Do feminists need to pick a side? Katy Worley on political purity and Standing for Women

Infighting is not new to feminism — who is doing things right, who is doing things wrong, who is toxic, who is good, who is a phony, a grifter, not an ally, too right, too rich, too academic, too old, or too pretty has always been up for debate, and potentially a reason to cancel women from the movement. Today, even within the already marginal "gender critical feminist" umbrella, women are expected to pick sides on party lines.

Women like Kellie-Jay Keen (Posie Parker) seem particularly divisive. Last week, Posie held a Speaker’s Corner event in Brighton, which drew the attention of trans activists as well as many women wanting to speak out about the impact of gender identity ideology on their lives and rights. But it also drew the ire of some feminists, who complained that Posie’s event (and her work, more broadly) was too closely connected to the right.

One response came from Katy Worley, also known as DJ Lippy, a London-based DJ turned activist, best known for her work with the feminist collective Make More Noise. She began organizing protests and publicity stunts to fight gender identity ideology back in 2020 and produces a weekly talk show called Wombs with a View.

In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Katy about the controversy and whether feminists need to choose between left and right.