Festival: Michigan: Transgender Controversy…
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festival: Michigan: transgender controversy… …and right-wing attacks "americans for truth" claims MWMF endangers children Author(s): karla mantilla and Lisa Vogel Source: Off Our Backs, Vol. 30, No. 9 (october 2000), pp. 8-9 Published by: off our backs, inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20836703 Accessed: 14-05-2015 13:31 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. off our backs, inc. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Off Our Backs. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.209.6.61 on Thu, 14 May 2015 13:31:54 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions I festival ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^B excerpts fromMichigan Womyn's Music Festival's statements on the transgender issue The Festival iswomon-born womyn to gather in celebration of our womon space. That means it is an event diverse identities as womyn-born Michigan: intended for womyn who were born and womyn. who have lived their entire life experi It saddens me that the young womyr> ence as female?and who currently we used to call 'baby-dykes' are now identify as a womon. growing up questioning the validity of We ask the transsexual community the very concept of being female. Many to respect and support this intention.... of us growing up, myself included, Just as we call upon the transsexual struggled fiercely with the limited transgender community to support womyn-born societal definition of what being a womyn space, we encourage support "woman" meant. That's why we and respect for the transsexual commu created this Festival?as an exploration nity. As a community, we inMichigan and celebration of the full range of who are committed to fighting prejudice and we are and all we can be as womyn. We controversy... ignorance of all kinds; we do not want refuse to see "woman" turned into a to see transphobia fostered here or dirty word or defined as an out-dated anywhere. Claiming one week a year as construct. womyn-born womyn space is not in The Michigan Womyn's Music activists, members of activists, "If you do not identify as Eight transgender contradiction to being trans-positive and Festival remains clear and firm in our a called Trans womon-born womon, the is Chicago group "Camp policy trans-allies. In the year 2000, the queer commitment tomaintain the Festival as Committee" and the Boston and clear." When challenged repeatedly by Planning community enjoys such rich diversity. womyn-born womyn space. At the of Lesbian Avengers, the activists to clarify their policy, the Chicago chapters We believe there is room for all affinity same time,we stand as allies with the wt re asked to leave theMichigan staff stated, "We have been clear about groups to enjoy separate and supportive trans community and refuse to be Music Festival this year. The what this festival is about. It is for Womyn's space, and also to come together in forced into false dichotomies that equate were escorted to theMain Gate of womyn-born womyn. Those of you eight broader alliances to fight prejudice that being pro-womyn-born womyn space the festival, their attendance wristbands who are not womyn-born womyn, who affects all of us. We are strong enough with being anti-trans. were cut off, and were identify as transsexual, not as they expelled to hold our incredible diversity inmutual We believe the greater queer commu from the In with we are asking you to grounds. keeping transgender, respect and support. nity is strong enough to support sepa Festival their entrance fees were leave." Activists that if the staff policy, replied rate space for all affinity groups. There net refunded. were telling them to leave, theywould From a statement by Lisa Vogel, are times all oppressed communities The followed a demon leave, but that if were merely expulsion they Festival producer: need separate spaces, even away from stration activists at the asking them to leave, theywould stay. by transgender "Michigan has always been home to their allies. The Festival community kitchen area during dinner on Saturday Festival staff replied, "Those who womyn-born womyn who represent learned this in the creation of a separate Activists held signs identify as transsexual, we are telling evening. proclaiming every point along the continuum of and honored Womyn of Color space. themselves as "boy," "FTM," "intersex," you to leave. Anyone else can stay if gender identity: from butch to femme We call upon the transsexual community and "transwoman." They you want." Then Festival staff declared "drag queen," and beyond butch and femme, including to respect and support the community called for festival attendees them would not debate the policy toj?in they many who consider themselves of Michigan, which by itsvery defini in their protest and passed out stickers anymore and proceeded to escort those transgendered. We remain committed to tion is separate space for womyn-born in support of transgender inclusion. who chose to go with them to the gate. providing space for womyn-born womyn." Their action was a challenge to the As the activists followed Festival staff to MWMF's express policy which declares themain gate, they chanted, "We have the Festival to be "womon-born been asked to leave, we are not going womon" space" and requests the voluntarily." "transsexual community to respect and In addition to the protest at the excerpts from Camp Trans press release support this intention. The Festival Saturday evening dinner, transgender furtherdeclared that theywill not activists staged a protest outside the question anyone's gender at the Festival, nightstage Friday night after the concert Eight young attendees variously signs declaring themselves a variety of but that individuals who self-declare as was over. Activists held a banner identifying as trannie boys, boydyke, identities, including "boy," "FTM," "male-to-female transsexuals or female proclaiming "Trans Inclusion Now." FTM, and lesbian were evicted from the "intersex," "drag queen," and to-male transsexuals now living as men" Festival goers leaving the concert mostly Michigan Womyn's Music Festival this "transwoman."... will be denied admission or asked to fell quiet as they passed the banner. One Saturday evening after they refused to [t]he eight's expulsion marks the first leave ifon the land. group started chanting "No boys at meet the Festival's "womyn-born time the "womyn-born womyn only" women There was disagreement as to the Michigan" with several joining womyn only" policy.... policy has been used against trannie Festival's decision regarding the eviction in.One of the transgender activists More than 60 gender activists from boys, boydykes, FTM's, Lesbian of the eight activists. In a press release blocked the way of those chanting, and these groups [Camp Trans Planning Avengers and younger gender-variant from www.camptrans.com, the expul for several minutes therewas a tense Committee, Boston and Chicago chap women. .. sion was viewed as "turning a new page standoff until the transgender activist, ters of Lesbian Avengers] plus members .Said one activist, "Vogel's policy in the escalating conflict over the who was blocking theway and yelling at of Transsexual Menace, supportive towards transsexuals is now the same as policy's application" and as "the first one of the chanters, was finally pulled attendees and renowned activist Dana theUS military;s toward homosexuals. time the 'womyn-born womyn only' aside by the other transgender activists. Rivers gathered across the road from But 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell" only works policy has been used against trannie (off our backs collective members were the Festival this year to do outreach and when the target group collaborates by boys, boydykes, FTM's, Lesbian among those involved. See sidebar.) education on what they viewed as a remaining silent.Well we aren't silent. Avengers and young gender-variant discriminatorypolicy being unfairly We don't identify as 'womyn-born and even women." ?info from www.michfest.com applied.... womyn'?we don't know what it off our backs reporters on the scene www.camptrans.com As thousands of attendees looked on means or why it should be used against observed festival staff saying to the during dinner in the Festival's huge us or our trannie friends." by karla mantilla dining area, the young activists held aloft ?from www.camptrans.com page 8/offour backs/october 2000 This content downloaded from 130.209.6.61 on Thu, 14 May 2015 13:31:54 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions close the controversy: up ...and right and personal It seems to that there has been a subtle, unacknowledged silencing of those a the who favor Michigan's womyn-only policy vis vis transsexuals. During attacks was an and Saturday evening dinner protest, there atmosphere of subdued quiet wing tension among most of the festival attendees. Although women talked privately about their distress over the transsexual disruption of the festival, therewas For some little ifany public vocal dissent against the demonstration. reason, "americane for truth" those who disagreed with the protestors seemed to feel reluctant to confront the protestors. This was perhapsjustified, given my own experiencethe night before. attendees Upon leaving the stage at the end of the Friday night concert, festival claims MWMF encountered transgender activists with a banner proclaiming "Trans Inclusion Now/' I decided to stage a minor counter protest by chanting "No boys at was confronted Michigan" with some others inmy group.