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***forwarded material begins
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1993 21:22:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nancy J Burkholder <hoy...@world.std.com>
Subject: MWMF Anti-TS Awareness:  Background Information (107 lines)
To: sappho <sap...@mc.lcs.mit.edu>
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Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

  To:  Women Concerned About Transsexual Oppression

  In 1991, a woman was expelled from the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
  on suspicion of being a transsexual. This incident brought to light an
  unpublished policy that MWMF was for *nontranssexual* women only.
  (Old-timers inform us that this decision was reached in the late 70s and
  that it was considered to be so well understood that it was not thought
  necessary to put it in writing.) News of Nancy's expulsion and the
  anti-transsexual policy shocked many festival goers.

  The 1992 MWMF brochure included a statement that "MWMF is a gathering of
  mothers and daughters for all womyn born womyn," meant to exclude
  transsexuals. (An informal survey of transsexual women showed that many
  would include themselves under this definition.) At the 1992 festival, a
  small group of women (including at least one transsexual) set up a
  literature table to provide information about gender issues, posted
  "gender myths" in the portajanes, gave away buttons asking "Where's
  Nancy?" and raised questions, listened, and talked to women for hours.
  Four workshops were offered about transsexualism and about MWMF policy.
  Security women were questioned about whether they would expel a
  transsexual. A survey was conducted to find out what participants
  thought about including transsexuals. Nearly three-quarters of
  respondents thought transsexuals should be welcome (see detailed results
  in next mail). Survey results were sent to festival producers and a
  response requested, but none has been received.

  The 1993 MWMF brochure has just hit the streets and it contains the same
  anti-transsexual statement as in 1992. A boycott of the festival has
  been suggested, but we feel it would be far more effective to show up
  and make our voices heard. As Alix Dobkin said, the only way to make a
  place for yourself in the community is to show up and say "I'm here,
  deal with me!" and *keep coming back*. That is precisely what we intend
  to do.

  We encourage those who feel that the anti-transsexual policy is wrong to
  join us. (True, Alix didn't have transsexuals in mind when she said
  this, but she has admitted that transsexuals *could* apply it to
  themselves if they felt they belonged in the commnity.)

  Our goals are:
    *  Continue informing festival participants about gender issues
    and providing a forum for discussion.

    *  Promote understanding by sharing the experiences and viewpoints
    of transgendered persons, even if they cannot be present to speak for
    themselves.

    *  Convince festival producers that there is sufficient interest in
    this issue to reopen it for discussion (they apparently feel that
    since it was decided 15 years ago, there is no need to discuss it
    again).

    *  Demonstrate by means of a petition that most festival participants
    support a policy that would include post-operative male-to-female
    transsexuals.

    *  Insist that if transsexuals are to be excluded (which the festival
    probably has a legal right to do), then the policy must be
    *unambiguously* stated in the brochure.

  We need help to achieve these goals. Last year several people gave
  tremendous amounts of time, energy, and money to help our effort
  succeed--not only those who attended the festival but others around the
  country who contributed in many ways. The extent of our action in 1993
  will depend on how much support we get. We need many kinds of help,
  including (but not limited to) local contacts in the Hart area
  transportation to and from the festival for women in various parts of
  the country, people who can help with fundraising, people who can write
  about their experiences with gender, people with media connections,
  ideas for literature and buttons, women willing to lead workshops, women
  to get signatures on petitions and leaflet the portajanes, women to
  bring us food at our One World literature table, and of course, money is
  always welcome. Last year, our budget was about $2000 and we
  accomplished a huge amount. We put every dollar to good use and will do
  so again this year.

  So we're not talking about big money. Every contribution is meaningful.
  With $5 we can print over 100 pieces of literature. If you would like to
  help in any way, large or small, write to me at the address below, or
  call me. Reproduce this letter and send it to anyone who might also want
  to help. Post it on electronic networks. Discuss it with your friends.
  Together we can promote understanding and put an end to oppression.

  Janis Walworth
  PO Box 52
  Ashby, MA 01431
  508-386-7737

  or email:  hoy...@world.std.com

  "Good people are always so sure they're right."

                  --Barbara Graham's last words
                  Executed June 3, 1955 at San Quentin

***forwarded material ends
forwarded by
               Rica Ashby Fredrickson  <r...@cellar.org>