THE thorny issues of lesbian erasure, the expulsion of radical feminism from academia, and post-traumatic stress disorder in women were top of the agenda for a conference in London recently.

Featuring nearly 40 speakers over two days, the event was run by the Women’s Declaration International (WDI), who describe themselves as “a group of volunteer women from across the globe dedicated to protecting women’s sex-based rights.”

Professor Sheila Jeffreys, in an opening session on “the difficulty of talking about male sexuality,” drew attention to the practice of naturism, and how this was becoming more harmful to women. 

“It is a way for men to engage in their sexual perversions in a socially acceptable fashion — one is flashing, or indecent exposure, the other is voyeurism, or scopophilia. This is extremely important amongst men and seems to be absent in women.

“The normalisation of naturism offers a mass of opportunities to men to engage in these hobbies. The promotion of naturism, and the commercialisation that is taking place at this time, include demands to be accepted in public space. Naked ramblers demand to roam the countryside, naked cyclists parade though cities and parks.

“Yet men’s sexual violence against women makes it foolish to imagine that women’s nakedness in front of men could be a safe and comfortable practice. There is some evidence that women suffer sexual harassment from men if they try to take part in [naturism]. In France, women are becoming more likely to avoid nudist beaches because of fears for their safety. They fear violence, and having their photos taken and shared on social media for men to masturbate to. 

“None of this is at all surprising considering that women who are not naked are likely to be harassed by men. It should be assumed that being naked would create greater risks.”

In a session on academia, Dr Julia Long spoke about how the field had become “pornified.” She recalled times when she would be at a seminar or conference, to find herself the only person saying “prostitute” rather than “sex worker.”

The area of women’s studies had been eroded, in exchange for gender studies, and there was even a time, she recalled, when no-one mentioned patriarchy, but instead spoke about “gender regimes.”

“It was as if this word ‘gender’ had some mystique about it, that it was seen as more intellectually valid than just talking about boring old women.”

Dr Gunda Schumann told the conference about the work of LBOR, the Lesbian Bill of Rights, and the fightback to reclaim lesbian-only spaces. 

Bars, bookshops, projects, festivals and dating apps, previously set up and run by lesbians, had been closing down.

She cited an incident at the pride march in Cologne in 2022, when lesbians carrying a banner showing the labrys symbol were attacked. In 2023, at the Real Dyke March in Berlin, participants were called “Hitler admirers” by a queer online magazine, and criminal charges filed against its owner.

“You can imagine what it means, in Germany, to be called that,” said Schumann.

It was very difficult, she said, for young lesbians today to use this simple description of themselves.

“It is a porn category. Look at social media, look at what students learn via mobile phones. They watch porn — and there are many young women who don’t want to play that role. They call themselves non-binary — anything except lesbians. Today, the so-called progressives in our Western countries say that queer is the real lifestyle and everything else is bullshit.”

Alison Cebulla, a consultant in trauma-informed care, told participants about a day that changed her life. She was staying at an Airbnb and was assaulted by the host.

“That incident changed the course of my entire life. I started to see the world in a different way. I hadn’t really taken the time to think about what the patriarchy felt like — in my body. I hadn’t taken the time to learn all the different ways that I was a victim. I started to read feminist texts.”

Cebulla did a master’s degree in trauma-informed care and adverse childhood experiences, and has now worked in the area for five years.

She cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) data which shows that one in three women in the world experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes. Such experiences would leave women with PTSD symptoms, when triggers could cause them to experience physical and mental reactions to these “phantoms of the past.”

A moving and impassioned presentation came from Ane Maiora Milson, mother, activist and campaigner, whose daughter had told her that she wanted to identify as trans.

“There have always been children or adolescents who are dissatisfied with their body, many, possibly most of us, have been there at some point in time. But now, we are assisting in the implementation of a new paradigm that has already permeated everything. The ‘trans child’ had to be invented to give credence to the argument that trans is innate. To give cover and legitimacy to men with a fetish and huge economic interests.

“Where do we, the affected families stand; what do we have to face? Trans laws prevent us from asking why, what is happening to them. 

“With the draft ‘Conversion Practices Bill’ announced in the King’s Speech … the fear is very real that conversations within the family with gender-questioning children will be stifled, at best, and at worst, they may be criminalised.

“This attack against families is the control weapon used in any sectarian movement. It’s about using the strategy of separation from the social support network. Adherents to the sect are told that their families are transphobic because they do not accept their gender identity — that is, the new sectarian identity.”

Milsom co-founded Amanda in Spain: Agrupacion de Madres de Adolescentes y Ninas con Disforia Acelerada (Association of Mothers of Adolescents and Girls with Accelerated Dysphoria).

The campaigners say: “Our position is one of caution regarding irreversible medical and surgical solutions as a response to rapid-onset gender dysphoria, as we consider exploring sexuality and gender roles to be part of normal childhood development.”

Amanda currently has more than 700 members, has helped more than 1,000 families, and seen sister groups set up in Argentina, Chile and Italy.

Milsom ended her talk to a hushed room: “Gender ideology has completely derailed our family’s teenage years. I grieve for the actual teenage years my daughter could have had. These are precious years that none of us will ever get back. It is a bereavement with no grave and no body. And still the loss and the mourning doesn’t stop.”

Many presentations from the WDI conference are available online: www.youtube.com/c/womensdeclarationinternationalwdi.