11:09am: Women-born Women?
esterday, my partner asked a representative of the Court of Seattle about
the Women's summit. Questions about costs to attend and so on. In
addition to answering those questions, she was told the event was
a Woman-born Women event. She is not trans, but I am, and the implication
was that I cannot attend (they said I probably could as I have passing privilege,
but that is beside the point.)
She was told that the Queen Mother Nicole felt that there were specific issues
concerning women only, and concerning only transgendered.
The implication? That as I was not identified as a woman by the doctor
present at my birth, I was not a woman. That stung.
I truly hope that was a misunderstanding. I do.
My passport and drivers license both have 'F' on them. They don't have
an asterisks after the 'F', they don't identify me as 'T'.
I guess the state is more enlightened than the CoS in this manner.
I have the same plumbing as other women (at least those with a hysterectomy), but
that shouldn't matter unless 'male' genitalia is more important than
anything else. I would understand that, as most of society seems to think that.
Unless the entirety of the summit is about menstruation, I do have the experiences
that women do. Day to day.
As far as women's experience in the past, growing up. I am a woman, therefore
my experience is that of a woman. It may be different than some, but all of
our experiences are unique.
While I was not an African American in the 40's and cannot fully understand
the extent of their experience, I can now imagine what it may have been
like to see a 'whites only' sign. The irony, this 'sign' has been put up by an
organization that claims to fight for my rights.
I can understand that the CoS simply wants coronation to go on without
drama, and therefore doesn't want to make an issue out of this. To
those people who simply want to sweep it under the carpet, but have
fought for trans-rights elsewhere and do consider us women, I thank you.
But I'm also disappointed. It's easy to fight for someone's rights if it doesn't affect you.
It's a true sign of courage to fight for someone's rights if it does affect you.
I will lose friends over this. That is unfortunate. But I chose not to be friends
with people who don't consider me a woman, and I chose not to be friends
with people who don't stand up for me.
I challenge the Court of Seattle, and the International Court, to do some
self-exploration on what it means to be a woman, or a man.
"It is a worthy thing to fight for one's freedom; it is another sight finer to fight for another man's."
- Mark Twain
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giddy
