Kajsa Ekis Ekman

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Kajsa Ekis Ekman at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney
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Kajsa "Ekis" Ekman (1980–) is a Swedish trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF), pro-Russian and "anti-woke" debater and conspiracy theorist. Described in Dagens Nyheter as a "leading figure in the new transphobic movement,"[1] she is the author of several anti-trans articles and a book, and has formerly been a columnist at some of the larger newspapers in Sweden. In 2022 she was fired by the Swedish left-wing newspaper Dagens ETC after she had claimed that Russian propaganda broadcaster RT publishes "very solid journalism." Later in 2022 she was hired and then fired only a week later as editor of the left-wing newspaper Arbetaren, after the entire board and several staff members had resigned in protest over her appointment.[2][3] She has also contributed to fringe publications such as the "red-brown" conspiracy theorist website Steigan.no.[4][5] As of 2025, she is cheering on Donald Trump for "putting Zelenskyy in his place" and mocking those who sympathize with Ukraine,[6] and writing conspiracy-laden articles mocking "woke liberals".[7] She took part in the Swedish launch of the far-right anti-trans group Women's Declaration International, which is closely aligned with Trumpist, alt-right and fascist movements. Associate professor Are Bøe Pedersen stated that "Ekman is a well-known transphobe with ties to hate organizations",[8] while Klassekampen journalist Carline Tromp called her anti-trans rants against "woke" "insane".[9] She is a recipient of the Lenin Award, founded by Swedish Maoist Jan Myrdal.

TERF[edit]

Ekman has become known as the most prominent trans-exclusionary radical feminist in Sweden and been described in Dagens Nyheter as a "leading figure in the new transphobic movement."[1] Ekman participated in the Swedish launch of the anti-trans group Women's Declaration International (WDI) in Sweden in 2020.[4] She has also appeared in WDI's "Feminist Question Time" podcast.[10] At the launch of WDI, she talked about being active in secret anti-trans Facebook groups.

As we’ve seen some progress in Great Britain, especially with J.K Rowling and with the drawback of self-identification laws we have not seen the same progress in Sweden. In Sweden it's still, and in the other nordic countries still, very much a taboo question to speak about and I know that a lot of you are listening right now are active in closed secret Facebook groups and so on, but I think right now is the time to actually move out in the spotlight, you know, it's time to actually speak up, it's time to affect legislation.
—Kajsa "Ekis" Ekman, Swedish launch of WDI[11]

In 2018 the radical feminist National Organisation for Women’s Shelters and Young Women's Shelters in Sweden (ROKS) said that Ekman's anti-trans views were inconsistent with their beliefs and mission to serve "all those who identity as women and girls," and cancelled a planned talk with Ekman in response to statements she had made about trans women.[12] Maria Ramnehill argued in 2018 that Ekman spreads scaremongering propaganda about trans women.[13]

In 2021 she published an anti-trans book titled Om könets existens (On the existence of sex) about the supposed threat from "gender ideology." The book was criticized for relying on far-right "fake news sources"[14] and depicting trans women as a threat.[15] The Norwegian newspaper Morgenbladet described the book's anti-trans rhetoric as "abhorrent" and noted that "it is debatable whether this book deserves any discussion at all."[16] Norwegian feminist Maria Horvei wrote that Ekman's "onesided" book argues against strawmen.[17] The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights published a book titled 100 fel i 'Om könets existens' that argued that her book contained numerous inaccuracies and dubious sources.[18] In 2021, the Swedish Forum for Gender Studies cancelled a discussion of Ekman's book, stating that "the Forum for Gender Studies is not a place for transphobia and anti-trans hate".[19]

In 2022 she appeared in a panel alongside WDI founder Heather Brunskell-Evans and that featured British anti-trans activist and fascist Posie Parker as keynote speaker. Ekman was falsely given the title "Dr", despite not holding any academic degree.[20]

Railing against "woke liberals"[edit]

In 2025 she wrote a conspiracy-laden and transphobic article mocking "woke liberals".[7] Although it was published in Klassekampen, Klassekampen journalist Carline Tromp called the text "insane".[9] The very same text has also been translated into English, in an effort to promote it internationally, by the Swedish Women's Lobby, which has been a hub of anti-trans activism since the late 2010s.[21][22] Ekman later received a forceful response by Norwegian feminists in Klassekampen, who roundly rejected her anti-trans views and unsupported claims.[23]

Pro-Russian views[edit]

Ekman has been widely known for her pro-Putin or Putin-apologetic views for several years. In 2022 she was fired by the left-wing daily Dagens ETC for promoting Russian propaganda, after she had claimed that RT publishes "very solid journalism" and parroted Russian propaganda claims about "Ukrainian Nazis," with reference to The Kyiv Independent. The chief editor of Dagens ETC, Andreas Gustavsson, said he had fired Ekman because she had "whitewashed RT and what they are up to in the world."[24] As of 2025, she is cheering on Donald Trump for "putting Zelenskyy in his place" and mocking those who sympathize with Ukraine.[6]

Russia's government is hardly feminist; Putin signed a law decriminalizing domestic violence in 2017, which was opposed by women's groups in Russia.[25]

In 2024, Russian feminist Zalina Marshenkulova spoke about the status of women in Russia at the time of the war with Ukraine:

Women are, of course, very vulnerable in an environment where anyone can be jailed for no reason. But women are also subjected to reproductive violence that many governments — including Russia — are facilitating with renewed rigorousness these days. [These acts] include abortion restrictions and attempts to ban abortion altogether. In other words: attempts to turn the state away from secularism and toward religious obscurantism. … Oddly enough, most Russian traditionalists and propagandists have never been married, and have no children or families of their own but are pushing everyone else around to do otherwise. It's quite amusing. … The Russian state wants family violence to persist because domestic violence enables state violence. If a person is taught that beating one's family member is ok, then they will perceive state violence and news of someone being tortured as something normal. So it is important to first implement change in personal relationships and families and then change the state — not the other way around.[26]

Hired and fired as newspaper editor[edit]

A few months after she was fired by ETC, she was hired and then fired only a week later as editor of the anarcho-syndicalist newspaper Arbetaren, after the entire board and several staff members had resigned in protest over her hiring, citing her pro-Russian and anti-transgender views. The case received widespread media attention in Sweden.[27][28]

Writings on conspiracy blog Steigan[edit]

She has written about 40 articles for the "red-brown" and pro-Putinist conspiracy theorist website Steigan.no. An article in Workers' Liberty noted:

Among the Putinist propaganda and antisemitism that fills Steigan’s website are numerous contributions from Kajsa “Ekis” Ekman, a prominent transphobic feminist and associate of the Communist Party (Sweden), who co-founded the Swedish branch of Women's Declaration International[4]

Award[edit]

In 2020 she received the Lenin Award, an award founded by Swedish Maoist Jan Myrdal.[29][30]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Därför stormar det på tidningen Arbetaren igen". Dagens Nyheter.
  2. Kajsa Ekis Ekman formellt uppsagd från Arbetaren
  3. Kajsa Ekis Ekman sparkas: ”De kan glömma att jag lämnar jobbet”
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Collaboration between transphobic feminists and the far right — some facts ("Among the Putinist propaganda and antisemitism that fills Steigan’s website are numerous contributions from Kajsa “Ekis” Ekman, a prominent transphobic feminist and associate of the Communist Party (Sweden), who co-founded the Swedish branch of Women’s Declaration International")
  5. Kajsa Ekis Ekman in Steigan.no
  6. 6.0 6.1 Jacob Lundberg (editor of Flamman) on Ekman
  7. 7.0 7.1 Ekman's article on "woke liberals"
  8. Are Bøe Pedersen on Ekman
  9. 9.0 9.1 Carline Tromp: En ganske vanvittig tekst
  10. "Feminist Question Time". WDI. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  11. För att citera KEE från WDI Sweden’s lansering 2020
  12. "Uttalande angående Kajsa Ekis Ekmans deltagande på Roks konferens 20 februari". {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)
  13. Ramnehill, Maria. "Ekis Ekman sprider skrämselpropaganda om transkvinnor" [Ekis Ekman spreads scaremongering propaganda about trans women]. Göteborgs-Posten. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  14. Samuelsson, Sanna (28 April 2021). "Recension: Fake news-källor i Ekis Ekmans nya bok" [Review: Fake news sources in Ekis Ekman's new book]. Göteborgs-Posten.
  15. Sandberg, Linn. "Om transkvinnan som hot" [On trans women as a threat]. Respons.
  16. "Kan diskuteres om boken i det hele tatt fortjener omtale" [It is debatable whether this book deserves any discussion at all]. Morgenbladet. 16 July 2021.
  17. Horvei, Maria (10 September 2021). "Å vere eller ikkje få vere". Vinduet.
  18. "100 fel i "Om könets existens"". RFSL. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  19. "Universitet ställde in seminarium om Kajsa Ekis Ekmans bok". Sveriges Television.
  20. "Object Now". Our speakers: [...] Dr Kajsa Ekis Ekman [...] Radical Feminist Dr Heather Brunskell-Evans [...] And key-note speaker, Kellie-Jay Keen (Standing for Women)
  21. Plus att Spinifex Press (Sheila Jeffreys (WDI) bokförlag) har en översättning på sin sida som de krediterar till Swedish Women’s Lobby.
  22. Kajsa Ekis Ekman: The Two Front War Against Women. Translated by the Swedish Women's Lobby.
  23. Kvinne­be­ve­gelsen må stå sammen
  24. Dagens ETC bryter med Ekis Ekman
  25. Lucian Kim (February 16, 2017). "Russian President Signs Law To Decriminalize Domestic Violence". NPR.
  26. Leyla Latypova (November 18, 2024). "'Russia Wants Family Violence to Persist': Feminist Activist Zalina Marshenkulova". The Moscow Times.
  27. ”Fejden är ett tragikomiskt offentligt sammanbrott”
  28. Ekis Ekman sparkas från Arbetaren – efter kritiken ([Ekis Ekman fired by Arbetaren – after the criticism]
  29. Leninprisen til Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Steigan.no
  30. Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Leninpriset

External links[edit]