An insider’s perspective on NUS Women’s Conference

This week, I had the privilege of meeting hundreds of inspiring women at the NUS Women’s Conference. I have left with pages of ideas of things that can be done to make Leeds better for all students – however, this is a side to NUS conferences that is rarely depicted in the sensationalist media coverage.

We are instead encouraged to think of the NUS as an out-of-touch, overly correct, bureaucratic body – and while in places, it is feasible that this is true and I am not going to claim that conference is perfect, but it is the space that so many of us need.

Any trepidation we may have had about not being accepted or not being a “good enough” feminist very quickly disappeared as we found our places – whether through caucus groups or crafts. Thembi, Leeds Beckett Student Union delegate, said: “As a woman of colour when entering such large events, there is the fear that I would be the only black girl again. However, as soon I stepped into the reception hall, not a single eye was looking at me and it was great to feel that I belonged there.”

The environment we have cultivated has been one of safety – the importance of which cannot be understated – and solidarity. Every delegate was so worthy of their place at conference and has spent so much of their own time and energy on activism. So you can imagine how angry and sad I was to see a group of pathetic trolls subjecting delegates to racist, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist bullying on Twitter.

This conference has made history with the first Muslim Women’s Officer elected and the first openly trans woman to run for this role. This is something for us to be so proud of, however this was belittled by these utter cock wombles. I have to question your priorities if you decide to spend your evenings tweeting Islamophobic and transphobic hate. While this probably boils down to insecurity, it isn’t fair we should have to be victim to your ego. You might have your own concerns about your gender or sexuality, but calling an incredible woman a man in a dress does nothing to assure that. Anna Lee is an inspiration and I think she knows her gender identity far better than you do.

I know it’s very “on-trend” at the moment to object to the NUS, and, sadly, making fun of feminists and undermining women probably won’t ever die out. We saw this last year with the media coverage following Women’s Conference 2015 using jazz hands as opposed to clapping, which was an accessibility request for autistic delegates and those with mental illness. An idea that makes perfect sense when you listen to reasoned argument became a caricature. I have heard that it is ridiculous because you wouldn’t have it in the “real world” however to this I have a three-part answer.

Unless this is all a dream, this is real-life. These are our real experiences. Secondly, even if you reject the first part, isn’t the point of activist spaces that they should be better than real life? They should be spaces that make us feel validated and that not only accept, but embrace our multitude of identities. And lastly, the people complaining about jazz hands aren’t at the conference. This will in no way affect them – why do you care so much what we do with our hands? I can’t understand what people gain from trolling other than a small sadistic kick from making someone else feel bad from themselves.

Tearing someone down does not make you any better, and undermining their achievements does not make yours any more impressive.

In the words of Cady Heron: “Calling somebody else fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George’s life definitely didn’t make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.” One of my favourite quotes is by author and activist Kate Bornstein: “Do whatever you need or want to do in order to make life worth living. Love who and how you want to love. Just don’t be mean.” The difference in our society, if more of us lived by this rule, would be absolutely astounding, however for now we must carry on fighting. You won’t silence us – we won’t stop campaigning and you can keep sending hate, but it will only make us stronger.