The anti-gender (also known as 'TERF' or 'gender critical') movement represents
a multi-pronged assault on the lives of trans people. This is being done viastreet-level fascism and more legitimated forms such as via charity statusorganisations like the LGB Alliance influencing government policy. This hasproved a successful strategy, as both major political party leaders, Keir Starmerand Rishi Sunak have expressed transphobic views in line with anti-genderideology.[1][2] This multi-pronged attack feeds straight back into the moremainstream, white nationalist, fascist movements, such as Patriotic Alternative,who have been focused recently on anti-refugee rhetoric and demonstrations. Onceagain, both major political parties seek to appease them and the Tory governmentis implementing an even more murderous border policy to "Stop The Boats". Thiswould, however, break international law such as the European Convention of HumanRights (ECHR). This has led to a campaign to leave the ECHR which would reduceeveryone's human rights in the UK.I argue that the anti-gender and mainstream fascist movements are one and thesame. The differentiation between so-called 'TERFs' and white nationalistfascists is effectively pointless and the muddying of the waters on this pointhas only served to help them spread their hatred. The anti-gender movement issimply a particular strategy or tactical wing, if you like, of the fascistmovement. Over the past year or two, we have seen a marked increase incollaboration between the anti-gender movement and their fascist friends,particularly on a street level. This article aims to highlight the increasingunity between anti-trans and open fascist movements in Britain, with a Part 2about how we can respond as anarchists and anti-fascists.Prominent Anti-Trans Activists And Their Far-Right FriendsLet's take a closer look at some of the personalities involved in anti-transactivism and how their work on the ground has recently been converging with otherfascist groups and personalities. In 2020, Posie Parker (AKA Kellie-JayKeen-Minshull) founded the organisation 'Standing for Women' and since then hasbeen organising demonstrations under the slogan, 'Let Women Speak'. These eventsare punctuated by long, often rambling rants as well as the selling of Parker'sown 'Adult Human Female' T-shirts. There's always a grift. Posie Parker hasundoubtedly become one of the most prominent faces of the anti-gender movement asits chief organiser of street-level events.In October 2019, Parker appeared on far-right YouTuber Jean-François Gariépy'schannel. Gariépy has previously called for the creation of a white ethno-state.Some of his other guests include neo-Nazis Richard Spencer and Mark Collett, aswell as former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader David Duke. Parker has also written forthe far-right Spectator magazine, criticising a John Lewis advert featuring ayoung boy playing with makeup and high heels. She claims the advert is part of a'harmful agenda'. Parker also tweeted strongly Islamophobic, now deleted, tweetscalling areas of Bradford an "awful place for women" especially around one schoolthat was "99.9.% Pakistani Muslim" and that the term 'Islamophobia' itself was a"bullshit meaningless word to silence critics of Islam."Appearing on the podcast 'Feminist Current' in 2019, she praised Tommy Robinsonand repeated his Islamophobic conspiracy theory about Telford grooming gangs onher livestreams.[3] She has also taken selfies with Norwegian, Holocaust denying,neo-Nazi Hans Jørgen Lysglimt Johansen and appeared in another interviewconducted by the far-right network 'Soldiers of Christ Online'. Parker is alsoan 'advisor' to the Women's Liberation Front (WoLF), in this case a literal wolfin sheep's clothing, considering they have accepted funding from 'AllianceDefending Freedom', a group which organises campaigns against abortion and LGBTrights.[4] Not all in the anti-gender movement claim her as one of theirchampions, but you will find far more praise than criticism. We can see, then,that Parker places herself within the wider context of far-right activismglobally and is perhaps one of the main drivers of the increasing convergencebetween mainstream, white nationalist fascists, and the anti-gender movement.In 2021 and 2022, Trans Safety Network (TSN) were already highlighting thisincreasing convergence. Exploring the links between the two, they said, "Thisgrowing accord between the far-right and the gender critical movement over theiranti-trans stances is a worrying trend that suggests both a mainstreaming of thefar-right, using transphobia as a ticket into other spaces, as well as aradicalisation of people who would otherwise not praise open fascists." In thefollowing article, TSN offers an even more thorough breakdown on the convergence,which I will quickly go over. Prominent anti-trans journalist Julie Burchill hadher book published by Stirling Press, which is owned by neo-Nazi TabathaStirling. In a leaked voice note, Stirling talks about the 'JQ', code for the'Jewish Question'. Burchill later cut ties. Stirling also claims allegiance tothe anti-trans hate group LGB Alliance. Another link is between far-rightarsonist Lee Harrison (jailed for setting fire to a flat housing a trans woman)and Posie Parker, with Harrison sharing content from Parker prior to the attack.On TikTok, a 16 year old boy started the #SuperStraight meme which was sharedrapidly online and Posie Parker had a t-shirt with the phrase up on her website.Days later, Tommy Robinson was advertising the meme on his Telegram.Jennifer Bilek has been a popular figure in the anti-gender movement for yearsand was previously a member of transphobic eco-fascist group 'Deep GreenResistance', which played a key role in the Hands Across the Aisle alliancebetween Radical Feminists and US Christian Conservatives in the form ofpreviously mentioned WoLF. Research by Christa Peterson reveals Bilek'santisemitic conspiracy theories, which involves "a secret plan by Jewishbillionaires to use "transgenderism" as a plot to bring about a transhumanistimmortality project and enslave humanity through technocapital."It goes further than just sharing memes though. TSN point out the materialalliances formed, looking particularly at a submission to the UN by WoLF incollaboration with the Christian Right anti-LGBT organisation "United FamiliesInternational". Signatories include Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, Graham Linehan,Harry Miller for "We Are Fair Cop", and Heather Brunskell-Evans, "cofounder ofthe Women's Human Rights Campaign, who's submission to the GRA inquiry last year[2022] called for the elimination of "transgenderism" as a form of[classification] of women." Next to them on the list are Evangelical Christianorganisations the Heritage Foundation (tied to the Trump campaign), AmericanCollege of Pediatricians (who produce pseudo-scientific studies claiming teachingchildren about LGBT issues is harmful), and Partners for Ethical Care (who wereinvolved in a project mapping trans health clinics which has inspired targetedharassment and anti-trans protests outside these locations). Finally, TSN pointsto the Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC) as a key point of convergence. WHRCleader Sheila Jeffery's has called for closer collaboration between feminists andthe right. In the US, Kara Dansky, a joint member of WHRC, WoLF, and DGR, is aregular guest on Fox News talk show 'Tucker Carlson Tonight'.[5] All of thisdemonstrates the close ties between the anti-gender movement and other fascists.It also demonstrates that trans anarchists and anti-fascists have been raisingthe alarm about this for years at this point, with little uptake among leftistsgenerally.A Multi-Pronged AssaultThe anti-gender movement styled itself to have the look of a legitimate protestmovement, similar to actually progressive social movements. Part of this is theco-optation and appropriation of the Suffragette flag. They have also beenspotted making their own 'Legal Observer' vests to look like the ones Green andBlack Cross use.[6] These are not real Legal Observers and Green and Black Crossis a trans inclusive organisation. Despite being called 'Let Women Speak', whenone cis woman dared to speak in favour of trans people at one of these events,she had the microphone taken away from her. At a recent event in London, (26thFebruary 2023) one man, loudly exclaimed that he was indeed a Nazi.[7] At thesame time, Posie Parker was on her livestream asking where the Nazis were.[8]Similarly, another Posie Parker rally saw the far-right turn out in force tosupport it. Holding a sign that said 'Defy the Gaystapo' was Max Dunbar andJoseph Finnie, both former BNP members with their colleague Alistair McConnachie,who was suspended from UKIP for Holocaust denial. Far-right groups in attendanceincluded 'UK: A Force For Good', the 'British Freedom Party', the 'NationalHousing Party', the 'Scottish Family Party', 'Alliance Defending Freedom', and'Hearts of Oak'. There was also American far-right journalist Andy Ngo who has ahistory of filming and doxxing anti-fascists.[9] This is what anti-fascists areseeing on the ground right now and it represents a serious escalation instreet-level fascism around trans existence. Working in tandem with Posie Parkerand street fascists (though never officially endorsing them) are organisationslike the LGB Alliance and Women's Place UK. These organisations are legitimisedin a way that transphobes ranting about transhumanism at Speaker's Corner aren't,with the LGB Alliance being given charity status. The aim of organisations likethis is primarily to influence governmengislation. This includes legislationaround gender recognition reform, single-sex prisons, and trans healthcare,either working to strip away trans rights legislation or slow its implementation.Therefore, these groups can, to a certain extent, resist being called 'fascist'because of their legitimised status. But my argument is that these groups arejust as fascist as Posie Parker, not just because they are run by anti-genderactivists (who are fascists ideologically) but also because their goals align,forming a second point of attack.On 21st October 2021, we saw the first LGB Alliance Conference at the QueenElizabeth II Centre in London. Attending the conference was Andy Ngo, showingthat the explicit fascist links already existed by this point in time. TSN pointsout that LGB Alliance had connections to the US religious right from an earlystage. Conservative activist Gary Powell bragged about having attended theirfirst pre-launch meeting, "Gary Powell has a long track record writing for(American conservative anti-same-sex-parenting) Witherspoon Institute as well aspart of a closely-connected bioethics group Center for Bioethics and Culturewhich was founded by Jennifer Lahl (an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage assupposedly being a threat to women)."[10] 'LGB' may be their name, but there's astrong emphasis on the absent T. Meanwhile, LGB Alliance does precisely nothingto improve the lives of any LGB person and work with people actively campaigningagainst LGB rights. Their areas of interest in terms of campaigning include:opposition to relationship and sex education in schools, opposition to reformingthe gender recognition act, calling for the withdrawal of the Hate Crime andPublic Order (Scotland) Act, targeting resources on sexual violence, andcampaigning for the exclusion of trans people from anti-conversion therapylegislation.[10]On a government level, the Conservative Party has embraced the anti-genderideology within its ranks. The LGB Alliance attended the last Conservativeconference and leadership hopefuls Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak both pandered togender criticals and right-wingers on gender, hoping these 'culture war' issueswould be a vote winner among their membership, as well as among the public goinginto the next election. On the other side of the aisle, the Labour Party are atbest fence sitters and at worst fascist sympathisers. Labour MP Rosie Duffield isone of Parliament's most outspoken transphobes. They can be found as well in theSNP (Joanna Cherry) and the Green Party (Shahrar Ali). Policy-wise, the bill thatsought to make all forms of conversion therapy illegal was amended to excludetrans people, at the advice of groups like LGB Alliance. The state is the mostcapable of all the entities I've mentioned so far of doing material harm to transpeople, as it does on a daily basis.In conclusion, the anti-gender movement and the far-right are converging at pace,prominent anti-trans activists have been working alongside the far-right foryears, and the state is taking advice from the LGB Alliance (which has its ownlinks to the religious right) In Part 2, I will advocate for a militantanti-fascism to counter this threat, alongside community building and solidarity. ?Citations[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i17fFctlfM[2] https://gcn.ie/rishi-sunak-trans-rights/[3] https://transsafety.network/posts/far-right-converge/[4]https://www.thenational.scot/news/23299549.posie-parker-anti-trans-founder-standing-women/[5] https://transsafety.network/posts/gcs-and-the-right/[6] https://twitter.com/WikiHowToLogout/status/1538483033564712961[7] https://twitter.com/WasARiot/status/1631066024178057223[8] https://twitter.com/WasARiot/status/1631644494528495618[9] https://transsafety.network/posts/glasgow-far-right-standing-for-women/[10] https://transsafety.network/posts/profiled-lgb-alliance/Luther Blissetthttps://organisemagazine.org.uk/scratch-a-transphobe-pt-1-opinion/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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