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Women's Group Ottar

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The Women's Group Ottar (Norwegian: Kvinnegruppa Ottar) is a Norwegian radical feminist women's organization founded in 1991. It has its historical roots in the Norwegian Marxist-Leninist movement of the 1970s and has been described as the most radical women's organization[1] and "a final offshoot of 70s feminism".[2] Ottar began as an offshoot of the Women's Front, and later, it splintered again, resulting in the creation of two new groups with explicitly trans-exclusionary profiles, Women's Declaration International (WDI) Norway and Kvinneaktivistene. The Women's Front described WDI as "transphobes."[3] While mainly focused on combating pornography and prostitution from a radical feminist perspective, Ottar has also faced criticism from the Red Party, the Red Youth, LGBT+ rights groups and others for promoting or tolerating anti-trans[4] and anti-Jewish views within its ranks,[5] and some prominent members such as Kari Jaquesson have expressed support for trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF),[6] declared themselves to be TERFs[6] and engaged in doxxing and harassment of trans women by publishing pre-transition photos of them.[7] Ottar has previously declared Jaquesson to be "politically solidly founded in Ottar's radical feminism."[8] In 2024 Ottar faced strong criticism when the chair of its largest chapter referred to a Jewish woman as a "Zionist pig."[5][9][10]

History

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The Women's Group Ottar has its historical roots in the Norwegian Marxist-Leninist (Maoist) movement of the 1970s and the Women's Front. In 1991, the most radical and anti-pornography faction broke away from the Women's Front after disputes over views on pornography and prostitution.

The specific split was triggered by disagreements over methods of protest in the fight against pornography and what should be considered pornography. Since the 1970s, the Women's Front had used the public screening of pornographic films as a form of protest, with the idea that it would shock and upset the audience, a tactic referred to as "porn against porn." However, by the late 1980s, the leadership of the Women's Front concluded that screening pornography was harmful to the women depicted in the films and morally indefensible. They also believed that the organization's stance on pornography had become too narrow and puritanical and that the organization should not oppose milder forms of erotica. This new direction led to significant conflicts, and around 30 participants left the Women's Front's national meeting in 1991 in protest against the decisions made. The dissenting faction, which believed that screening porn was an effective form of protest and opposed the relaxation of what was considered pornography, broke away and formed the Women's Group Ottar.

They formed loosely organized groups with different names: the first breakaway group formed the original Kvinnegruppa Ottar in Stavanger, while breakaway groups from Oslo and Bergen formed Kvinnegruppa Oslo Øst and Kvinneaktivistene. From 1993, they united under the name Kvinnegruppa Ottar, named after sex educator Elise Ottesen-Jensen, also nicknamed "Ottar." The groups emphasized a flat structure and were skeptical of formal and hierarchical organization, with individual groups being autonomous and collaborating sporadically in the early years. Only in 2006 did Kvinnegruppa Ottar adopt a more formal structure with national meetings and a directly elected national board. In 2012, Ottar started the campaign "Stop Porn Culture" as a Norwegian branch of the American organization Stop Porn Culture, which was founded by Gail Dines. In the 2020s, two breakaway groups focused on anti-trans politics were founded: Women's Declaration International (WDI) Norway and Kvinneaktivistene, with a degree of overlap in membership with Ottar and the Women's Front.

Views

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Kvinnegruppa Ottar is particularly focused on pornography and prostitution. In public debates, the group has strongly criticized organizations like the Norwegian Humanist Association and Amnesty International, linking them to an alleged "prostitution industry."[11] Kristin Mile, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Humanist Association, described Ottar's claims as unworthy of serious attention.[11] Ottar has accused queer people and the Norwegian Organisation for Sexual and Gender Diversity of working for prostitution as "a nice way to recruit young men into the gay community."[12] Daisy Sælen Hafstad and Vegard Rødseth Tokheim described Ottar's statements about Fri and queer people as "hate speech and conspiracy theories."[4] On behalf of Ottar, Ane Stø and Kari Jaquesson reported the state broadcasting company NRK to the police in 2015 for airing a comedy sketch where a "porn actress" had parodied Jaquesson.[13] The report was dismissed as baseless.[14]

Accusations of harassment

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Conspiracy theorist and former television personality Kari Jaquesson has represented Ottar in several debates. In 2016 Jaquesson was criticized, e.g. by the Red Youth, for asking other women to "suck cock ten times a day."[15] Ottar defended Jaquesson, stating that she is "politically solidly founded in Ottar's radical feminism."[8] A survey by YouGov found that the public figures viewed most negatively by Norwegians were Donald Trump, Kari Jaquesson and Vladimir Putin.[16] In 2019, Jaquesson was removed from the nominations for Plan Norway's Girl Award. Kari Helene Partapuoli stated that Jaquesson's views were contrary to Plan's values and described Jaquesson's statements as "severe harassment," noting that "Plan International believes that all people must have the same rights regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, or religion."[17]

Accusations of antisemitism

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Some prominent members of Ottar have been accused of promoting anti-semitism. Notably, Kari Jaquesson has promoted Holocaust denial for several years.[18]

At the parole meeting for 8 March in Oslo in 2024, Martine Votvik, who was the leader of Kvinnegruppa Ottar in Oslo until 2024, referred to a Jewish woman attending the meeting as a "Zionist pig". The statement was reported to the police as a hate speech incident, but the case was dismissed.[5][9] The dismissal was criticized by the Jewish community.[10] Following the "Zionist pig" incident at the parole meeting, Jewish women experienced being shouted at with "no Zionists in our streets" and were prevented from participating in the event by the organizers.[19][20][21][22]

Transgender people

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Conspiracy theorist Kari Jaquesson has represented Ottar in public debates for several years, and has said publicly that she considers herself to be a TERF.[6] A YouGov survey found that the public figures viewed most negatively by Norwegians were Donald Trump, Kari Jaquesson and Vladimir Putin.[16]

Ottar has been critical of the third wave of feminism that also emerged in the 1990s. In the debate on gender diversity, the group has often positioned itself against LGBT+ rights organizations and several members have supported trans-exclusionary radical feminism (or TERF ideology).[6][4] Ottar's most widely known member for several years, conspiracy theorist Kari Jaquesson, has stated publicly that she considers herself to be a TERF and insisted that "a man can never become a woman".[6] Jaquesson has engaged in doxxing of individual trans women, publishing pre-transition photographs.[7] She has also accused individual trans people of being sexual predators.[23] Minister of Equality Linda Hofstad Helleland condemned Jaquesson's statements, stating that "trans people are subjected to hate, violence, and harassment."[24]

Ottar's leader Ane Stø has claimed that criticism of trans-exclusionary radical feminism constitutes a "hate campaign" against feminists.[25] While some Ottar members have used the term as a self-description,[6] Stø has claimed that the term trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF) is a "slur" that "aims to exclude feminists from public debate, by accusing us of promoting hatred against transgender people and demanding that society must be protected from our beliefs."[25] For several years, Ottar has participated in the gender-critical FiLiA conference, which is closely linked to Women's Declaration International (WDI), with FiLiA stating that "the Radical Feminist Activist group Ottar have been incredibly supportive to FiLiA over the years".[26] Ottar has promoted the idea that trans people pose a threat e.g. in bathrooms.[27] Feminists Anna-Sabina Soggiu and Susanne Demou criticized the radical feminist organizations for fostering "fabricated issues and threat scenarios" about transgender people.[28] Women's Front board member Natasha Alijeva stated that "it is undignified when the women's movement spreads fear about a vulnerable minority."[29] Ottar has also objected to the term "cisgender,"[30] which Rogers describes as a common theme in TERF discourse.[31]

Ottar has received criticism from the Red Party and the Red Youth. The secretary of the Red Party, Benedikte Pryneid Hansen, criticized Ottar and the Women's Front for remaining silent about transphobia within their ranks and for their links to WDI, and called upon them to clearly distance themselves from WDI.[32] In response, the Women's Front called WDI "transphobes, racists and sexists."[3] The Red Youth said that "if the women's movement allows transphobes in disguise as feminists, at the expense of trans women, it is working against its own cause."[33] In 2022, Ottar and the Women's Front were criticized for proposing that non-binary people be stripped of their voting rights at the parole meeting for the 8 March march.[34]

Ottar has also received some criticism from more hardline anti-trans activists, who have accused Ottar of not being sufficiently anti-trans, and demanded that they make the struggle against transgender people a main priority. Former Ottar board member Anne Kalvig has strongly criticized Ottar and the Women's Front for not actively campaigning against transgender rights, and has been particularly critical of the Women's Front for labeling her group WDI as transphobes.[3]

Membership

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Full membership with voting rights is only for women. Ottar has clarified that Kvinnegruppa Ottar's concept of women includes trans women, and that trans women can therefore be full members.[35]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Stille ved fronten". Dagbladet. 4 March 2006.
  2. ^ Erichsen, Bodil Chr. (2017). Norske kvinners liv og kamp. Res Publica. ISBN 9788282261128.
  3. ^ a b c Kalvig, Anne (2023). Kjønnstru. Randaberg: Medvit. ISBN 9788230361368.
  4. ^ a b c "Skremmende holdninger mot transpersoner fra norske TERF-feminister: Jaquesson, Stø og Gjevjon bidrar raust med å helle bensin på fordommenes bål" [Frightening attitudes towards transgender people from Norwegian TERF feminists: Jaquesson, Stø, and Gjevjon generously contribute to fueling the fire of prejudice]. Dagbladet. 16 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Feminist med jødisk bakgrunn kalt «sionistsvin» på 8. marsmøte" [Feminist with a Jewish background called 'Zionist pig' at 8 March meeting]. Dagen. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Jaquesson, Kari (24 July 2018). "Mann kan ikke bli kvinne" [A man can never become a woman]. Dagbladet.
  7. ^ a b "Jaquesson delte privat bilde av transperson uten tillatelse: – Fy fader så nedrig". ABC Nyheter. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b Rød Ungdoms rolle i debatten om parolemøtet i 8. marskomiteen, Kvinnegruppa Ottar
  9. ^ a b "Slik har politiet konkludert i «sionistsvin»-saken" [This is how the police concluded in the 'Zionist pig' affair]. Dagen. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Er jøder beskyttet av straffeloven?" [Are Jews protected by the criminal code?]. Dagen. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Useriøst, Håland". Klassekampen. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Samarbeid mellom prostituerte og skeive blir tettere". Vårt Land. 9 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Jaquesson anmelder NRK for brudd på sexkjøpsloven". NRK. 29 September 2015.
  14. ^ Aas, Magnus Lutnæs (22 October 2015). "Politiet henlegger anmeldelsen mot NRK". NRK.
  15. ^ Mener 8. mars-møtene er «de kjipeste debattene» i året, NRK
  16. ^ a b "Etter ett år med korona er nordmenn spesielt positive til disse kjendisene". Nettavisen. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Plan fjerner nominasjonen av Kari Jaquesson til Jenteprisen 2019". NTB. Retrieved 20 May 2024. Plan International mener at alle mennesker må få oppfylt de samme rettighetene uavhengig av kjønn, seksuell legning, etnisk tilhørighet, kjønnsidentitet eller religion. Plan er ekstra oppmerksomme på grupper som kan være spesielt marginaliserte. Vi har tidligere i dag blitt gjort oppmerksomme på Kari Jaquessons uttalelser mot en mednominert som vi ser på som grov hets. På grunn av dette fjerner vi nå nominasjonen av Kari Jaquesson, sier Kari Helene Partapuoli, generalsekretær i Plan International Norge.
  18. ^ "Arendalsuka: "Trans-trusselen": – Det er ikke de utsatte minoritetsgruppene som skal ta kampen". Norwegian Humanist Association. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  19. ^ "«Ingen sionister i våre gater»". www.aftenposten.no. 17 March 2024.
  20. ^ "«Den organiserte venstresida gjør lurt i å lytte»". klassekampen.no.
  21. ^ Hammerstad, Bjørn Olav (7 February 2024). "Skrek «Ingen sionister i våre gater»: – Jeg blir skremt". Dagen.
  22. ^ "«Vi kan ikkje lenger vere tause og feige mot antisemittismen»". Vårt Land. 13 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Transpersonen Eirik Elin Stillingen føler seg hengt ut som overgriper på Facebook av Kari Jaquesson". Dagbladet. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Helleland ut mot Jaquesson: - Transpersoner utsettes for hat, vold og trakassering". Nettavisen. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  25. ^ a b Stø, Ane (23 July 2018). "Hatkampanjen mot feminister". dagbladet.no.
  26. ^ "General Update". FiLiA. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Det brenner på alle kanter i debatten rundt transpersoner". BT. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  28. ^ "– Er det virkelig hit vi har kommet i Oslos kvinnebevegelse?". Vårt Oslo. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  29. ^ Natasha Alijeva (21 September 2020). "Garderobepanikk" [Bathroom panic]. Klassekampen.
  30. ^ Asta Beate Håland (30 July 2018). "Kvinne, ikke cis". Klassekampen – via Kvinnegruppa Ottar.
  31. ^ Rogers, Baker A. (2023). "TERFs aren't feminists: lesbians stand against trans exclusion". Journal of Lesbian Studies. 28 (1): 24–43. doi:10.1080/10894160.2023.2252286. PMID 37679960. S2CID 261608725.
  32. ^ Hansen, Benedikte Pryneid. "Nå koseprater Gjevjon med ABB-støttespiller Slåttavik". Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Transdebatten: –⁠ Transfobi hindrer kvinnekampen". VG. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  34. ^ "– Opprør før kvinnedagen: Berre kvinner får stemme". NRK. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  35. ^ "Nasjonalbiblioteket". www.nb.no.
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