Lecture with Veronika Kracher: Antifa & Masculinity - Between resistance and quirkiness

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Especially in the radical left-wing scene, criticism of masculinity is often neglected. Although there is a lot of criticism of the anti-feminism of the right, many cis men call themselves feminists, use the right terms and have perhaps already attended a workshop on critical masculinity. However, there is almost no consistent examination of one's own masculinity and the masculinity of one's brothers. What remains are frustrated FLINTAs who hit a wall with their criticism and despair of working with perpetrators. At the same time, Antifa is still associated with a militant, tough image of men and the corresponding aesthetics, which are celebrated and spread on social media.

In order to engage (self-)critically with masculinity in the radical left, we are organizing two lectures on this topic together with the Political Science Institute Group (IG PoWI):

It’s not just boys’ fun? On gender relations within the radical left from 1968 to today

Left-wing radical groups and organizations often see themselves as pioneers of a society that has overcome capitalism. However, when it comes to criticizing gender relations or questioning one's own gender-specific socialization, many comrades seem overwhelmed. Cisgender men on the radical left regularly fail to reflect on their own affective defense of feminine-connoted aspects and tasks. Due to an unwillingness to fundamentally deal with their own reproduction of sexism, defense of femininity or invasive behavior, cis men either shift the responsibility for pro-feminist self-criticism onto their female comrades, refuse it on principle, or patronizingly attend a workshop on “critical masculinity” in order to then see themselves immune from any feminist criticism. FLINTA from the left, especially if they have a certain public visibility, must serve as a projection surface for simultaneous (trans)misogynistic devaluation and punitive needs, or they are presented with a projectively charged claim as a supposed representative for queer and feminist struggles - failure to fulfill them results in sanctions. In short: Feminist struggles must be waged again and again not only against the prevailing conditions, but also against resistance from within our own ranks.

In this lecture, the author Veronika Kracher analyzes the historical and intellectual development of feminist struggles within the radical left - especially against comrades from her own ranks, talks about how feminist criticism and practice has developed and changed in the last 50 years, and also tries to discuss the contradictions of these struggles based on her own experiences.

web address: https://emrawi.org/?Lecture-with-Veronika-Kracher-Antifa-Mannlichkeit-Zwischen-Gegenwehr-und-4132Regions: Austriafeed date: Saturday, October 31, 2026 - 12:00