Transfeminist Solidarity – The Future of Resistance to the Anti-Gender Movement

The strengthening of the anti-gender movement in the world is well documented, starting with its narratives, actors, the influence they have, and in the last few years, the flow of money that enables its action, but not yet in our area, although it exists and is gaining momentum. The trans-exclusive part of the feminist movement, which also appeared in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, with the loudest presence in Serbia and Croatia, contributed to anti-gender narratives and the violation of not only the human rights of transgender people, but also reinforcing gender stereotypes and the gap within the already ideologically heterogeneous feminist movement. There are several strong examples of overcoming this gap and contributing to the intersectional feminist movement beyond identity politics. The TransFeminist Platform formed by the trans organizations from the region Trans Mreža Balkan, Spektra, kolekTIRV and Talas, as a concrete example of transfeminist solidarity that transcends borders, is one such example. What are the possibilities, long-term scope and tasks of such initiatives?

Jovan Džoli Ulićević is an activist from Podgorica. He is the founder of the feminist organization Spektra, led by transgender and gender-variant people, and the regional organization Trans Network Balkan. He holds a BA in environmentalism and is a student of international relations and diplomacy.

TERF Ideology — The “Feminist” Wing of Contemporary Fascism

This lecture intends to show how the historical and political context positions TERF ideology as a part of contemporary fascism far from any useful left perspective. The position of TERF ideology as the “feminist” wing of contemporary fascism can be observed not only exclusively through its transphobia, but from the perspective where transphobia is an emphasized and significant part of the whole apparatus of power that it invokes and the feminist concepts which it appropriates. From the perspective of queer theory and social reproduction theory through the examples of concepts of sex and gender, sex work, violence, sexuality, the role of the state and medicine we can see how TERF ideology is at worst analogous to contemporary fascism, or at least invokes a status quo that’s a bit more violent.

Stipe Nogalo. An activist, educator, philosopher, sociologist and a communist. Active for the last four years as an educator in a feminist organization Status M which works on the topic of gender with the emphasis on working with men.