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FiLiA

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FiLiA
Formation2013
Websitewww.filia.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata

FiLiA is a British feminist organization established in 2013.[1] It describes itself as feminist[1] and states that the organization supports "sex-based rights",[2] but has been described by critics as anti-transgender[3] or transphobic,[4][5][6] and as gender-critical.[7] It hosts an annual conference, which claims to be the largest of its kind.[8] One of its key figures is Heather Brunskell-Evans, the founder of Women's Declaration International (WDI).[9][10] It is known for its opposition to transgender rights[9] and is described by The Daily Dot as "openly transphobic" and "opposing the idea that you can even be trans".[3]

Conferences

In October 2023, the FiLiA women's conference took place at Platform in Glasgow city centre.[11] Following claims by anonymous activists that FiLiA is a transphobic group, Platform gave FiLiA 12 hours' notice that their conference would not be allowed to be held at the venue.[7][11] Glasgow Trans Rally said the conference was "dangerously transphobic," "encourages an environment which materially endangers trans folk, especially trans women"[7] and that "the way that FiLiA’s transphobia operates is insidious. They deliberately veil their transphobia behind ‘feminist’ rhetoric in a way that is calculated, tactical and deceitful."[12] The venue's cancellation resulted in legal threats, describing the legal implications of the Equality Act 2010, following which the cancellation was withdrawn.[7][5][11] Glasgow LGBT rights activists, intersectional feminists and Scottish Greens politicians staged a public protest against FiLiA on 13 October 2023.[4][13] The Scotsman newspaper reported "Anonymous organisers behind the Glasgow Trans Rally had attempted to shut down the three-day FiLiA conference, which features people from around the world to discuss topics including female genital mutilation." Speakers included SNP MP Joanna Cherry, writers Julie Bindel and J. K. Rowling, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem.[11][14] Glasgow Scottish Green councillor Holly Bruce said "there’s various workshops and sessions that are under the guise of women’s safety, that are trans exclusionary."[14]

Criticism

FiLiA has faced accusations of transphobia and protests against its events, including from local authorities.[15] The Trans Safety Network described the FiLiA conference as characterised by "a disturbing trend of anti-trans extremism, conspiracy theory and harassment of trans and GNC people" and said that "much of the content on their website indicates a hostility to trans women [and] conspiratorial beliefs."[16] FiLiA has claimed that the organisation was banned from Labour Party and Liberal Democrat conferences. FiLiA has published a document that states that "we support Liz Truss in saying no to self ID" and "the word woman is taken."[17]

In 2020 cosmetics company Lush apologised for donating money to FiLiA and other anti-trans groups, after the company had faced extensive criticism, e.g. from the leader of Young Labour, Jessica Barnard, who said it was "disgusting to see Lush funding transphobia."[18]

In 2022, the National Education Union executive passed a motion that described FiLiA as a transphobic organisation.[2] In 2022, FiLiA also organised a conference in Cardiff where, among other things, the alleged threat of "trans ideology" was discussed. The conference featured several speakers known for anti-trans views, including Maya Forstater, Helen Joyce, Julie Bindel, Rosie Duffield and Sheila Jeffreys.[16] Ahead of the conference, organisations across Cardiff signed a statement of support for all women and girls, both transgender and cisgender.[16] Many businesses in Cardiff responded by flying the trans flag to condemn the FiLiA event.[19] During the 2022 conference, some FiLiA participants tried to enter local businesses to complain about trans flags or complain about the presence of trans people, while two FiLiA participants were arrested for harassing trans people.[16] Labour Students described FiLiA as "an anti-trans lobbying group" and said Rosie Duffield's behaviour "has gone beyond the pale and we echo LGBT+ Labour's calls that she should lose the Labour whip" after she attended the FiLiA conference, calling upon the party to "adopt a definition of transphobia [and] deal with instances of transphobia more efficiently".[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "About FiLiA Women's Rights Conference". FiLiA. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  2. ^ a b "FiLiA Responds to NEU Transphobia Accusations". Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Lush UK has been donating money to anti-trans organizations". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b "FiLiA Glasgow: Activists protest against 'transphobic' event". The Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Venue forced to U-turn on cancelling 'transphobic' event after legal action threat". The National. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  6. ^ "JK Rowling speaks at FiLiA feminist conference labelled 'transphobic'". The National. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "Platform backs down after bid to cancel gender critical conference". The Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Police investigate threat to burn venue hosting FiLiA in Cardiff". ITV. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b Thurlow, Claire (2022). "From TERF to gender critical: A telling genealogy?". Sexualities. doi:10.1177/13634607221107827.
  10. ^ "Trans Activism vs Feminism (and the Wider World): Heather Brunskell-Evans in Conversation with Julian Vigo". Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d Bannerman, Lucy; Watson, Jeremy (2023-10-16). "JK Rowling makes surprise appearance at feminist conference in Glasgow". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  12. ^ "Conference to go ahead as lawyers overturn decision to cancel: The FiLiA conference, with speaker Joanna Cherry MP, had been criticised for lobbying against gender recognition reform". Stv.tv. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  13. ^ "FiLiA activist led away by police amid rally at 'transphobic' event". The National. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  14. ^ a b Ward, Sarah (13 October 2023). "Trans activists stage protest outside FiLiA conference in Glasgow". The Scotsman. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Portsmouth council flies trans and other inclusive flags outside offices". Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d "FiLiA conference 2022: Transphobia, harassment and arrests at conference in Cardiff". Trans Safety Network. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Women uniting". FiLiA. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Lush apologises after donating thousands to anti-trans groups". Dazed. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  19. ^ "The trans movement has a problem with women". Spiked. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Labour Students stands in full solidarity with the LGBT+ community". Labour Students. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
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