Bipolar Awareness ~ Stop the Stigma
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A hub to find places to educate yourself about Bipolar Disorder Join the conversation at #bipolarsky
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stopthestigma.bsky.social
TheKicksShrink The TRUTH About CBD for Anxiety & Depression (From a Psychiatrist) @sulmoney
The TRUTH About CBD for Anxiety & Depression (From a Psychiatrist)
Uncover the truth about CBD for anxiety and depression with insights from a psychiatrist. This video explains how CBD interacts with the brain, its potential benefits for mental health, and the scientific evidence behind its use. We separate myths from facts, highlight possible side effects, and discuss what to know before trying CBD. Whether you're exploring natural remedies or simply curious about CBD, this honest and clear breakdown will help you make informed choices about your mental wellness. The TRUTH About CBD for Anxiety & Depression (From a psychiatrist) CBD Explained: Calm in a Bottle...or Clever Marketing? Most people think CBD can cure anxiety, depression, and PTSD — but what does the science actually say? 🚨 🧠 For all things mental health from Dr. Sulman Aziz Mirza 👉🏼 https://linktr.ee/sulmanazizmirzamd 🚨😴 Trouble sleeping? Introducing Stories for Sleep, read by Dr. Mirza (in his psychiatrist voice, not YouTube voice!) to help you fall asleep in no time! Subscribe today 👉🏼 https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesForSleep-q2v This video is about CBD and mental health and psychiatry, as part of our series on mental health and psychiatry. Subscribe to our channel if you want to learn more about mental health and psychiatry! In this video, psychiatrist Dr. Sulman Aziz Mirza breaks down the real research behind CBD: what it can actually do, what’s just marketing, and the hidden risks most people never hear about. You’ll learn: • What CBD really does in the brain • Why studies on CBD for anxiety and depression are inconsistent • The truth about dosing, side effects, and liver risks • Why some CBD products don’t even contain what they claim CBD isn’t a miracle cure — but it’s not snake oil either. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth trying, this breakdown will give you the science, not the spin. 🔬 Next up: Watch my video on NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) — another supplement everyone’s talking about for mental health. Chapters 0:00 The CBD claims 1:01 The 3 biggest CBD myths 2:43 The ACTUAL science of CBD 5:42 The potential (and REAL) risks of CBD 7:57 Your 24 Hour Action Plan on CBD 😍 𝐈 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐒 𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐎𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒! ▶️ If you enjoy this video, please like it and share it. ▶️ Don't forget to subscribe to this channel for more updates. 👉𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚. 𝑨𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒐. 💊𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒: #cbd#cbdoil#cbdforanxiety#cbdfordepression#mentalhealth#anxietyrelief#depressionhelp #cbdbenefits#mentalwellness#cbdoilexplained#psychiatry#naturalremedies#cbdhealing #screentime#stressrelief#mindhealth#cbdfacts#wellnessjourney#anxietysupport#cbdresearch #mentalhealthawareness DISCLAIMER: This video is purely informational and educational and does not constitute medical advice and/or recommendations. Use of information is at your own risk, and expresses my own personal views and opinions, not those of any of my employers. Sulman Aziz Mirza, MD will not assume any liability for any direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death. In the event of any medical emergency or safety concerns, please go to your nearest emergency department and/or call 911. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline available 24/7: 800.273.8255 or 988 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org for online chat options
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Locked Up Living Philip Stokoe (Audio); Ruptures and Repairs: The Dynamics of Therapeutic Relationships with young offenders @lockedupliving
Philip Stokoe (Audio); Ruptures and Repairs: The Dynamics of Therapeutic Relationships with young offenders
In this conversation, Philip shares his extensive experiences in psychotherapy, particularly focusing on his time at the Youth Treatment Centre. He discusses the importance of understanding young offenders, the significance of emotional safety and connection, and the challenges of leadership and vulnerability in therapeutic settings. Philip emphasizes the role of boundaries in therapeutic work, the hierarchy of decision-making in organizations, and the development of thinking and emotional understanding in both therapists and patients. He concludes with reflections on the importance of wellbeing in therapeutic work and the necessity of providing spaces for reflection and discussion among staff. https://philipstokoe.org.uk/   Takeaways The work happens when we can transform feelings projected into us. Young people often seek safety in gangs when they feel unsafe at home. Parents often make the error of giving too much decision-making power to children. Therapeutic boundaries are essential for effective work. Anxiety is a feeling that has not yet been named. Human beings are designed to care for the vulnerable. The importance of benign inquiry in therapeutic settings. Leadership in therapeutic environments requires vulnerability and self-awareness. The hierarchy of decision-making should empower lower levels to make decisions. Wellbeing in therapeutic work is crucial for effective practice.
lockedupliving.podbean.com
stopthestigma.bsky.social
We are Survivors New Opportunities Available! #News @thisissurvivors
New Opportunities Available!
We Are Survivors are currently looking for two amazing and highly motivated individuals to come and support the delivery and data inputting of our support services to fill the following roles: Admin Co-Ordinator The Admin Co-Ordinator plays a vital role in ensuring our Community Services run smoothly, allowing survivors and their loved ones to receive timely and vital support. You’ll help manage the process of accurately recording client data from the point of referral to closure, assist with audits, and support general facilities and operations management. You’ll also occasionally provide admin support to our prison-based programmes, facilitating consistent standards across all areas of our work. Through this work, you will directly advance our mission to break the silence and support healing for men affected by sexual harms. You’ll work closely with the Information & Data Manager and Senior Operations: Data Analyst and, as needed, the Executive Leadership Team, modelling our values of Transparency, Integrity, Understanding and Responsiveness in everything you do. Contract Type: Permanent, Full-Time (37.5hrs). Salary: £24,570. Location: Central Hub – Unit 9 Brewery Yard, Deva City Office Park, Trinity Way, Salford, M3 7BB (satnav: M3 7BD). Closing Date: 02/11/25. Trauma Informed Therapist We’re looking for a trauma-informed therapist who will be based at our spokes across Greater Manchester, delivering therapy to survivors from community venues to provide support closer to where they live. You’ll play a key role in supporting clients, managing communications, and assisting with volunteer placements. You will work closely with our community development team and criminal justice teams to ensure survivors have access to proper support. All staff have a thematic leadership area to expand the organisation’s knowledge in areas impacting male survivors and their loved ones. Contract Type: Permanent, Part-Time (22.5 hours over 3 days). Salary: £27,810. Location: Central Hub – Unit 9 Brewery Yard, Deva City Office Park, Trinity Way, Salford, M3 7BB (satnav: M3 7BD). Closing Date: 28/10/25. About Us We Are Survivors is a survivor-focused voluntary sector organisation that aims to create and facilitate safe spaces for male (including trans and non-binary individuals) survivors of sexual harms across Greater Manchester, providing access to quality-assured support. Our work is focused on developing ways for individuals to empower themselves to work through personal and sometimes painful issues, guided and supported by our trauma-informed team, following the trauma and recovery model. Our vision is to have “A society where NO male survivor is left behind” About You You’ll be a qualified and experienced therapist working with trauma with a background of mental health and engagement. We’re especially keen to hear from people with experience in working with men, sexual harms and their loved ones, but we value transferable skills too. If you’re passionate about creating a society where no male survivor is left behind, this could be the role for you. Why Join Us? – a competitive salary. – annual leave package with incremental rises plus bank holidays. – company sick pay. – Birthday annual leave. – monthly clinical supervision. – pension contribution. – and a range of discount and benefit programmes. How to Apply Apply by sending your CV and a short supporting statement (max 2 pages) to [email protected]. In your supporting statement, we want you to answer these two questions: – How can your experience support male survivors to thrive? – How do you meet the role profile? Ensure you answer ALL elements in your CV or supporting statement. Interviews are expected to take place on 5th and 6th November; we reserve the right to interview and close the recruitment process early if satisfactory applicants. For informal queries, contact Jamie Legge, Operations Director on 0161 236 2182. By applying for any of the above roles, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Privacy Notice Equal Opportunities We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We actively encourage applications from people with lived experience, people from underrepresented backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQ+, disabled, or from Black, Asian or minoritised communities. We are also a Ban The Box Employer (https://www.bitc.org.uk/ban-the-box-campaign/) and will always give people with criminal records a fair chance to compete for our available roles. We will only ask about criminal convictions in the later stages of our recruitment processes to ensure we are recruiting based on skill, experience and ability before anything else.
www.wearesurvivors.org.uk
stopthestigma.bsky.social
‘You are constantly told you are evil’: inside the lives of diagnosed narcissists
‘You are constantly told you are evil’: inside the lives of diagnosed narcissists
Few psychiatric conditions are as stigmatised or as misunderstood as narcissistic personality disorder. Here’s how it can damage careers and relationships – even before prejudice takes its toll There are times when Jay Spring believes he is “the greatest person on planet Earth”. The 22-year-old from Los Angeles is a diagnosed narcissist, and in his most grandiose moments, “it can get really delusional”, he says. “You are on cloud nine and you’re like, ‘Everyone’s going to know that I’m better than them … I’ll do great things for the world’.” For Spring, these periods of self-aggrandisement are generally followed by a “crash”, when he feels emotional and embarrassed by his behaviour, and is particularly vulnerable to criticism from others. He came to suspect that he may have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) after researching his symptoms online – and was eventually diagnosed by a professional. But he doesn’t think he would have accepted the diagnosis had he not already come to the conclusion on his own. “If you try to tell somebody that they have this disorder, they’ll probably deny it,” he says – especially if they experience feelings of superiority, as he does. “They’re in a delusional world that they made for themselves. And that world is like, I’m the greatest and nobody can question me.” Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
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Dr Sanil Rege - Your Brain’s Real Reason for Procrastination (and How to Fix It)
Your Brain’s Real Reason for Procrastination (and How to Fix It)
Procrastination isn’t about laziness or weak willpower — it’s a dopamine timing glitch. In this video, Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Sanil Rege explains the neuroscience of procrastination and how to reset your brain’s internal reward clock so motivation arrives before you start, not after you finish. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 Introduction – Why procrastination isn’t laziness 2:11 The brain’s internal reward stopwatch 2:24 Phasic vs tonic dopamine explained 3:54 Delay discounting – why distant goals lose power 4:19 Three fixes to reset the dopamine clock 5:23 Sensory rehearsal and the “two-minute start” 6:30 Emotional circuits and anxiety’s role 6:50 Sleep, light, and movement resets 7:20 Pharmacological insights (bupropion, armodafinil, stimulants) 7:40 The coffee ritual – behavioural anchoring You’ll learn: ✅ Why procrastination happens in the brain ✅ How dopamine and reward timing influence motivation ✅ The concept of delay discounting — why long tasks feel harder ✅ Three science-backed ways to reset your dopamine clock ✅ How anxiety, sleep, and light affect motivation ✅ What clinicians and biohackers can do to help the brain start tasks Dr Sanil Rege has trained thousands of doctors and health professionals in neuroscience and psychiatry, helping bridge the gap between brain science and behaviour. 🎓 For Clinicians: Explore deeper modules on ADHD, reward prediction errors, and motivation neurobiology at The Academy by Psych Scene. #Procrastination #Dopamine #Neuroscience #ADHD #Motivation #BrainScience #DrRege #PsychiatrySimplified #Biohacking #PsychScene #Neuroplasticity Related Videos: 1. Always Tired? Here’s How to FIX the Brain-Based Fatigue Trap https://youtu.be/TxC1WCtugBc 2. Hidden ADHD: The Real Reason High Achievers Burn Out https://youtu.be/AtERZ0Rw5gA 3. Tired All the Time? Your Brain Might Be Trying to Tell You Something https://youtu.be/L7m15rK5dhc Relevant Resources: 👉Psychiatry Training: https://www.academy.psychscene.com ADHD Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0KZkVDyoOEOaE9DoJgpXzCXi_0b4sZz&si=qeae_JcxvJVwUh1M 🎓RESOURCES BY PSYCH SCENE: 🌐The Academy by Psych Scene: PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION REDEFINED https://academy.psychscene.com/ Revolutionary psychiatry learning. 🌐Psych Scene Hub: PSYCHIATRY TEXTBOOK OF THE FUTURE https://psychscenehub.com/ The Hub is devoted to making you a better mental health professional. Our team of academic and clinical experts bring you powerful summaries, videos and interviews in psychiatry and neurosciences. 🌐Psych Interview Online: REAL WORLD SKILLS FOR REAL WORLD SUCCESS https://www.psychinterview.com/ The Psych Interview online courses offer high-quality training to help you improve your psychiatric interview skills through self-study. 🌐Psych Scene Online: THE ONLINE COURSES TO HELP YOU SUCCEED https://ranzcpexams.psychscene.com/ Learn at your own pace with the RANZCP Written Exam prep online courses. 🌐Psych Scene: THE PSYCHIATRY TRAINING EXPERTS https://psychscene.com/ Psych Scene offers specialised training and professional development for Psychiatry Trainees, Psychiatrists, General Practitioners and Mental Health Practitioners. -- 📱SOCIALS Subscribe for weekly videos on Psychiatry and Neuroscience: Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/PsychSceneHub Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychiatry.excellence/ – 👋 LET’S CONNECT! Follow Sanil Rege on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanilrege
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TheKicksShrink The TRUTH About CBD for Anxiety & Depression (From a Psychiatrist) @sulmoney
The TRUTH About CBD for Anxiety & Depression (From a Psychiatrist)
Uncover the truth about CBD for anxiety and depression with insights from a psychiatrist. This video explains how CBD interacts with the brain, its potential benefits for mental health, and the scientific evidence behind its use. We separate myths from facts, highlight possible side effects, and discuss what to know before trying CBD. Whether you're exploring natural remedies or simply curious about CBD, this honest and clear breakdown will help you make informed choices about your mental wellness. The TRUTH About CBD for Anxiety & Depression (From a psychiatrist) CBD Explained: Calm in a Bottle...or Clever Marketing? Most people think CBD can cure anxiety, depression, and PTSD — but what does the science actually say? 🚨 🧠 For all things mental health from Dr. Sulman Aziz Mirza 👉🏼 https://linktr.ee/sulmanazizmirzamd 🚨😴 Trouble sleeping? Introducing Stories for Sleep, read by Dr. Mirza (in his psychiatrist voice, not YouTube voice!) to help you fall asleep in no time! Subscribe today 👉🏼 https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesForSleep-q2v This video is about CBD and mental health and psychiatry, as part of our series on mental health and psychiatry. Subscribe to our channel if you want to learn more about mental health and psychiatry! In this video, psychiatrist Dr. Sulman Aziz Mirza breaks down the real research behind CBD: what it can actually do, what’s just marketing, and the hidden risks most people never hear about. You’ll learn: • What CBD really does in the brain • Why studies on CBD for anxiety and depression are inconsistent • The truth about dosing, side effects, and liver risks • Why some CBD products don’t even contain what they claim CBD isn’t a miracle cure — but it’s not snake oil either. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth trying, this breakdown will give you the science, not the spin. 🔬 Next up: Watch my video on NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) — another supplement everyone’s talking about for mental health. Chapters 0:00 The CBD claims 1:01 The 3 biggest CBD myths 2:43 The ACTUAL science of CBD 5:42 The potential (and REAL) risks of CBD 7:57 Your 24 Hour Action Plan on CBD 😍 𝐈 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐒 𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐎𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒! ▶️ If you enjoy this video, please like it and share it. ▶️ Don't forget to subscribe to this channel for more updates. 👉𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚. 𝑨𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒐. 💊𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒: #cbd#cbdoil#cbdforanxiety#cbdfordepression#mentalhealth#anxietyrelief#depressionhelp #cbdbenefits#mentalwellness#cbdoilexplained#psychiatry#naturalremedies#cbdhealing #screentime#stressrelief#mindhealth#cbdfacts#wellnessjourney#anxietysupport#cbdresearch #mentalhealthawareness DISCLAIMER: This video is purely informational and educational and does not constitute medical advice and/or recommendations. Use of information is at your own risk, and expresses my own personal views and opinions, not those of any of my employers. Sulman Aziz Mirza, MD will not assume any liability for any direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death. In the event of any medical emergency or safety concerns, please go to your nearest emergency department and/or call 911. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline available 24/7: 800.273.8255 or 988 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org for online chat options
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Dr Sanil Rege - Procrastination Isn’t Laziness — It’s a Dopamine Timing Glitch (and Here’s How to Fix It)
Procrastination Isn’t Laziness — It’s a Dopamine Timing Glitch (and Here’s How to Fix It)
Procrastination isn’t about laziness or weak willpower — it’s a dopamine timing glitch. In this video, Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Sanil Rege explains the neuroscience of procrastination and how to reset your brain’s internal reward clock so motivation arrives before you start, not after you finish. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 Introduction – Why procrastination isn’t laziness 2:11 The brain’s internal reward stopwatch 2:24 Phasic vs tonic dopamine explained 3:54 Delay discounting – why distant goals lose power 4:19 Three fixes to reset the dopamine clock 5:23 Sensory rehearsal and the “two-minute start” 6:30 Emotional circuits and anxiety’s role 6:50 Sleep, light, and movement resets 7:20 Pharmacological insights (bupropion, armodafinil, stimulants) 7:40 The coffee ritual – behavioural anchoring You’ll learn: ✅ Why procrastination happens in the brain ✅ How dopamine and reward timing influence motivation ✅ The concept of delay discounting — why long tasks feel harder ✅ Three science-backed ways to reset your dopamine clock ✅ How anxiety, sleep, and light affect motivation ✅ What clinicians and biohackers can do to help the brain start tasks Dr Sanil Rege has trained thousands of doctors and health professionals in neuroscience and psychiatry, helping bridge the gap between brain science and behaviour. 🎓 For Clinicians: Explore deeper modules on ADHD, reward prediction errors, and motivation neurobiology at The Academy by Psych Scene. #Procrastination #Dopamine #Neuroscience #ADHD #Motivation #BrainScience #DrRege #PsychiatrySimplified #Biohacking #PsychScene #Neuroplasticity Related Videos: 1. Always Tired? Here’s How to FIX the Brain-Based Fatigue Trap https://youtu.be/TxC1WCtugBc 2. Hidden ADHD: The Real Reason High Achievers Burn Out https://youtu.be/AtERZ0Rw5gA 3. Tired All the Time? Your Brain Might Be Trying to Tell You Something https://youtu.be/L7m15rK5dhc Relevant Resources: 👉Psychiatry Training: https://www.academy.psychscene.com ADHD Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0KZkVDyoOEOaE9DoJgpXzCXi_0b4sZz&si=qeae_JcxvJVwUh1M 🎓RESOURCES BY PSYCH SCENE: 🌐The Academy by Psych Scene: PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION REDEFINED https://academy.psychscene.com/ Revolutionary psychiatry learning. 🌐Psych Scene Hub: PSYCHIATRY TEXTBOOK OF THE FUTURE https://psychscenehub.com/ The Hub is devoted to making you a better mental health professional. Our team of academic and clinical experts bring you powerful summaries, videos and interviews in psychiatry and neurosciences. 🌐Psych Interview Online: REAL WORLD SKILLS FOR REAL WORLD SUCCESS https://www.psychinterview.com/ The Psych Interview online courses offer high-quality training to help you improve your psychiatric interview skills through self-study. 🌐Psych Scene Online: THE ONLINE COURSES TO HELP YOU SUCCEED https://ranzcpexams.psychscene.com/ Learn at your own pace with the RANZCP Written Exam prep online courses. 🌐Psych Scene: THE PSYCHIATRY TRAINING EXPERTS https://psychscene.com/ Psych Scene offers specialised training and professional development for Psychiatry Trainees, Psychiatrists, General Practitioners and Mental Health Practitioners. -- 📱SOCIALS Subscribe for weekly videos on Psychiatry and Neuroscience: Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/PsychSceneHub Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychiatry.excellence/ – 👋 LET’S CONNECT! Follow Sanil Rege on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanilrege
www.youtube.com
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The Trans Lobby: Trouble At The Mill — How The Filia Conference Harms Women.
Trouble At The Mill — How The Filia Conference Harms Women.
Trouble At The Mill — How The Filia Conference Harms Women. Attempts to move the movement to the Left fail. In the last couple of years, the Gender Critical (GC) movement has experienced some infighting. This is not due to genuine ideological differences but to how the wider media perceives them. To stay on the respectable side of the debate, they have had to use internal power structures to excommunicate those who are more honest about their intentions and follow a stricter messaging guide to avoid appearing aligned with extremism. This is all a duplicity and a smoke screen to gloss over the reality they find themselves in, as authoritarian forces find them useful. Jane Claire Jones was instrumental in guiding this path. JK Rowling regularly amplifies Jones and has been involved in its various incarnations over the last decade. The problem for Jones is that there is no evidence of her following any feminist organisations unless they are firmly anchored to the trans-exclusionary movement, and the clamour to distance herself from the far-right is simply damage limitation rather than any desire to become more intersectional in her approach. While FiLiA — which began as the Feminism in London Conference in 2013 — has asserted its neutrality on the conflict following an internal battle which has seen people on both sides leaving, the conference felt particularly one-sided for many attendees. A “Women in Hebron” stall was selling hijabs — controversial enough in itself at a feminist conference — as well as Palestinian tea towels and keffiyehs. The rift between the groups of GCs is based on identity politics and culture war polemics rather than local, community or grassroots feminism. They have imported the dividing lines of the far right and left into their trans exclusionary movement and found that some tensions won’t be debated or resolved within the walls of conference halls or debating rooms. Meave Halligan is part of the Free Speech Union / Turning Point UK collective. She works with Jess Gill, who is part of the Women’s Safety Initiative, which is an anti immigration group that weaponises crime statistics to frame immigrant men as a threat to white women. The conference invited pro-Palestine feminists to have stalls at the event, which is a cynical move from the organisers to align what is a trans-exclusionary festival with something more inclusive and diverse. Of course, this was going to go badly and put those women who came in good faith in danger. At the opening plenary of the event, Rahila Gupta, chair of the Southall Black Sisters — which in the past has attacked the “ideological weaponisation” of sexual violence used by Hamas on 7 October 2023 — declaimed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. She then led the room in a cry of “Free Palestine” even though, according to FiLiA sources, she had been explicitly told not to mention the war. Several Jewish women left the room in tears alongside angry allies such as feminist Julia Long, who explained on GB News afterwards how she walked out because the event was so one-sided and had omitted discussion of the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas. While this was a serious and — for many women — important conference investigating knotty subjects including prostitution, surrogacy, and male violence, its good work was undermined by an undercurrent of anti-Israel sentiment. Later that evening, a FiLiA party took place, during which a group of women began dancing on stage with Palestinian flags. It led to several people filming, and one woman had her phone knocked out of her hand. Drinks were thrown, and the next day, several high-profile delegates found they were banned from the event, while the women who had worn keffiyehs were not. All the women who were banned have denied wrongdoing.https://medium.com/media/7e1c5f7f6edfd5f25778eb8bf116be1d/href This is what happens when you have to lie about the central themes of a movement and then do damage limitation when accused of being the far-right group they are. The organising principle is flawed, so they have to duplicitously and cynically put women in danger because they end up flying the “wrong” flag. You can see this in Kellie Jay Keen's words, as she rightly points out their duplicity, even if her own motivations are vacuous. One FiLiA attendee expressed her fear that those at the top of the organisation don’t understand Islam. It was thought that they just wanted to be inclusive. It was thought that Filia didn’t realise that there were people in that room who just hate Jews. There is no evidence of that kind of prejudice, but what is clear is that those tensions come from the cynical inclusion of guests who are there to make a divisive event appear benign. Jane Claire Jones ended up clouting one of the Islamophobic attendees, so that might count for something. Still, you can blame the organisers for all this tension because they have no moral cause. It is all based on misogyny. Freda (twit bits swiped from Lapert)
medium.com