Removed from group and refused rejoining

[Tursl]

I joined a Facebook group in December as I wanted to make friends with other women into personal development. Tonight I was removed from the group and it says I need to answer the questions. So I answered the questions and asked to join again and got declined.

I see they have accepted 131 women to the group this week. I feel disheartened as I have had no explanation about why I was refused. How is this a group that is inclusive and says they are there to let people make new friends yet are declining people without a valid reason. I don’t get why some people pick and choose who joins a group.

Can you give an example of the questions asked and your answers?

It said what is your email address. 2nd questions is about the festival tickets. There were 3
options: have you bought your ticket for the festival, are you going and have not bought a ticket or what is the festival all about. Then where you heard about the group.

What festival?

Womanifest

So what did you answer?

Why don't you just ask them why you weren't accepted?

The questions seem innocent enough but were any of your answers conditional?

There are about 6 admins so I don’t know which one declined me to ask. If I do ask they might think I’m desperate to join the group and gloat. I don’t know if they would be truthful the real reason I wasn’t accepted.

Usually that’s the case but I even said I hadn’t bought a ticket yet and was declined. I suspect others have been accepted and haven’t got a ticket.

‘At Womanifest Festival, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where individuals feel welcomed and valued. Our promise is to celebrate diversity and ensure that everyone, regardless of background, identity, or ability, has a place in our community. Together, we will foster a space that encourages connection, understanding, and empowerment for all. Join us in making this festival a truly inclusive experience for everyone!…

It doesn’t appeal to me. 😕

Thanks for that. Not really following their own statement about being inclusive refusing people.

This is all rather opaque.

I'm guessing that only people who've bought a ticket are allowed to join the group. If you've not bought one you don't look committed. So you can't join the group.
You don't know for sure others haven't got a ticket.
Why would the admins gloat? Just ask one of them for the acceptance conditions.

But if this were me, I'd want to be 100% sure the festival is for WOMEN only, before I signed up for anything.

….Our promise is to celebrate diversity and ensure that everyone, regardless of background, identity, or ability, has a place in our community. Together, we will foster a space that encourages connection, understanding, and empowerment for all…

I don’t think it is just for Women.

Yeah, I'm not convinced about that either.

I had a look at their website as I've not heard of this festival before. I don't see any of the usual tedious phrases about "all women" but I don't see anything confirming just XX either.

What a shocking (and yet wholly unsurprising) situation we are now in when we can't even assume that an event that says it's for women is truly for women.

Gosh I wouldn't hand out my email address to some random Facebook group. FB is more AI clickbait than real people these days. But if you're sure they're real just send them a message and ask if there's been a mistake. Doesn't matter if you send it to the wrong mod, they can work that bit out between them.

You sound concerned, do you suspect discrimination of some kind? What do they know about you that might lead to you being rejected and others accepted? If it's discrimination and they gloat then you have evidence to use in your complaint so it's win/win.

OP you're missing something here.

Inclusive doesn't mean what you think it means. Diverse doesn't mean what you think it means.

Diverse means that you can be any ethnicity but you must think the same as us.

Inclusive means if you don't think the same as us, we'll exclude you.

Come on! Tell us what you really wrote.

I agree, I think it is really "Mixedifest".

Sounds like the group is just a front for the festival.
Asking for email addresses so they can bombard you with marketing for add-ons and ‘exclusive’ extras. This sort of rather woo-ified scene is very money driven when you look behind the (hand woven from organic hemp picked under a wolf moon) curtain.

I have had a look since you posted and it seems like there are lots of stalls to buy things off
so the emphasis is on spending.

OP, I've just spotted this in the FAQs:

Will there be men at Womanifest?

The festival isn’t intended for men and there are no activities for them, however men are welcome to come if they choose but the sessions, workshops will not be tailored for them.

There will be a small number of men on site in a professional/staff capacity, speaking, manning car parks and on the food stalls.

🤔

Isn't intended for men, but is it inclusive of men that think they’re women?

It is clear from the Promise, they wish to celebrate diversity, regardless of IDENTITY …
Just that word alone irritates me.

You don't know that though. Maybe they only allow people into the group if they've bought tickets? That would be a sensible policy. Though I'd expect there'd be something on the page making it explicit.

It is much more likely they haven't let you in because you haven't met their criteria when answering the questions than that they have randomly decided to exclude you on the basis of your name and profile picture.

Yeah, if they had said on the group about section it’s for ticket holders only then that’s fine. They haven’t stated it so are not communicating to people the group expectations.

If 150 new people joined in a week then it's way more likely to just be a mod/admin oversight than that they're rejecting you personally. Unless you think there's some reason why they've kicked you out?

I’m guessing you would be accepted if you’d bought your ticket already?

'We also have a designated Inclusive Champion who will be on hand to help anyone throughout the weekend.'

Well I'm sold. Sign me up. 🙄