&RI0 Womyn Discuss Gender Policy at Music Festival

PAGE 12 Q-Notes ▼ October 1992 Womyn discuss gender n policy at music festival WALHALLA, Mi—Womyn attending the Festival this year in a gesture of protest. the 17th annual Michigan Womyn’s Music On the other hand, some womyn against Festival (MWMF) were challenged to think inclusion may have been reluctant to fill out about a subject some had never considered surveys.” Efforts are currently underway to before, and they rose to the occasion beauti sample opinion in the womyn’s community fully. The issue was gender: whether trans outside MWMF. An independent petition sexuals should be excluded from the Festi circulated at the Festival to change Festival val, how to enforce such a policy, and who policy to include transsexual womyn with decides. “I was impressed: festigoers were out penises collected 200 signatures. willing to give this matter serious thought, to Davina Anne Gabriel, a male-to-female ^share their confusion and their feelings about transsexual who underwent sex reassign it, and to be educated about transsexualism,” ment surgery in 1978, attended the Festival ¥• Come visH our neuu said Janis Walworth, one of several womyn this year despite the antitranssexual womyn at the Festival trying to promote discussion policy. Asked if she thought her presence about the policy that excludes non “womyn- there was disrespectful of womyn-only space, ie Deli bom-womyn.” Gabriel replied, “I feel that as a womon I Many womyn were shocked to learn that belong here.” She also quoted Alix Dobkin 20 voneiies of do^ie snocKs Nancy Burkholder, a transsexual womon, as saying in her workshop on Issues in Les had been expelled from MWMF last summer bian Community, “It’s the responsibility of ‘i- Also noLU corrLiin^ for no reason other than suspicion of being a each of us to make a place for ourselves in the transsexual. Burkholder says she would not community. We have to show up and say, Pro Plon Dog Food have attended last year or in 1990 (which she ‘I’m here-deal with me.’ You declare your attended without incident) had she known self a part and you are a part, and the only about the antitranssexual policy, and she did way to do that is to keep coming back.” • 3925 Monroe Rood • not come this year. Chorlotte, North Carolina 2821 1 Popular among festigoers this year were buttons from Womyn For Womyn, a Califor nia-based group, which queried, “Where’s $3.00 OFF WITH THIS AD Nancy?”. Walworth, a friend of Nancy’s, offered two workshops to discuss the Festi val policy; two other workshops on similar ¥• FOR THeV€RV 66ST IN: topics were offered by two other womyn. per GROOMING *i‘ Cat Grooming Walworth said, “I’m concerned not only •4' Pick-Up Si Delivery Night flppts. Rvoiloble with the question of whether transsexual No Tronquilizers ULIeekly Discounts womyn should be officially included at Michi gan but also with the nature of the Festival policy. The policy is vague. It doesn’t spell Janis Walworth sits behind her informa out exactly who is excluded and it is not tion table at the Michigan Womyn’s stated clearly in Festival literature.” This Music Festival disseminating pro year, for the first time, the Festival brochure transgender materials. stated in fine print that “MWMF is a gather ing of mothers and daughters for all womyn “Anotherproblem with the Festival policy bom womyn.” “I discussed this statement is that it is impossible to enforce fairly,” says with many Festival participants, and there Walworth. “There is no sure way to tell a were several interpretations of it,” said transsexual from a nontranssexud woman, Walworth. Some womyn thought it referred except through medical records. In fact, a 'SI to the fact that they were bom of womyn-their nontranssexual woman can’tprove she’s not mothers. Others felt, as Simone de Beaubior a transsexual without undergoing expensive put it, “One is not bom a woman, one be medical tests!” Unfortunately, MWMF pro comes one.” Many male-to-female transsexu ducers have failed to provide guidelines for als consider themselves womyn-born womyn , the enforcement of this policy, apparently because they have felt female from birth. leaving it up to individusd security womyn. A survey done at this year’s Festival re One womon doing a shift as a security worker vealed that womyn on both sides of the trans asked her supervisor what to do if she saw a sexual inclusion question want a clear state transsexual and was told, “You could do ment of Festival policy to be promulgated and uniformly enforced. Transsexuals like whatever you want, actually.” Her comment Burkholder have a right to know what the to this reporter was, “ Security guards aren’t being given any S^|.L0Wi policy is before traveling hundreds of miles direction on what to do. It’s all up to indi to the Festival. All attendees have a right to vidual discretion. That’s my impression from know what policies they are supporting by working as a security guard.” "When Gabriel coming to MWMF. revealed herself to be a transsexual at a work &RI0 The survey, filled out by 633 of the ap shop on Sunday, a security worker who was proximately 7500 participants in this year s there told her, “I wouldn’t be comfortable Festival, showed that an overwhelming 73% throwing you out.” Gabriel had been partici Wigs favor the inclusion of male-to-female trans pating in the Festival since Wednesday with sexuals after they have had surgery. Inclu out incident. Despite publicly coming out sion was opposed by 23%. 4% were unde twice on Sunday, Gabriel was not ejected. m cided. “These results must be taken in con A survey question about how MWMF text,” says Walworth. “This was certainly security should determine who is transsexual ^%CC€SS0^'\£S\S^^ not a random sample. Many womyn who favor U'anssexual inclusion did not come to Continued on page 22 \^ccq(aWof^ Mahc Up |i|air Rotors Charlotte’s gay and lesbian film series announces third season ^ncHpcnsioc by Mark Huffstetler night as part of the Mint Museum’s film IBIach }0f Special to Q-Notes series.) This film series is made possible by the Charlotte’s gay and lesbian film series is generous support of our sponsors and pa now firmly established as part of the trons. It is not too late to pledge your support community’s cultural scene with the an for this season's series. For more information nouncement of its expanded third season. An call 334-5089. Patrons and sponsors to date: increase in corporate and individual sponsor Wesley Mancini, Liasons, Oleen’s/Brass Rail, ship has allowed the series to expand to nine Scorpio, Joey Keistler, Bob Barret, Charles fCT£.I£R dates, rent higher quality films and videos McMurray, Paper Skyscraper, Tim Fleming, and bring in filmmakers to introduce and Robert Herdon, Di Matthews, Robert Sheets/ VOCRfIDIIIS discuss their work. A Travel Place, Lenore Jones Deutsch, MCSP, The series starts October 15 at Spirit Square Rising Moon Books and several anonymous in uptown Charlotte with an evening of video donors. by lesbian and gay filmmakers of color. Cheiy 1 The Charlotte gay and lesbian film series Dunye, a lesbian filmmaker, and Robert Reid- strives to bring film and video by and about 15W ctHTRivi, 233/l£6T/ftel058iSrAl'l«lg Pharr, agay film critic, will hosttheevening’s our gay and lesbian community to our area. A presentations. recent surge in gay and lesbian filmmaking oHMluTie mmsc, In December, director Tom Kalin will be gives us a larger field to draw from. Most in attendance for the screening of his work dates will include supplemental short works 7<>4 376‘fBET ^^■^53fE6T 8o3‘^??57 Flesh Histories. (Mr. Kalin will also intro to complement our feature films. All titles are duce his latest work. Swoon , the previous subject to change..

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