The feminist rejection of transwomen as women. Kate Bornstein reasons that this exclusion comes from the MTF transsexual carrying a degree of their male privledge into their newly-gendered life and into the "women-only" space. Borstein goes on to prescribe the eradication of male priveledge from all environments as the best option, but we all know that's not going to happen overnight. And neither will acceptance of transwomen in women-only spaces.
This topic reminded me of the skirmish at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. MWFM is amoung very few women's festivals with a Women-born-Women only policy. WBW policies center around women's experiences and childhood as a "girl" are unique, learned, and transformative mainly due to them functioning under patriarchy. Judith Butler grounds WBW policies in gender being a performance. The general gist of the MWFM incident was that Nancy Burkholder was kicked out of the festival after disclosing her transsexual status. I can remember at the time being revolted by the fact that a group of what I could only assume were very empowered, compassionate women dedicated to minimizing oppression in our society, were giving this (whether they like it or not) member of their community a taste of the medicine they were used to being dealt. Furthermore, the fact that much of the WBW policy rationale is grounded in segregation by who grew up under patriarchy only further propagates patriarchy's influence in women's lives down the line. Outrage from transgender activists initiaged "Camp Trans," which meets every year at the same time as the festival just across the street.
Camp Trans Wiki
Transmission from Camp Trans
Camp Trans Comic
Taste of MWMF and it's musical performances
Camp Trans declares victory
One last reflection on gender. I am of the opinion that to some degree people take on gender traits of those they are attracted to in a semi-dilusional strive for acceptance. I believe this t be especially true in the case of promiscuity. I think that young women who are not yet defined in their sexuality and sexual practices, may take on a promiscuous air in order to be accepted by the men they are interested in. My assertion may fall apart when extended to lesbians and gay men. If a lesbian took on the gender characteristics of her female lover she would just act more female and a likewise for a man. And this does not correlate to the the gender stereotypes of the effeminate man and the butch women.
Also, because I like our article writers' blogs, here is Kate Bornstein's
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