Neo-Nazis a distraction on the issue of women’s rights

Nothing can justify the ugly scenes that have erupted at rallies called to allow citizens to express their concerns about what they see as the erosion of the standing of women in today’s society. Transgender rights supporters have clashed with police in Hobart and foolish neo-Nazi demonstrators have made a spectacle of themselves in Melbourne, sparking a ban on the public display of the offensive straight-armed salute. Standing in the middle has been a small army of self -proclaimed feminists who denounce what they see as a new patriarchy being imposed by people who have self-selected as women.

The issue of trans rights is a new and potent front in the culture wars globally. Being pro-women is denounced as anti-trans. Popular children’s author JK Rowling is an example of what can happen to those who say publicly that not anybody can be a woman. Despite this, there is a deep reservoir of concern among many people from across the political spectrum. Issues include the opening up of women’s sport, the eligibility criteria to serve time in a women’s prison or use women’s public toilets. Many women who have spent their lives campaigning on the left for social change to open the opportunities for women in their choice of career, education, equal pay and other issues now find themselves on the conservative side of the ledger, derided for being unwilling to change.

For sure, politicians must be careful about the company they keep. A golden rule is that arguments involving changing cultural norms are like a siren song for unsavoury elements on the extremist fringe. This said, political leaders also must be careful how they discriminate when it comes to free speech. The brouhaha that surrounds the attendance of novice Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming at a rally on the steps of the Victorian parliament on Saturday has all the ingredients of shock and horror amid claims the pro-women movement has been infiltrated by neo-Nazis.

To be sure, the antics of Nazi-saluting troublemakers who gatecrashed the event cannot be condoned in any way. But Ms Deeming was not one of them. All of the offence and violence at rallies where women are encouraged to voice concerns about a new patriarchy in the guise of a militant trans lobby was caused by others. The case that has been made against Ms Deeming relies on her guilt by association to others who in turn are damned by their guilt by association to unfavourable elements, including neo-Nazi sympathisers, rather than anything they themselves have said or done.

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto has mounted an official campaign to have Ms Deeming ejected from the Liberal Party. The case against her is that she conducted activities in a manner likely to bring discredit on the parliament or parliamentary Liberal Party. Her offence was organising, promoting and attending a rally where Kellie-Jay Keen was the principal speaker “in circumstances where Mrs Keen was known to be publicly associated with far-right extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists”. On Tuesday, Mrs Keen said neo-Nazis were predominantly “sad, pathetic men who aren’t going very far in their lives”.

Most definitely, guilt by association is a difficult trap for novice politicians. All politicians, including Ms Deeming, must be careful of the company they keep. But on the available facts, it is Mr Pesutto who is being overly sensitive about keeping the company of Ms Deeming. The issue being ventilated by British agent provocateur Mrs Keen has closed the door on rational thought and the right to disagree. The divisive political fallout spread to the capital ahead of her arrival, with Anthony Albanese and senior Labor figures seizing on the issue. “Why would people attend an anti-trans rally?” the Prime Minister told Nova radio. “It’s really disrespectful of who people are, and then it was joined by people doing Nazi salutes.”

Hours earlier in question time, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus accused Peter Dutton of failing to condemn the neo-Nazis and Ms Deeming’s appearance. Mr Dreyfus damned the federal Opposition Leader for his silence on the issue. Mr Dutton said the Holocaust was “an abomination” and said that it being used for political purposes was a very poor reflection on the Attorney-General.

Not surprisingly, Greens leader Adam Bandt was quick to nail his colours to the anti-Let Women Speak brigade on the grounds of transphobia. “I’m disgusted by the anti-trans rally in Melbourne yesterday, protected by their allies, saluting neo-Nazis,” Mr Bandt wrote in the absence of evidence the offensive neo-Nazis, who did not protest in the same place as the women, were even invited. Mr Bandt was put back into line publicly by a former Greens volunteer who attended the protest. “I volunteered for Adam on all of his campaigns from 2007-2019 … I donated to his campaigns. I have looked after his dog and house-sat while he was on holidays. He’s lying. He knows I’m not anti-trans. He knows I’m Jewish and NOT PROTECTED BY NEO-NAZIS,” Nina Vallins posted on Twitter. Ms Vallins followed up on Melbourne radio to say: “There is no way they would invite Nazis to that event. We are feminists, we stand up for women’s rights, we repudiate entirely the views of Nazis.” Ms Vallins’ views deserve to be heard on the steps of Victoria’s parliament and in the public square.