‘m starting to get excited.
Are there plans for a MN meetup?

Of course women who calmly state facts and say 'no' are considered 'troublemakers' by misogynists. so there is that.

Many women arrived after the nastiness in the opening session
many women were not in the opening session
many women chose to go to events NOT mentioning the Middle East

focus on the good stuff and amplify and elevate that
rather than playing into the hands of detractors
(many of whom are not in Brighton)

But I have not seen an antisemitism

There has been antisemitism.
There have been sessions DEEPLY critical of the way Islam harms women.
There have been points raised about the harm of ALL religions to women.
THere have been sessions critical of governments.
That is called being adult.

FiLiA have been asked to provide a statement in response to these questions, but have not yet replied.

Who makes decisions about programming, speakers, and panels?

Does the organisation have a written policy prohibiting antisemitism?

How many Jewish identifying people are on the FiLiA ban list?

On what grounds were they added?

Is there an independent complaints mechanism for antisemitism or discrimination?

Do staff, volunteers, and panel chairs receive training on antisemitism and discrimination?

In what way am I a trouble maker @Dopeydoraz?

She’s probably queuing up inside to buy merch saying difficult women make history and such like.

I am here today, my phone is too old for the app please could someone message me about the Mumsnetters meet up?
Or say hello if you see me - am wearing a t shirt with 2 pink leopards on it.

As I suggested earlier, if we look at both the history and the nature of the women’s movement, it’s obvious that we won’t all agree with each other.

The women’s movement comes from the grass roots, with a multiplicity of voices, issues, and arguments from 51% of the population. We need to learn to disagree and be disagreed with, without taking it personally or making silly personal comments.

But also, FILIA isn’t the only feminist organisation around. There are other groups.

Personally, I think it’s really disappointing that instead of celebrating FILIA’s success in bringing over 2000 women together, in all their diversity, and in the face of violent hostility from men, and the local MP, Sian Berry (who should hang her head in shame), some people are focusing on personal slights.

I couldn’t make the opening session (work gets in the way sometimes!) but I would have been uncomfortable with chants about Palestine. I’m an unfashionable Zionist, and I think Hamas are murderous butchers, and terrorist scum. But I also understand aspects of the Palestine cause. I think I may have left the auditorium, but I might also have stayed to listen, and accept that we are lucky to have freedom of thought and speech - unlike Afghani women, or those disagreeing with governments in Iraq or Iran.

but a couple of years ago in Cardiff I was at the opening session and joined in with the chant of “Women, freedom, life” led by a different speaker.

This.

@ZobiLaMouchesorry I can’t seem to pm you on the MN app and I’m not going to give you where I am given all TRA activity today. But when we’re back in I’ll look out for pink leopards!

I’m an unfashionable Zionist

The vast majority of gender critical women are Zionists.

Fairly sure that isn’t true.

Many of us refuse to take sides and wish to support all women and children affected by war, but supporting Palestine is so pervasive that not taking sides leads to accusations like yours.

This.

Not being rabidly Omnicause and failing to sport a keffiyeh does not equal Zionist.

It's like not feeling male does not equal female.

It's logical fail smearing. It's "you are either with us or against us" propaganda and sorry but I'm not getting involved in that particular pile of crap.

I personally think Hamas are appalling and the Israeli government are appalling. And honestly it's ordinary citizens who may utterly despise their own leadership who always come out worst in both camps.

I have never been able to get past the same paradox with the IRA and the British Government (keep in mind I was directly affected by an IRA bombing).

I think that it's awful what's happened to anyone who has been the victim of violence and state injustice in whatever form it takes and by whom.

Taking sides is pointless and diversive and only gets shit responses if 'why don't you care enough about x group'. I do care but it's pointless saying anything on the subject because of the abuse you set yourself up to for saying religious violence of all persuasions is fucking abhorrent because it's never good enough for those who are desperate to destroy the other and crush any sort of questioning of the behaviour of the side they support.

I've never thought it ok. I have demonstrated this in my own life on multiple subjects. We don't have to virtue signal our support for any cause if we do not choose to. It doesn't mean we are supportive of the other side because we haven't done this.

I'm over this bullshit.

“The vast majority of gender critical women are Zionists.”

Source and stats, please.

As someone who has been active on GC Twitter for the last few years I can confirm this is pretty much true unfortunately.

Just to reiterate: I’m not castigating anyone else for their views on Palestine/Israel. I rather assume in feminist lefty circles that my views are very minority.

i had noticed that my GC feminist Twitter feed was also pretty pro-Israel, but I took this to be my own little echo chamber. I’d never assume that was a wider view.

My feminist ideas and reading started probably 50 years ago - way before “GC” feminism.

Oh if only every woman over the centuries who has fought for the rights of women and girls had sat down quietly with their mouths shut and not been "trouble makers", eh?

We all, including you, sit on the shoulders of "troublemakers" because rightly or wrongly they are often the people who get things done.

No idea if you identify as a "trouble maker" Tinsel, but I view it as a compliment in your case.

Anyway - back to FILUA. I really enjoyed Queenagwrs last night. And it made me grateful about how straightforward menopause had been for me, relatively speaking at any rate.

Same here, although I'm not sure how much of it is pro-Israel and how much is just basic Islamophobia

Checking in - sitting with other MNetters in the cafe …..

Have fun! I’ve had to dip out for a lot of today to deal with a work thing that blew up. But it’s m hoping to get to everything tomorrow!

On whose authority? What nonsense.

You mean you follow women who are.

That's how Twitter and the algorithm works.

I thought everyone knew this by now.

Spycops session right now is good.