Thu May 17, 2012, 08:11 PM
Zenlitened (9,488 posts)
"Complicit in trans women's oppression"There's nothing radical about transphobia
by Laura Woodhouse, 17 May 2012 ...I was angered to learn that a new UK conference for radical feminists, RadFem2012, is not only playing host to a well-known transphobe, but is actively excluding trans women from attending. The conference is open only to "women born women living as women". Now, I personally support and fully appreciate the value of women-only space, but that space has to be open to all self-defining women. Excluding trans women from an event that aims to build an "anti-oppressive movement for the liberation of all women from patriarchal oppression" is bitterly ironic. Trans women suffer horrifying levels of violence, abuse and discrimination, fuelled not only by the fact that they are women, but by the refusal of the vast majority of the cis population to acknowledge and respect their identities. The organisers of RadFem2012 have actively chosen to align themselves with this majority, and in so doing are complicit in trans women's oppression. Radical? Feminism? I think not... ...What is my business, as a feminist, is standing in solidarity with my trans sisters and fighting the system that oppresses all of us. A system of which the term "women born women" is very much a part. More: http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2012/05/theres_nothing
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14 replies, 2753 views
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Author | Time | Post |
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Zenlitened | May 2012 | OP |
William769 | May 2012 | #1 | |
TheWraith | May 2012 | #4 | |
yardwork | May 2012 | #2 | |
William769 | May 2012 | #3 | |
Zorra | May 2012 | #5 | |
Vanje | May 2012 | #6 | |
qb | May 2012 | #7 | |
obamanut2012 | May 2012 | #8 | |
laconicsax | May 2012 | #9 | |
TriMera | May 2012 | #10 | |
DURHAM D | May 2012 | #12 | |
DURHAM D | May 2012 | #11 | |
TriMera | May 2012 | #13 | |
nickinSTL | May 2012 | #14 |
Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 08:13 PM
William769 (51,694 posts)
1. I think we know someone at that conference.
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Response to William769 (Reply #1)
Thu May 17, 2012, 08:19 PM
TheWraith (24,331 posts)
4. I think you're probably right. nt
Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 08:16 PM
yardwork (54,291 posts)
2. This is sickening.
Response to yardwork (Reply #2)
Thu May 17, 2012, 08:18 PM
William769 (51,694 posts)
3. Yes it is, in the highest order.
Talk about bigotry.
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Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 08:41 PM
Zorra (27,670 posts)
5. Victims of bigotry being bigots. The stupidity of this never fails to amaze me. nt
Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 08:58 PM
Vanje (9,766 posts)
6. Horrible!
I DO NOT understand this.
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Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 09:03 PM
qb (5,924 posts)
7. "Feminists" who discriminate against women.
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Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 10:08 PM
obamanut2012 (22,786 posts)
8. Disgusting
Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 10:20 PM
laconicsax (14,860 posts)
9. What bullshit!
(The exclusion of trans women, not the article or OP)
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Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 10:52 PM
TriMera (1,375 posts)
10. The worst part is that Sheila Jeffreys is a lesbian.
So, a woman who belongs to not one oppressed group, but two, is willing to oppress other women. IMHO, Ms. Jeffreys is the lowest of the low.
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Response to TriMera (Reply #10)
Thu May 17, 2012, 11:14 PM
DURHAM D (31,416 posts)
12. Unfortunately I have met many lesbians
with that attitude over the years. I thought things were getting better but this is shocking.
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Response to Zenlitened (Original post)
Thu May 17, 2012, 11:04 PM
DURHAM D (31,416 posts)
11. Good lord
From the next article - "Transphobia is the great shame of modern radical feminism."
When reading these two articles the first person I thought of was Billie Jean King. In 1977 she stood alone and against the tennis world and insisted that Renee Richards be allowed to play on the women's tennis circuit. She & Renee won that argument. It should be settled matter in every venue. |
Response to DURHAM D (Reply #11)
Fri May 18, 2012, 09:10 AM
nickinSTL (4,833 posts)
14. I hadn't heard that about Billie Jean
I was...kind of young in '77, so wasn't really aware of...well, I don't know if I'd even heard of tennis, much less Billie Jean King or Renee Richards.
Makes me respect King even more. |