women's facebook groups

I can no longer trust that a women's Facebook group, or a women's interests group, is all women, or that the topic won't get derailed by mods insisting on 'inclusion' of trans-identified men in the group or constantly referencing their issues. I didn't previously think trans-identified women caused problems in these spaces, as they tend to be lower profile (funny that), but increasingly there is insistence that we as women have to remember that 'not everyone who has a period/breastfeeds/has babies is a 'woman' and just one individual can suck up a lot of attention in the space, or just discussion of one individual, even. I've seen how men can respectfully enter women's spaces, and this isn't it. A man in a woman's dance class participates with everyone else to learn; a dad in a mums' group is generally trying to do the same things we are, work out parenting (and dads' groups aren't as much of a thing). But there are breastfeeding groups, mums' groups, even a witchery group that I no longer feel safe in. It sounds like a small thing - so what if your Facebook group 'includes' this focus, or there are a couple of extra men? But they're not respectful of the space, and I don't feel comfortable sharing or speaking in the group. And it matters, because I have chronic fatigue, I work fulltime and I have a toddler, so online socialising is important in my life. It's a way to get information, share information, and have a laugh. I'm pretty vocal and have been an activist for the better part of 20 years, so it's sad and disappointing that the places I go for support that were formerly women-focused and/or feminist, aren't there anymore. I can stay quiet and lurk, or I can speak up on behalf of women, for what I see as right, as I have always done, and be called a bigot. So inclusive - excluding women from their own spaces.

#australia #virtualspaces #onlinespace #facebook

melbourne bar makes its toilets unisex while asking about women's safety

I recently went out to a bar in Brunswick, Melbourne. Since the last time I was there all the toilets have been made unisex. Whilst I was in line, a male person wearing female clothing joined the line and tried to make small talk with me. I have not experienced this behaviour from other women during previous visits to this venue. I also saw unattended drinks left on the sink.

What really made me angry was a sign inside the formerly-female toilet doors saying there has been an increase in drink spiking, and could patrons please let management know what could be done to make the venue safer. Having a female-only toilet would be something that would make women safer.

#australia #melbourne #brunswick #nightclub #unisex #bathrooms #toilets #safety #drinkspiking

"when ultra-progressives defend sexual assault against lesbians" (from marianne.net)

The following are translated extracts from a statement by a French feminist collective. The original article is here.

"We, the signers of this forum, testify to having experienced gender-based, punitive and sexual violence aimed at "correcting" our sexual orientation within spaces presenting themselves as LGBTQIAP+. It is not an urban legend. These are not isolated cases. Moreover, when following these attacks, we undertake to create other spaces to meet in complete safety and together to live our homosexuality serenely, we still suffer from bullying (physical attacks, cyber harassment ...) from the traditional far right but also from activists who wear visual symbols of anti-fascism (the anti-fascist movement, which has existed for a long time, of course does a lot of resistance work, but we see that today,some fascists abuse it)."

...

"This gives an idea of ​​what we have been facing for two or three years already, when we try for example to organize dance evenings or single-sex football tournaments in spaces that are however private. When we speak of punitive sexual violence, I insist, we are not exaggerating: those concerned recognize it themselves, since it suffices to see with what violence their threats are spread openly on social networks ... when they have, as their sole argument, accused their contradicators of "hatred" and "moral violence", all outbursts seem permitted to them."

#france #lesbianspaces #lesbian #threats #conversion #sexualorientation #anarchists