We are a group of activist women from a wide variety of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Last week, a good number of the left-wing men we work and organise with seriously disappointed us. These men – our friends, our fellow trade unionists, activists, writers, organisers, and artists – shared and commented on a reductive and damaging article written by Frankie Gaffney, which was published in the Irish Times.
We live in a world where our advantages are tangled up with the things that disadvantage us – some of us are working class, some queer, some of us are poor, some of us come from minority ethnic groups or have disabilities or don’t enjoy the security of citizenship. As well, some of us have had a multitude of opportunities in our lives while some of us have had to fight our way through. It is an obligation on all of us to honestly look at our different positions within the structures of oppression and privilege under patriarchal racial capitalism. It is only by acknowledging all these differences that we have any chance of imagining and building a better world that includes us all.
Working-class ‘straight white men’ in Ireland don’t have it easy these days. They never did. They are ignored by a political class that couldn’t care less about them. They should have a say in the decisions that affect their lives, but they often don’t.
However, that doesn’t make them immune to critique. We all have to examine ourselves as oppressor as well as oppressed – because we are all both. The response to the article felt like a silencing to us and we are writing this because we are way past putting up with that. You will see from the names on this letter that we are women who have been in the thick of things. Whether in political parties and organisations, education, trade unions, or grassroots and community-based movements, we are tired of being accused of ‘bourgeois feminism’ and of betraying the struggle when we raise our voices. No campaign in this country could survive without women, without us – our work and energy and knowledge and organising have been instrumental in all the progressive movements in this country. When we say we need to be recognised and respected within our movements, we need you to listen.
The article expressed the view that identity politics is good for nothing except dividing movements, using language and narratives that have been made popular by MRA (Men’s Rights Activist) groups and the alt-right. According to such narratives, straight white men are the new most oppressed group. This ignores the struggles of women and others at the sharp end of misogyny, racism, anti-trans and anti-queer violence. It aims to silence those who will no longer tolerate the violence, abuse and marginalisation we have suffered for so long. These alt-right arguments have been used by people on the left to support the view that women, and feminists in particular, are to blame for the rise of the far right – for instance, for Trump’s election – and for neoliberal capitalism, which is seen as having damaged working class men in particular.
In this version of events, straight white men are made to feel uncomfortable about being ‘born this way’ by social media-fuelled ‘political correctness’. They are too afraid to say what they think or express opinions for fear of online retribution. Men who claim to be silenced in this way might try a week or even a day as a vocal woman or person of colour online and see how they deal with the rape threats and threats of racist violence that follow.
We are not concerned here about one opinion piece by one person. Rather we have all been aware of the increasing trend towards this particular new type of silencing of women from our supposed fellow activists on the left. The arguments mounted here and elsewhere are apparently to criticise some of the worst aspects of ‘call-out culture’, as well as the lean-in type of so-called feminism that disregards class and race. Yet they seem to be used now by some of our left-wing activist comrades as an excuse not to deal with the complexities of gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation in our political organising. These excuses, when accepted, prevent us from seeing clearly the state of our movements – who is taking part in them, who is heard and represented, who is doing the work. These are massive issues that have to do with how we are creating mass movements, which need to be addressed and faced to ensure that people of different classes, races, ethnicities, sexual orientation and gender have not just a voice but leading roles in our struggle. Without this solidarity in working together, we are simply imitating the oppressive structures we want to fight – the structures that say “not now, your life comes second.” It is not the straight white men who are being silenced when this argument is made.
We are working-class women, women of colour, migrant women, trans women, Traveller women, disabled women, queer women, women who are sex workers, women with children, and women who are none of these, active in our communities and committed to an anti-capitalist struggle. We are well aware that a right-wing, neoliberal distortion of feminism and what is called ‘identity politics’ exists. We know this because it erases our experiences and struggles and we resist this erasure through our work as activists every single day. It is distressing and enraging that we also have to fight against the bad faith of fellow activists on the left – mostly men, sometimes women – who, for their own reasons, blur the distinction between this kind of middle-class neoliberal faux-feminism, and a truly radical feminist politics that has class struggle at its very core. This hurts us because it erases and undermines our realities, our suffering, our analyses, and our organising, and gives more strength to the powers that are ranged against us. For many of us, it is heart-breaking to look at some of the men around us and realise that they are nodding in agreement with this erasure of their working class women friends and comrades.
Most of us have grown up learning to appease men. How to give them our space, how to deal with the fact that they dominate any political discussions, that they are paid more, heard more and believed more. However, most of us expect that the men we work with in all the social justice movements we are part of should have at least considered how they are complicit in this domination when they refuse to recognise that it exists. Patriarchy forces men into roles that damage them as well as us. Most of us have men that we love, admire and respect in our lives and for that reason, not only because it damages and diminishes the life experiences of women, we should all be fighting patriarchy together.
Niamh McDonald
Zoe McCormack
Jen O’Leary
Aline Courtois
Emily Waszak
Theresa O’Keefe
Sinéad Redmond
Aislinn Wallace
Hazel Katherine Larkin
Linnea Dunne
Natalia Fernandez
Helen Guinane
Maggs Casey
Stephanie Lord
Anne Mulhall
Eileen Flynn
Ellie Kisyombe
Elaine Feeney
Wendy Lyon
Sarah Clancy
Brigid Quilligan
Emily Duffy
Clara Purcell
Aoibheann McCann
Aoife Frances
Shauna Kelly
Eilís Ní Fhlannagáin
Dearbhla Ryan
Michelle Connolly
Siobhán O’Donoghue
Aoife FitzGibbon O’Riordan
Stephanie Crowe Taft
Denise Kiernan
Aisling Egan
Donnah Vuma
Kate O’Connell
Natalia Fernández
Fionnghuala Nic Roibeaird
Mary McAuliffe
Marie Mulholland
Margo Harkin
Avril Corroon
Juliana Sassi
Ailbhe Smyth
Kate McGrew
Ciara Miller
Aoife Dermody
Emer Smith
Francisca Ribeiro
Jerrieann Sullivan
Marie McDonnell
Kathleen Gaul
Liz Martin
Laura Lee
Roisin Blade
Kerry Guinan
Gráinne O’Toole
Edel McGinley
Máiréad Enright
Erin Fornoff
Sarah Fitzgibbon
Cliona Kelly
Ciara Fitzpatrick
Bronwen Lang
Shonagh Strachan
Dervla O’Neill
Hilary Darcy
Jane Xavier
Emma Campbell
Clara Rose Thornton IV
Linda Connolly
Nomaxabiso Maye
Rosa Thompson
Liz Nelson
Eavan Brennan
Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Elaine D’alton
Anne Rynne
Elaine Crory
Jodie Condon
Clare Kelly
Catriona O’Brien
Meireka Radford
Lisa Keogh Finnegan
Fiona Dunkin
Lelia Doolan
Jacinta Fay
Mary O’Donoghue
Mariel Whelan
Aine Treanor
Flavia Simas
Meabh Savage
Noirin Lynch
Claire Brophy
Liz Price
Linda Kavanagh
Linda Devlin
Aileen O’Carroll
Anita Koppenhofer
Vicky Donnelly
Marianne Farrelly
Aisling Walsh
Ronit Lentin
Sarah Ferrigan
Neltah Chadamoyo
Rosi Leonard
Tara Flynn
Sinead Kennedy
Anna Visser
Taryn de Vere
Marese Hegarty
Tracey Ryan
Orlagh De Bhaldraithe
Eimear O’Shea
Jen Fagan
Aoife Martin
Lorna O’Hara
Nicole King
Laura NicDiarmada
Maeve O’Brien
Maija Sofia
Izzy Kamikaze
Karen Mulreid
Niamh Byrne
Sophie Long
Gormla Hughes
Mary McDermott
Mary Cosgrove
Amy Moran
Chamindra Weerawardhana
Sarah Vanden Broeck
Karen McDonnell
Kate Quigley
Charlotte Gordon
Kerry Cuskelly
Susan O Keeffe
Inga Wójcik
May Watson
Máire Ní Giolla Bhríde
Maria O Sullivan
Gillian McInerney
Claire McCallion
Deirdre Flynn
Janet O’Sullivan
Alexandra Day
Jeannine Webster
Ann Farrelly
Georgina O’Halloran
Zoe Lawlor
Angela Coraccio
Kathryn Keane
Sorcha Fox
Anastasia Ryan
Sinéad O’Rourke
Kerri Ryan
Mara Clarke
Chelley McLear
Georgina Barrow
Breda McManus
Ceile Varley
Kate Quigley
Gala Tomasso
Louise Kelly
Catherine Lawless
Sonya Mulligan
Sarah-Anne Buckley
Lily Power
Angela Carr
Dervla O’Malley
Sinéad Mercier
Jane O’Sullivan
Irena Koroleva
Sarah Cavanagh
Margaret Ward
Emer McHugh
Miriam O’Donovan
Mhairi McAlpine
Deirdre Wadding
Sarah Wright
Lucy Michael
Maria Deiana
Sinead McDonald
Mairead Healy
Eleanor White
Ellen Reid
Laura Maloney
Liz Quirke
Jackie O’Toole
Amy Walsh
Sarah O’Grady
Catriona Finn
Audrey Bryan
Janet Horner
Donna Cooney
Maureen Tucker
Sarah Davis-Goff
Lynda Whyte
Cíara Molloy
Ciara Kenny
Joanna Hickey
Yvonne Murphy
Rose Murphy
Robyn Maguire
Tina O’Toole
Rachel Quigley
Clare Hayes-Brady
Adrienne Lynam
Amy Ní Mhurchú
Jennifer Dalton
Yasmine O’Connor
Vawns Murphy
Darina Roche
Norah Elam
Kelly Doolin
Muireann Meehan Speed
Grace Costigan
Anna Richardson
Rebek’ah McKinney-Perry
Kelly-Ann Daly
Maggie Bent
Cathie Shiels
Deirdre Mullen
Aoife Cooke
Debbie O Rourke
Rachel Watters
Chelley McLear
Paula Dennan
Kieran Ann Clifford
Lisa Carey
Catherine Vallely
Honor Harlow
Grian Ní Dhaimhín
Polly Molotov
Jesse Jones
Ceara Martyn
Jess Kavanagh
Trish Brennan
Sarah Marie Slattery
Mary Berney
Saoirse Bennett
Claddagh Róisín
Lynda Sheridan
Margo Carr
Noreen Murphy
Farah Mokhtareizadeh
Lisamarie Johnson
Leanne Doyle
Aine O’Driscoll
Maila Costa
Susan Walsh
Janica Ribeiro
Kellie McConnell
Aoife Cooke
Sharon Nolan
Michelle Doyle
Stephanie Fleming
Evonne Reidy
Caroline West
Alexandra Soares
Fíona Cuffe
Suzanne Daly
Jessica Traynor
Evelyn Richardson
Síomha Ní Aonghusa
Syd Delz
Michelle Coyne
Roisin Kelly
Amy McDonald
Gabriela Lobianco
Tracy Radley
Nikki Newman
Noirin Mac Namara
Maureen Mansfield
Rebeccah O’ Donovan
Tais Forner
Catherine Morley
Rachel Robinson
Lauren Foley
Emma Gilleece
Carly Fisher
Angela Carr
Katie Moylan
Kelly Fitzgerald
Alice Rekab
Liz Brosnan
Susan Miner
Ciara Thornton
Caroline Kelly
Nick Beard
Aisling Bruen
Keeva Carroll
Bebhinn McInerney
Manuela Palacios
Jene Hinds Kelly
Siobhan O’Riordan
Mel Duffy
Annie Hoey
Áine Ní Fhaoláin
Deborah Madden
Stephanie Rains
Lorelei Fox-Roberts
Ari Silvera
Melíosa Bracken
Orla Breslin
Janet Allen
Muireann O’Cinneide
Aislinn O Keeffe
Leigh Duncan
Muireann Crowley
Bebhinn Farrell
Emma Regan
Aisling Crosson
Maggie Feeley
Anna Cosgrave
Sharon Crowley
Leighanna Rose Walsh
Nyasha
Claragh Lucey
Shahidah Janjua
Róisín Garvey
Siobhan Greaney
Dominique Twomey
Janice Parr
Ingrid Kaar
Nicola Moffat
Carol Swanson
Ruth Fletcher
Aoife Riach Kelly
Stacey Wrenn
Laura McAtackney
Sinéad Noonan
Emma Gallagher
Kate Walsh
Caroline Kearney
Leah
Siobhan Curran
Elle Berry
Deirdre Duffy
Dianne Nora
Aisling Twomey
Linda Kelly
Emma Hendrick
Sarah Ann Behan
Catherine Ann Cullen
Dorcas Mac Nally
Emma Burns
Karen Twomey
Angel Bellaran
Charlie Bayliss
Anna Mac Carthy Adams
Fionnula MacLiam
Jen McKernon
Emer O’Toole
Anita Byrne
Noreen Murphy
Siobhán Schnittger
Paula Leonard
Michelle Byas
Mitzi D’Alton
BeRn
Caroline O’Sullivan
caroline kuyper
Rachel McTigue
Emma Delahan
Leonie Hilliard
Siobhán O’Dowd
Melissa Spencer
Ger Moane
Darina Roche.
Sive Bresnihan
Alicia Byrne Keane
Emma Jayne Geraghty
Aine O’Driscoll
Grace Walsh
Joanne Nolan
Aoife O’Neill Gormley
Colette Laffan
Marian Relihan
Jacqui Johnston
Pauline Cullen
Sarah O’Toole
Valesca Lima
Fiona de Londras
Mary Treasa Cahill-Kennedy
Niamh Keoghan
Sonny Jacobs
Sharon McDaid
Susanne Breen
Joan Brady
Anna Harris
Martina Hynan
Siobhán Cawley
Edel Geraghty
Orlaith Hendron
Nuala Ward
Krystle Higgins
Grainne Blair
Siobhán Madden
Ciara Dunne
Rose Foley
Audreyanne Brady
Helen Stonehouse
Kathy D’Arcy
Linda O’Keeffe
Catherine Charlwood
Devrim Gunyel
Sarah Monaghan
Yvonne Hennessy
Julia Tor Rojo
Eileen Wetherall
Siobhán Murphy
Leigh Brady
Gwen kennedy
Rosaleen Tanham
Karen NíDhíomasaigh
Kim O’Donnell
Sunny Jacobs
Theresa O’Donohoe
Anja Bakker
Fionnuala McKenna
Jackie McKenna
Bláithín Pringle
Sinead Pembroke
Ciara Coy
Geraldine Moorkens Byrne
Carmel Daly
Marie Walshe
Jessica Maybury
Ursula Barry
Patricia Walsh
Aileen Ferris
Mary Buckley
Rebekah Brady
Monica Ferreira
Sinead Owens
Leah Doherty
Ailbhe Ni Mhaoilearca
Saoirse Anton
Ursula Barry
Siobhán Cleary
Réaltán Ní Leannáin
Deborah Allen
Kellie White
Janet Colgan
Fionnuala Mc Kenna
Ann Marie Duffin
Cora Coleman
Moira Jenkins
Jess Lynch
Neasa Hourigan
Cara Ní Mhaonaigh
References:
Women of colour suffer more under austerity
Women hit harder by cuts than men
White privilege and male privilege
More women attempt suicide than men
http://www.healthpromotion.ie/hp-files/docs/HSP00612.pdf (pg 10)
Feminist Ire 
Reblogged this on Angevf's Blog.
It’s gas isn’t it. Men are constantly accused of ‘not talking’, not opening up enough and not saying exactly what’s on their minds. Then one does (Frankie Gaffney), and that is quickly followed by the likes of this public dressing-down. It’s almost like some women want men to talk but don’t want to hear what they have to say.
It was thought crime to even share the article. Nobody was accused of even agreeing with it. The charge was sharing the article.
Orwellian
At least that message is resoundingly clear now, and I think unlike the small scale rows this has thankfully brought about a lasting division. This division was long needed and I hope it opens a vast fracture to clearly delineate between those involved (e.g. this group who place identity over class) and those who are genuine.
Men on the Left for the first time see the identity hierarchy which is the signatories sole basis of their organising for the sole focus of empowerment of their own sex above all else. Effectively within this view even the most deprived of man will always be trumped by a middle class woman (such as the solicitors, academics, writers, NGO bunnies, and former political advisers, etc. signing above) in this worldview.
Hopefully this will allow people on the Left to clean out their organising of those who are incompatible with its aims for the greater good (and that often derail effectiveness with the small scale rows referred to above) before it sinks in the mire that Frankie has so vividly described and exposed.
So called Discouraged Left,
I’d attack your position but first I need to know more about your background in order to determine whether I can do so and to what extent I can disagree with you.
Unemployed straight white male and supportive of left politics since Right2Water.
I would add that disagreement is a waste of time, both from you (even as someone who disagrees with the letter) or from the authors.
As many of those involved in this letter have already complained about experiencing in their networks the consequences of their actions: people (including some female activists) are boycotting, unfriending, and ceasing association with those involved in signing or supporting the letter.
Whatever about anyone else I’m not interested in dialogue any more on these issues. This is the reasonable and logical conclusion of their course of action and continuous fostering of division (as someone who has come across some of the signatories directly in activist circles).
Thank you for indicating your background. It was a worry that I would have to ignore your comments but now I see it’s okay to respond.
Get back on the dole queue you over privileged saboteur.
Reblogged this on de frémancourt.
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Reblogged this on Reiding Women.
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Are all of these women AFAB? Many cis queer AFABs regard trans women as gender appropriators.
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What a typical modern day feminist clichéd diatribe, oozing with the cult of victim hood and conspiracy theories of oppression at the hands of the mysterious white male patriarchal Illuminati. The tortured logic of your LGBTTQQIAAPXYZ%&! ‘movement’, and your gender binary politics do not represent modern Irish women (or men) who believe in equality between the sexes.
You represent only yourselves, and your nauseating oh-so trendy left-wing self-righteous attitudes. Heaven forbid you ever find yourselves in a region of the world that really does systematically oppress women, enforcing child marriage and female circumcision. Then perhaps you ladies will realise just how privileged YOU are, and how your brand of ‘feminism’ does nothing to bring freedom to women, but is rather a lobby group for your pet grievances, a trivial movement to air your whinges and whines.
Absolutely…. you represent only yourselves.
Disgustingly self centered.
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Keep this bullshit in California. Bunch of drama queens .
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