A self-described progressive movement with extensive connections to Christian conservatives and the far right
There is a significant gap in Finnish research on this phenomenon, despite the fact that it forms part of the broader anti-gender movement, which is particularly influential in the United Kingdom and, I would argue, has had more influence on Finnish politics than countries such as Poland. Personally, I would say that if you do not know what 💚🤍💜 means, you should not be presenting yourself as any kind of expert on the anti-gender movement in Finland. Were there questions about reproductive rights or sexual minorities in the most recent local elections? Or were there only questions about gender diversity?
- How the Far-Right is Turning Feminists into Fascists The article discusses Kara Dansky and Jennifer Bilek, both of whom have followers in Finland. Dansky has praised the fact that their material is being distributed in Finland by, among others, a researcher who has been published in Helsingin Sanomat.
- The “divide and conquer” strategy through which the Christian right began successfully pursuing political victories and influence after losing the battle over marriage equality This report describes a 2017 conference featuring speakers associated with figures such as Donald Trump and Steve Bannon. The strategy of the Hands Across The Aisle Coalition (HATAC) was presented there as a political tool. Kara Dansky, mentioned above, has been a central figure within HATAC.
- The Unholy Alliance of Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists and the Christian Right A 2019 article examining cooperation between these movements.
- The Right is Using Gender-Critical Feminists as Human Shields Over the Trans Issue Published in 2021. Today, “guided missile” might be a more accurate description than “human shield.”
- TERFs, eco-fascists, and religious fundamentalists – discussion of connections between these movements An article discussing relationships between these networks. Kara Dansky appears here as well. The Finnish person she praised was reportedly highly flattered because Dansky was someone they admired.
The stories of two former detransition activists offer an unusual perspective from inside the movement itself. Unlike gender minorities, which are simply groups of people who happen to belong to gender minorities, the gender-critical movement is an organized political and ideological movement:
- The Making of a Detransitioner Lisa Marchiano, a social-work master's graduate and self-described Jungian analyst frequently cited in Finnish transgender research despite lacking formal psychology training, appears prominently in this story. Marchiano disputes the events described, but in leaked emails not included in the article, Elisa Shupe alleges that Marchiano encouraged collecting revenge pornography of critics and suggested sending it to outlets such as Fox News, while also boasting about appearing in anti-trans coverage by Russian state media. Tactics such as these help explain why many researchers are reluctant to investigate the movement.
- Detransition as Conversion Therapy A transmasculine former detransitioner describes experiences within a trans-exclusionary radical feminist detransition group. Once again, the rhetoric is strikingly similar in places to that found in the preparatory documents behind Finland's treatment recommendations. The individual eventually returned to living openly as a trans person and argues that the gender-critical movement does not actually prioritize the wellbeing of detransitioners, because detransitioners are politically most useful to the anti-trans agenda when they are struggling.