Fwd: Letter from Liverpool
Hannah Ryan
Dear RadFem 2012,
I am writing to you on behalf of Merseyside Women's Movement, Angry Women of Liverpool and the Liverpool Women's Network to urge you to change your
policy and make RadFem 2012 a trans-inclusive space.
Trans women are the focus of stigma, hate speech and discrimination that is undoubtedly from the same auspices of patriarchal gender determinism as that aimed at women. In other words, it is misogyny. The arduous process of transitioning requires confronting the complexities of sex, gender and gender discrimination, and that draws many trans people to feminist theory and principle. To exclude trans women from a feminist gathering like this is to negate in practice the basic feminist principle of self-determination. Trans women's well-being and rights are intimately intertwined with every woman's well-being and rights.
Cath Turner
Well that’s a long debate going on isn’t it! Interesting never the less, one that I’m not aware Liverpool based women’s networks has had that I’ve been privy to, so food for thought for us too.
This is such an opportunity to build bridges and challenge a lot of the prejudice and ignorance that is around the feminist networks about transphobia and the lack of understanding about the issues and what folk from the trans community face. I think it would be useful to hear from the facilitators of the group concerned as to why they prefer it to be women born, or whatever phrase they use, as it would be a helpful starter to hear their thoughts on this. I can see why this is a delicate issue for both camps because it’s about sexual abuse but then let’s discuss this as we’ll never move on with it if we don’t. I have this nagging feeling that maybe it’s up to the survivors themselves to make this decision, including survivors who are trans women??
I tell you another thing, this would be a fab piece of research on the demographics of survivors of sexual abuse and the commonalities across all survivors! Maybe it has already been looked at. Vicky is this something you can look into or put some feelers out on? Where is the unbiased research and evidence that says ‘women born women’ are freaked out by trans women being in the same survivors group or has this been isolated experiences were prejudice and or personalities may have been an issue?
On a practical note, sometimes when an issue is taking a lot of the focus and centre of attention then they may as well entertain the issues in my view, takes the heat out of stuff, you deal with the reality and look at the issues head on, try out something different and new rather than going with what the feminist movement has always done. How progressive and radical would that be!!
I am aware the conference is about all sorts of things too and good luck to the event and those no doubt working hard to make it happen in some shape or form , but this is great opportunity to bring on board new activists from ALL sections of our community.
Hope this blurb helps or gives a useful point of view and nice one for spotting this and creating a very eloquent response.
x
Cath Turner
Development Manager
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Hannah Ryan
This is the statement Manchester Feminist Network have put on their blog about trans exclusion from workshops on sexuality and sexual violence.
"We don’t see it as transphobic to have some seperate space for born women. Some of the women in our group are vocal advocates of trans-women’s rights. Some of us advocate for trans-women’s human rights but still want to be in born woman space sometimes and don’t see the 2 as mutually exclusive. Many of us have trans-women as family members, friends and work colleagues. As a feminist network of different women we struggle with these differences and yet try to still work together. The compropmise that we came to for Women Up North was that it would generally be open to trans-women but that the sexual abuse survivors and sexuality workshops could be designated born women only as the facilitators requested this.
The vast majority of sexual abuse is committed on women by men. Most women seek out women only services for support and recovery e.g. rape crisis centres, survivors groups or women counsellors. This doesnt mean that all male counsellors or support services are rapists, but that unfortunately under patriarchy women are understandably sometimes fearful of and uncomfortable around men (just think how differently it impacts on women when having a man or woman walking behind them when alone out at night). Sadly, some of us would not feel as safe/uninhibited in the presence of people who have lived some of their lives as men, however those individuals feel/see themselves and whether they too are survivors of sexual violence. Blame patriarchy for this, not feminist survivors of abuse. Please work with us seperately when requested, and together at all other times to challenge male violence and patriarchy. We have alot of common ground and alot of work to do! Some of us like this article by Jenny Roberts, a trans-woman who used to run the lesbian bookshop and arts festival Libertashttp://www.annelawrence.com/buildingbridges.html
This is our response on the matter and we are unlikely to respond to individual comments, apologies."
In my opinion, this is a confused, prejudiced and patronising response to this issue, and I don't think it's reasonable to ask any group of women to 'work separately when requested and together at all other times'. The fact that they shut down the debate by saying they won't respond to individual comments suggests to me that there might be division within MFN and uncertainty about how to deal with the issue.
I agree that the approach should be practical and aimed at empowering trans women AND survivors of sexual violence, and should avoid making assumptions about what survivors of violence think/feel, which is what MFN seem to be doing. Having some evidence would be optimum!
I think a meeting at a feminist conference discussing sexual violence is a very different setting to a counselling setting or survivors support group, and I personally can't see any justification at all for excluding trans women from the former. The latter is a more complex issue perhaps, but not relevant to MFN's event, and needs to be discussed by survivors groups and the organisations who support them. Trans women are at risk of sexual violence and harassment, and deserve to be able to participate in feminist discussions and action on these issues, as well as access to services to support them if they are victims. Excluding trans women from discussions about sexuality just seems bizarre to me.
I think we should discuss this and communicate with MFN as a fellow feminist group. I have copied in Tara Hewitt who is a LGBT activist and equality and diversity educator. AWOL have already suggested having a meeting on trans inclusion, and Tara has said she'd be happy to come and speak. Would be good to get local LGBT groups/trans groups along too. Thoughts?
Tara Hewitt
Hi,
Maybe a suggestion would be to invite them along to the meeting and after we have some discussions on how we can involve Trans people more within the feminist movement and making safe spaces more accessible for the Trans community finish with a Question Time panel with representative from Manchester Feminist Network, potentially invite some one from RAD FEM 2012 and my self and some other Trans positive feminists on the other side?
I am not a big fan of giving a platform for the aim of pursuing a Transphobic agenda but in relation to this issue it would be good to be able to positively challenge the negative assumptions made by the trans exclusionary movement and put across the positive side of the feminist movement.
Thoughts?
Kindest Regards
Tara Hewitt
From:
Hannah Ryan [mailto:hannah...@googlemail.com]
Sent: 31 May 2012 16:57
To: Cath Turner
Cc: angry...@googlegroups.com;
merseysidewo...@googlegroups.com; carole trenaman; Canning, Vicky;
Tara Hewitt
Subject: Re: Letter from Liverpool
This is the statement Manchester Feminist Network have put on their blog about trans exclusion from workshops on sexuality and sexual violence.
"We don’t see it as transphobic to have some seperate space for born women. Some of the women in our group are vocal advocates of trans-women’s rights. Some of us advocate for trans-women’s human rights but still want to be in born woman space sometimes and don’t see the 2 as mutually exclusive. Many of us have trans-women as family members, friends and work colleagues. As a feminist network of different women we struggle with these differences and yet try to still work together. The compropmise that we came to for Women Up North was that it would generally be open to trans-women but that the sexual abuse survivors and sexuality workshops could be designated born women only as the facilitators requested this.
The vast majority of sexual abuse is committed on women by men. Most women seek out women only services for support and recovery e.g. rape crisis centres, survivors groups or women counsellors. This doesnt mean that all male counsellors or support services are rapists, but that unfortunately under patriarchy women are understandably sometimes fearful of and uncomfortable around men (just think how differently it impacts on women when having a man or woman walking behind them when alone out at night). Sadly, some of us would not feel as safe/uninhibited in the presence of people who have lived some of their lives as men, however those individuals feel/see themselves and whether they too are survivors of sexual violence. Blame patriarchy for this, not feminist survivors of abuse. Please work with us seperately when requested, and together at all other times to challenge male violence and patriarchy. We have alot of common ground and alot of work to do! Some of us like this article by Jenny Roberts, a trans-woman who used to run the lesbian bookshop and arts festival Libertashttp://www.annelawrence.com/buildingbridges.html
This is our response on the matter and we are unlikely to respond to individual comments, apologies."
In my opinion, this is a confused, prejudiced and patronising response to this issue, and I don't think it's reasonable to ask any group of women to 'work separately when requested and together at all other times'. The fact that they shut down the debate by saying they won't respond to individual comments suggests to me that there might be division within MFN and uncertainty about how to deal with the issue.
I agree that the approach should be practical and aimed at empowering trans women AND survivors of sexual violence, and should avoid making assumptions about what survivors of violence think/feel, which is what MFN seem to be doing. Having some evidence would be optimum!
I think a meeting at a feminist conference discussing sexual violence is a very different setting to a counselling setting or survivors support group, and I personally can't see any justification at all for excluding trans women from the former. The latter is a more complex issue perhaps, but not relevant to MFN's event, and needs to be discussed by survivors groups and the organisations who support them. Trans women are at risk of sexual violence and harassment, and deserve to be able to participate in feminist discussions and action on these issues, as well as access to services to support them if they are victims. Excluding trans women from discussions about sexuality just seems bizarre to me.
I think we should discuss this and communicate with MFN as a fellow feminist group. I have copied in Tara Hewitt who is a LGBT activist and equality and diversity educator. AWOL have already suggested having a meeting on trans inclusion, and Tara has said she'd be happy to come and speak. Would be good to get local LGBT groups/trans groups along too. Thoughts?
Hx
On 31 May 2012 15:23, Cath Turner <Ca...@sahir.uk.com> wrote: