LBGTQ - 4 out of 5 cats prefer lesbians

[Whitestripe]

Food for thought: 

This morning there was an all campus email (it's the most common way to announce things around here) from the Womyn's Center announcing their annual FEMME project. From what I gather, it's the campus's alternative to The Vagina Monologues. They are calling for submission of monologues "on any topic: body, self-esteem, sexuality, love gender identity, race, sexual orientation, hair, class, fashion, sex, feminism, anything you want."  They go on to write, "We want to encourage all people (faculty, staff, and students) to participate in whatever way makes them most comfortable" and state that you can write a monologue, act in a monologue or just come be an audience member. However, the email ends with " This show is only open to people who identify as women, trans*, gender queer, and gender non-identifying."   

It is unclear if that means submitting a monologue or just attending the event.  If you identify as a cis male homosexual or cis straight male are you just SOL? What if you wanted to write a heartfelt piece about your brother becoming our sister?  (Or in the case of a good friend of mine, supporting your child's trans identity?) I understand safe spaces and all, but why exclude? 

 

[TerraPrime]

2 minutes ago, Whitestripe said:

" This show is only open to people who identify as women, trans*, gender queer, and gender non-identifying."   
 

I can hear the metaphorical jock straps of the MRA types all twisted into a a bunch over this already: cis het men - the most persecuted group evah.

 

[Whitestripe]

1 minute ago, TerraPrime said:

I can hear the metaphorical jock straps of the MRA types all twisted into a a bunch over this already: cis het men - the most persecuted group evah.

 

 

LOL!  Thank you, I just spewed coffee all over my keyboard.  

[Robin Of House Hill]

18 hours ago, karaddin said:

Robin I'm angry with you (as in sharing your anger) up until that jab at the end. I've pointed out the impact progress has had on me personally, I see plenty of evidence of it in those around me, and I see a backlash against us and shitty media portrayals. In the case of the latter the progress is that that isn't all there is. The shitty things don't invalidate the good, it's a complex world.

While my view is undoubtedly colored by my own experiences, let's take a look at a couple of things.

1977:  I was able to get the name and gender marker changed on my drivers license, based on a letter from my doctor.  In most, but not all jurisdictions, that can be done today, so that's a draw, EXCEPT for the fact that in 2015, obtaining a state issued ID required either, required either an appropriate birth certificate, or a medical certification and an in person visit to the motor vehicles office.

1977:  I was able to get the name and gender marker changed on my Social Security records, based on a visit to the local Social Security office, advising them I'd be working under a new name, from then on, and filling out a form.  Today, that requires a court order..  That's a negative.

1980:  New York City refused to change my birth certificate.  2015, after jumping through unnecessary hoops, they did.  So that's a positive, even though it left a bad taste in my mouth.

In the '70s, 80s, 90s and all the way till about 2010. no jurisdiction was even proposing legislation to bar trans people from the appropriate bathroom.  That's a negative.

2015:  A dangerous legal precedent was established, that rights could be denied by popular vote.  That's a negative.

Violence against trans people is increasing.  That's a negative.

2016:  There are several presidential candidates who support anti-transgender policies.  That's a negative.

Yes, there have been a few jurisdictions where trans rights have been codified in law, but those may fall if voter initiatives to rescind them prevail.  The most lasting progress has been in the courts, but even those won't stand if the public continues in its conservative drift.  It is a complex world and the negative things don't invalidate the positive, but the ratio of positive to negative doesn't seem that great, to me.  And before TP points out that there is always some push back when progress is made, I can only say that those behind the push back outnumber us, have far more resources than we do and seem to have better organization and strategy.  Maybe that sounds pessimistic, but when shit happens, it doesn't take me by surprise.

 

ETA:  The fact that the X Files pulled that shit, is an example, I think, that society hasn't really changed.  I've seen people saying that they thought it was the funniest X Files episode they ever saw.  They just don't care that we were the butt of the joke.

[deleted01]

On 11/01/2016 at 11:47 PM, Lily Valley said:

I found this online and wanted to post it for Drac specifically, but also for all the other bisexual ladies on board.  

 

I am not on here often enough. Thank you for this. 

[TrackerNeil]

On 2/3/2016 at 10:37 AM, Whitestripe said:

Food for thought: 

This morning there was an all campus email (it's the most common way to announce things around here) from the Womyn's Center announcing their annual FEMME project. From what I gather, it's the campus's alternative to The Vagina Monologues. They are calling for submission of monologues "on any topic: body, self-esteem, sexuality, love gender identity, race, sexual orientation, hair, class, fashion, sex, feminism, anything you want."  They go on to write, "We want to encourage all people (faculty, staff, and students) to participate in whatever way makes them most comfortable" and state that you can write a monologue, act in a monologue or just come be an audience member. However, the email ends with " This show is only open to people who identify as women, trans*, gender queer, and gender non-identifying."   

It is unclear if that means submitting a monologue or just attending the event.  If you identify as a cis male homosexual or cis straight male are you just SOL? What if you wanted to write a heartfelt piece about your brother becoming our sister?  (Or in the case of a good friend of mine, supporting your child's trans identity?) I understand safe spaces and all, but why exclude? 

I think this is a tough road to walk. Safe spaces are all well and good, but I'm not sure a campus-wide email is the way to announce that certain attendees are not welcome. (This assumes that the disclaimer applies only to attendees and not performers.) If women or trans folks or POC were similarly excluded from some event, segments of the student body would have gone bananas, and rightfully so. I realize this is college, where people tend to be oh-so-earnest about, well, everything, but this is not the kind of exclusion I would have felt comfortable announcing to the entire student body. You're just giving the MRAs and MGTOWs and the rest of the trog squad a legitimate excuse to display their ever-growing list of grievances. 

EDITED TO ADD: I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but the final defendant in the gay-bashing case has been dealt with. Honestly, I am over the outrage/anger part and am now just feeling sad and tired about the whole thing. I want that incident not to have happened. Where's my time machine? 

[felice]

13 hours ago, TrackerNeil said:

this is not the kind of exclusion I would have felt comfortable announcing to the entire student body.

What's the alternative? Keep that the event is happening a closely guarded secret to be spread only by word of mouth where there's no risk of men overhearing? Or don't announce the exclusion, and turn away any men who show up at the door with no warning?

I assume a significant factor in the exclusion is for the comfort of the performers.

[TrackerNeil]

51 minutes ago, felice said:

What's the alternative? Keep that the event is happening a closely guarded secret to be spread only by word of mouth where there's no risk of men overhearing? Or don't announce the exclusion, and turn away any men who show up at the door with no warning?

I assume a significant factor in the exclusion is for the comfort of the performers.

If I were producing such an event, I'd either open the doors to all, or if I thought that was simply too great a risk, I'd advertise it differently. I'm not sure I could with a clear conscience send a campus-wide email announcing an event closed to most of the campus. Opinions will vary, obviously, but I don't play that way. 

[TerraPrime]

Just hold two performances: One for public, and one for select group(s).

Most greek societies do this all the time. Their Spring socials are closed to non-members, for instance.

[Weeping Sore]

Not sure whether posting this article will violate the express purpose of this thread, certainly some have labeled the researcher in question a transphobe:

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/02/fight-over-trans-kids-got-a-researcher-fired.html

The article is not unbiased, but I think it does raise questions worth addressing about pre-adolescent kids and the potential for coercion in shaping their identities. I honestly don't know what to think. 

[karaddin]

I couldn't finish that. At best it's an article coming from a frame of reference that treats our potential as research subjects as more important than our happiness. I've seen a lot of comments about that doctor and that place and I believe the allegations a lot more than I believe the guy trying to coerce kids out of being trans.

There's a piece of information about trans kids that is frequently twisted to fit an anti trans narrative, which is that over 90% of kids displaying gender non confirming behavior turn out cis. This stat reveals the sexist underpinnings of the metric, because it's talking about boys playing with Barbie's, girls playing with soldiers etc not expressions of gender dysphoria. Kids that express that are a very different story and overwhelmingly turn out trans.

As for coercion... You know how much pressure there is in society to fit in, the pressure to follow any particular path once you are identifying as trans can be an issue if you don't fit that path but it's not going to pressure very many people you think there are trans when they aren't in the face of the torrent of coercion from society. And these conservative doctors are the ones that pushed a "this is the one path" approach in the first place. Although I'm sure someone in this thread disagrees with me on it being a bad thing.

 

I'd also just like to note that although she's not on the board anymore Em is in a state currently pushing a bathroom bill and will be severely harmed by it. 

[TrackerNeil]

5 hours ago, TerraPrime said:

Just hold two performances: One for public, and one for select group(s).

Most greek societies do this all the time. Their Spring socials are closed to non-members, for instance.

I think that's the way to go, especially considering that many universities have policies that would ban not selling tickets to certain classes of people. 

[Lily Valley]

Just popping in to say that this is the queerest Mardi Gras I've ever seen.  It's always very man - heavy, but this year I met a girl dressed as "Pussy Tamer" at 9am.  Just sayin.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnnnnnd back out there.

[First of My Name]

I just told one of my best friends I'm gay and can't really believe I did it. Reaction was relatively positive but it's still very overwhelming to think about. I think when the dust settles I'll be glad I did itthough. Thank you alcohol for emboldening me.

[Darzin]

On 2/3/2016 at 11:41 PM, TerraPrime said:

I can hear the metaphorical jock straps of the MRA types all twisted into a a bunch over this already: cis het men - the most persecuted group evah.

 

I'm not 100% on board with these kind of exclusions I do get the argument for safe spaces, but I'm not sure i'm comfortable using gender to exclude people ever. That said I do find it funny that the types who are likely to complain about this MRAs and their ilk, would never dream of attending something like this and if they did would likely get nothing out of it. It's only being told they can't do something that makes them all pissy. 

[TrackerNeil]

1 hour ago, First of My Name said:

I just told one of my best friends I'm gay and can't really believe I did it. Reaction was relatively positive but it's still very overwhelming to think about. I think when the dust settles I'll be glad I did itthough. Thank you alcohol for emboldening me.

Hey, congratulations! That is a scary thing to do, alcohol or no. Yay you!

[First of My Name]

I just told one of my best friends I'm gay and can't really believe I did it. Reaction was relatively positive but it's still very overwhelming to think about. I think when the dust settles I'll be glad I did itthough. Thank you alcohol for emboldening me.

Hey, congratulations! That is a scary thing to do, alcohol or no. Yay you!

Thanks It was scary but I'm glad I did it.

[Weeping Sore]

@karaddin- I think the figure they quote in the article is 75%. Of course you're correct, any sense of coercion to be trans will always be drastically less powerful and onerous than the societal pressure to not be. So any failure to positively support transition will tip the scales toward societal expectation. Still, I'm sure there were plenty of gender-nonconforming kids that went to this clinic who may not have been well-served by transition.

[brook]

On 9 February 2016 at 7:03 AM, Weeping Sore said:

Not sure whether posting this article will violate the express purpose of this thread, certainly some have labeled the researcher in question a transphobe:

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/02/fight-over-trans-kids-got-a-researcher-fired.html

The article is not unbiased, but I think it does raise questions worth addressing about pre-adolescent kids and the potential for coercion in shaping their identities. I honestly don't know what to think. 

This response is worth a read http://juliaserano.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/placing-ken-zuckers-clinic-in.html?m=1

[Whitestripe]

Re: Excluding males from FEMME performance

We're a pretty liberal campus, and I don't know if it's just that nobody reads the Womyn's Center emails or if people don't care,  but the gender neutral bathrooms on campus have gotten more press than this event has. There were a few Yik Yaks questioning the reasoning behind the exclusion.  Some responded that the content was pretty intense while others said that the audience would probably self-select. I dunno, I think anyone should be able to attend.