Who‘s coming to FiLIA?

[lanadelgrey]

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

Yes, I was there - as you might have guessed! An excellent and moving session.

This is what I heard too.

What she said was fine, speaking about the violence of leaders on both sides.

Starting the "free free Palestine" chant was wildly inappropriate though, and thankfully was only taken up half heartedly by a few people.

I am at Filia and the topics have been wide and interesting so far. I think the feminist movement needs a wide range of voices and I for one enjoy it. The high jack by Rahila this morning was clearly a surprise and not well received, especially as there was no acknowledgement too of Jewish women and children who had died. I personally don’t think organisers had anything to do with it

@IwantToRetirethats interesting and something I wasn’t aware of.

How was it handled when it happened? There is usually someone acting as MC/host. Did that person say anything? (Like: ‘we will always stand for women’s rights and women’s rights to be free of male violence’?)

It seems like FiLiA are not replying to people raising this on X.

There is no divine right to not be insulted.
There is no divine right to be invited to speak.

If you do not like what others have said, engage and contradict
not tantrum out

If you think the choice of speakers is not right
run your own conference

its that simple

Dont be ridiculous, its not that simple at all. The muslim speaker calling on the crowd to chant free palestine was invited to talk about women's rights, not cheer on her own preferred cause, if you were there you would have seen how impossible it was to have a 'right of reply', when she has the stage and the microphone! I admire those that did at least walk out. I wish I had, but was too shocked to be honest.

@IwantToRetireI don’t recognise anything in that article at all - seems like complete BS to me.

Others may remember better but it was a weird one at a time on the stage rather than a panel /group. I think everyone was a little shocked and someone else took over

I don't expect to agree with every woman even at a women's rights conference (Filia appears to have a pro-immigration stance that I do not gel with), but attempting a trite chant at the opening speech on an issue unrelated to the conference sounds more like a tone-deaf speaker selfishly going rogue than a problem with the conference itself.

Also, chants are embarrassing at the best of times, so she should be reprimanded for that alone.

There was a kind of compere, but nothing was said about the Palestine/Israel bit that I heard. Speakers had got on stage one by one, most of them were talking about feminist issues/campaigns specifically related to Brighton. Gupta was there because she had edited/written? the ten-year history of FiLiA , which is why it did seem inappropriate for her to take her specifically personal stance on this issue and ask the audience to in effect agree with her.

There was mention on Twitter about a fringe event about the7yh October. Did that go ahead?

Well it did seem a bit dramatic and more than a little bit Islamaphobic in places.

But from what others have said the instance of the chanting reflected more on the speaker, and the audience reaction hopefully made her think.

As I said I hadn't any interest in attending but having seen the speakers list it is clear that this year there is quite a strong representation of what used to be called socialist feminist. ie their first loyalty is as "socialists".

Although more dramatic is seeing the number of participants from the Actual Gencer Critical Left group who held the now infamous "elephant" workshop that resulted in a really long and informative thread on FWR (I think 2 years ago). And would explain why the US lesbian who was told she couldn't participate was excluded because she has been prepared to do what is called work across the aisle. For AGCL the worst crime in the world.

But why the originator of Trans Widows was not allowed to speak (lead?) the workshop on Trans Widows is baffling.

Equally bizarre is having other women speak about the outstanding achievement of FWS although will only be in attendance.

For those not familiar with the older socialist feminist grouping, it isn't as you might expect old Labour and working class roots. It is very academic and about leading.

Sorry to be negative.

I am sure everyone is having a great time because nearly always the best part of any conference are the conversation in the corridors and meeting up with old friends and making new ones.

Thanks for confirming that only "nice" women will be acknowledged.

And thanks for confirming that FiLia is for well behaved women who will appropriate other women's work, and stab them in the back.

If you want your feminism curated for you so it becomes just another consumer event, that's your choice.

But clearly not an event of sisterhood and support.

Are you standing outside in a mask?

This is disgusting if true, what the hell is going on there?

Posted by Kellie-Jay Keen on X

Women who attend @FiLiA_charity surely know this organisation are scum, by now. Today a speaker from Southall black sisters gave a talk at filia stating she refused to condemn the actions of Hamas (violence against women) because the Israeli governmemt is evil and led chants of free Palestine. Several Jewish women left in distress.Who the hell still support these women??? Substack from milli hill incoming any minute now.

Edit: I can see it has been confirmed on the previous page.

How can women still support this obnoxious organisation?

This is not true - there was no talk arranged by FiLiA - please read what people actually here have said.

why can’t over 2000 women meet without being attacked from all sides!?

Why do they need to attack Jews at a women's conference?

My heart goes out to all the Jewish women in attendance who weren't aware of FiLiA's agenda.

who are the ‘they’? Have you read the post by@fabricstash

There's been multiple attacks on Jews at the conference, as to who 'they' are FiLiA need to make a statement.

From Madeline Warren on X

I’ve been to 4 meetings at the conference today. 3 of them were asking us to cheer on Palestine/ Hamas against Israel. In a completely off-topic way. I’m really disgusted.

apart from one small section from a speaker in the morning session I have not heard any mention of Palestine except as part of a wider mention of world wide war zones including Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar etc. I do think there are people determined to defame what is a wonderful conference by Filia

This is such a nasty message. Tinsel has supported (without any money or support herself) so many transwidows who otherwise have little to no support. About as far from a 'trouble maker' as you can get.

I'm sure the Jewish women in attendance don't find all the antisemitism 'wonderful'.

🙄