Gender Critical ‘Feminism’ and Fascism

 

I am not going to go too much into this but there has been a lot of talk over the past few days about the fascist attacks on the Capitol building and many of us have been addressing the elephant in the room, that gender critical feminism and transphobia, as with homophobia, are right-wing ideologies and have a part to play in the rise of fascism to action and power.

Many of these left-wing gender critical ‘feminists’ have been laughing at the very idea that they could possibly be enabling fascism. I mean, I wouldn’t think that was funny but ok.

It begs the questions, what do they think fascism actually is and how do they believe it comes into power?  to quote an article I read in regard to the Capitol building and Trump, "fascism does not arrive on the scene with full uniform and programme".  Would we even really recognise fascism if it comes to us in a way in which it appears to be our ally?

These are, in truth, not questions that need me to answer them, this is literally recorded history and research has been done over the decades to understand the complexities involved in this so both we and the gender-critical ‘feminists’ already know the variety of things which lead to the rise and power of fascism.

Importantly, we know it’s not simply fascists by themselves who gain power, the people who follow bigotry and bias unconsciously walking into fascism without an ounce of self-awareness that they are doing so are a large part of how fascism gains power.

It’s only after the fact after atrocities and cruelties have been committed, that people begin to question how anybody could have gone along with it, even if they didn’t agree with it.

The psychology of human behaviour, this kind of behaviour specifically is well researched, and as fascinating as it is, it’s utterly horrifying that good people can be led down a very dark path because of the fact that our biases allow fascism to appear to us as a friend.

We know without a doubt the links between racism and fascism, so I don’t think I need to link anything on that - although the fact that many gender critical ‘feminists' appear to have quickly forgotten much of human history I might suggest they do a quick read up.

Of course, we know too the links between the far-right, fascism and anti-LGBTQI which are also well known, if more recently studied:

This article talks a bit about the link between fascism, eugenics and homophobia

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/169291

This article discusses the links between the BNP (British National Party) and homophobia

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540253.2016.1274384?journalCode=cgee20&

And of course, both Poland and Russia are currently pushing right-wing anti-LGBTQIA+ policies, as well as the man of the hour himself, Donald Trump, who was pushing back on trans rights. 

So, it's clear just by this small amount of information I have provided, that there are indeed connections between the right, far-right, fascism and anti LGBTQIA+ views in society and government.

But I don't provide this thinking I'm actually giving any insight here, this is literally common knowledge, we are all aware of it. Even the gender critical 'feminists' who are having to distance themselves from fascism they have aligned with after the Trump supporters took over the Capitol building are aware of it - hence their complaints that any of us have the audacity to mention them in the same breath as Capitol, Trump or fascism.

More?

However, if this was not enough for you, there are also well known - and openly admitted - links and connections with gender critical ‘feminism’ in the UK and Scotland and the conservative Christian right, Trump and anti LGBTQIA+ bigotry'.

One of the founders of the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP) is an open anti-BLM, anti-Antifa - the party soon distanced from this person stating they did not know they held such views and do not agree, I will leave it up to you to judge.

Below we have the conservative religious group 'Christian Concern' discussing the LGB Alliance and one of their Co-Founders who stated they think there shouldn’t be LGBTQIA clubs in schools because of ‘predators’ we also have the LGB Alliance discussing how they don’t think it’s homophobic to be against gay marriage.

(If you are surprised by a group claiming to be for LGB people yet stating they don’t think LGBTQIA education should be allowed, or, stating that being anti-gay marriage is not homophobic, don’t be, this is a regular occurrence for them)

The LGB Alliance have also connections to and worked with the known conservative Christian Heritage Foundation. You can see by the photos I have provided that the heritage foundation – by their own self-description – are about “promoting… conservative traditional American values” – I’m sure we all know what that means.

This Same person - Co-Founder of LGB Alliance -  has admitted outright that they acknowledge the Heritage foundation are a “right-wing group” and that they have “deeply anti-women policies” which they find “problematic “ but that without them, the gender critical ‘movement’ couldn’t exist.

This is also the same LGB Alliance who some Scottish MSP’s are openly involved with, and one of whom even attended the launch of LGB Alliance group; this Scottish MSP is also invited a well-known 'controversial' (I take that to mean right-wing) gender critical ‘feminist’ to speak at the Scottish Parliament on behalf of their agreement on trans rights;  this is a person who regularly writes for right-wing owned magazines such as Quilette.

It’s important to note here the fact that gender critical ‘feminism’ doesn’t seem to be pro-choice either.

And yes, one of these people is an(other) MSP and a gender-critical ‘feminist’.

 

Meanwhile, the LGB Alliance are thanking a conservative member of the House of Lords for supporting them; this person, rather unsurprisingly, voted against gay marriage.

So, what do the LGB Alliance and gender critical ‘feminism’ have in common with the conservative Christian right?

; anti-gay marriage, anti LGBTQIA clubs and education and anti-choice.

 

So, as I said, I will leave it up to you to decide if gender critical feminism has links to the right and a part to play in fascism. And I’ll leave it to you to decide if this is the feminism for you.

However, I, will be on the other side of the room, far, far away from them, as far as is possible.

 

I’d be happy if you joined me.

 

 

 

TL;DR

Let me first say that Scottish government legitimising fascism and bigotry, racism and anti-LGBTQIA+ by giving proponents of these a platform in and voice in our parliament is extremely harmful and I do not agree with that in any way, shape or form. MSPs in their own time are free to do as they wish, but to bring it to our government is extremely irresponsible.

Any adult who is online has the same access as I do to these links and online comments, we all have history and contemporary political information at our fingertips now, so there is literally no excuse to be ignorant of the connections between fascism, religious right and anti-LGBTQIA.

And let me make it clear, I would rather be an embarrassment and an idiot than an enabler of fascism. 

I’m sure many of these gender critical ‘feminists’ don’t believe for a second they are enabling fascism through their backwards slide into conservative and right-wing ideology and values, but nobody ever does.

I’m also sure very few of them actually are fascists themselves, but you don’t have to be a fascist to enable fascism.

All you have to do is allow it in the door. And they have done this.

 (header photo credit Brett Sayles from Pexels)