Exactly one week ago, I was sitting on the floor in my living room watching the footy. Rather, I had the footy on in the background while I scrolled Twitter in open-mouthed horror at images, footage and first hand accounts of a group of Nazis goose-stepping and saluting on the steps of Victorian Parliament. They were there in full support of a group of TERFs* (aka Gender Critical* fake feminists) rallying to strip trans women of basic human rights, led by a woman called Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (who also goes by Posie Parker). Keen-Minshull is a British anti-trans campaigner who came to Australia and NZ on a 'speaking tour' of public spaces. Her trip was paid for by the Conservative Political Action Conference.

*TERF stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, or someone who falsely believes trans women are a threat to women's rights. Gender Critical is someone who believes only biological sex matters, and gender is irrelevant. I won't get into these definitions or who Keen-Minshull is too much right now – next week we're publishing a more in-depth piece explaining why these beliefs align with Nazi ideology. In the meantime, this piece by Patrick Lenton on why this culture war is even happening in Australia is very good.

While it was scary to see Nazis and the Nazi-adjacent protected by police, in Melbourne, in 2023, I think we should focus our energy on what happened next...

What happened next is that Keen-Minshull went to Hobart, where she and a handful of supporters were completely outnumber by hundreds of trans right activists. They drowned her out so effectively she simply had a meltdown and left.

What happened next is that Keen-Minshull went to Canberra, where the same thing happened – her hate rally was totally exceeded by trans supporters.

And what happened today (Saturday, as I write this), one week after the shocking events in Melbourne, is that Keen-Minshull was greeted in Auckland with over 1000 counter-protestors, an emphatic rejection of her attempt to inspire hate and violence towards trans women. What happened after that, is Keen-Minshull cancelled her planned rally in Wellington and left the country. When faced with an unashamedly bold display of love, support and protection of the vulnerable, the only option left for these agitators is to retreat.

Look, I'm not naive. The counter-protests didn't silence Keen-Minshull once and for all – she'll continue her insane ranting just like Pauline Hanson, Spanian and every other cooked far-right figure. They can rant all they want – continuing to counter that bullshit with open displays of solidarity for targeted people is the only way to ensure these views never attain legitimacy.

Showing up for each other, in public, is an act of hope. All the time we spend behind little screens on our own can make it easy to forget how much power we have in numbers; physically coming together in the offline world to flex those numbers takes effort. It's the effort that really underscores the message about what we will not stand for. That's how we beat hate, by proving how tiny and insignificant those views are in comparison.

It sounds like such a cliche but coming together, being organised and doing so out of love for others is a radical act. Like we've talked about before, simply being informed doesn't change much. But showing up can change a lot. Seeing that unfold in real time transformed my outlook from despair to hope within one week. Call me optimistic, but I have a feeling we're going to see genuine solidarity start to really change shit this year... do you agree?

– CrystalFounder & Chief of Everything at Zee FeedFollow me on Instagram or TikTok

Help me workshop an idea?

We're playing around with the idea of creating monthly book club style meet ups, but instead of having to read a whole ass book (who has the time?!) coming together to discuss one piece of content. Could be an article, a podcast episode, a video or short film, short story... something thought provoking to talk about with other likeminded people. Vote by clicking an option below please & thank u!

Good stuff on Zee Feed rn:

You really, really need to read economist Alison Pennington's new book, Generation F'd book (it's only 126 pages!) Or, at least read my interview with her about how we fix the mess of an economy young Australians have been left with. Speaking to her changed my brain chemistry, for real. CLICK HERE TO READ.

Smart stuff on the Internet 💭

All the stuff I found on the web that made me think, smile, or have an ‘aha!’ moment. Spend your Sunday reading them – you'll be better off for it:

Gen Z grew up in a world filled with ugly fashion – no wonder they love their Crocs on The ConversationLet it be known that I hate Crocs, but I reckon this piece on the history and meaning of Crocs (lol) is spot on. "Crocs are, in a sense, wearable memes for Gen Z... They signal the wearer’s capacity for casualness, irony, rebellion, and a desire to forge their own fashion rules in an Internet Ugly world."

How News Corp captured the Liberal Party on The Saturday PaperThe best analysis I've read about the situation, full stop. Basically, it's not that the Liberals are the brain and News Corp is the mouth... it's the other way around: News Corp brain, Liberals mouth. Or as this piece more eloquently puts it: "News Corp is one of the biggest contributors to the Liberals’ existential crisis – it has undermined the party’s purpose as a political organisation."

Bring It On dissected on the Sentimental Garbage podcastI listened to this episode a few weeks ago and forgot to recommend! A deep analysis of iconic 2000 movie Bring It On – why it was a perfect (yes I said perfect!!!) & very clever piece of cultural commentary that deserves way more credit that it gets.

How all the streaming series cancellations is changing viewer behavior on Megan Cruz's TikTokMegan Cruz aka JStoobs is one of my fave TV & movie critics. In this 2.5min video, she explains the impact of this recent survey that found half of U.S streaming viewers wait until the finale is out so they can binge-watch all seasons of a show. Which would be fine, except platforms like Netflix decide which shows to keep vs cancel based on the performance in the first 48hrs of its launch. You see the problem, yeah?

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