I'm writing because I was advertised to speak at the Brisbane/Meanjin
International Women's Day rally this year and I want to explain why I
have withdrawn.
The Women's Abortion Rights Campaign, of which I've been a member for
a year, was invited to provide a speaker, and asked me to do it.
Since then, the rally organisers announced as an entertainer someone
known to publicly express views hostile to trans people - the person
who at last year's IWD rally carried a sign saying "trans
activism is misogyny". The underlying message - that activism of
trans women for recognition of their gender, and for inclusion in
society as women, is in itself misogyny - only makes sense if
trans women are not recognised to be women.
International Women's Day is a day to commemorate and deepen the
struggle for the rights of women. As women press for abortion rights
around the globe and around the country, the struggle for legal,
accessible abortion in Queensland is at an important stage this year.
International Women's Day offers an opportunity to amplify our call
for abortion to be legal and for safe abortion to be widely
accessible.
The struggle for abortion rights and the many connected struggles for
women's liberation, are made stronger by the solidarity of all women,
across all intersecting oppressions. I believe an International
Women's Day that excludes some women weakens the struggles of us all.
In this context, I argued that WARC should not stay silent on a
platform where transphobic views are likely to be expressed. Instead,
I argued we should include in our contribution a recognition that
abortion rights sit as part of the broader struggle for the rights of
all women, including trans women.
This was not acceptable to WARC. The substantial argument made was
that it is "not transphobic" to say "trans women are
not women." But this is virtually the definition of transphobia.
[Update: To clarify: I am not accusing WARC of transphobia. The
decision made was to say that WARC is opposed to transphobia.
However, in a context where the argument was being made that to
misgender trans women is "not transphobic," I believe this
fudged the issue.]
All women have an interest in ending transphobic exclusion. Exclusion
is clearly harmful to trans women, but has an impact on all women. If
trans women "aren't women," who gets to decide who are
women? Policing women's bodies means it isn't only trans women who
are singled out, but potentially anyone deemed too tall, too hairy,
too muscled, with too deep a voice. At worst, demands to check
genitals, or for blood tests represent intrusions offensive and
demeaning - harmful to anyone subjected to them.
I felt that to stay silent when trans women's involvement as women in
the struggle for women's liberation is disputed was a compromise that
should not be made - not on International Women's Day, not by WARC,
not by me.
WARC's decision not to speak up meant I felt I was left with no
choice but to withdraw from speaking. I wouldn't share a platform
where racism or homophobia were being expressed without speaking out.
Transphobia is just as dangerous.
For myself, I am committed to the struggle for abortion rights and
access in Queensland, for abortion law reform and free, safe, legal,
accessible abortion on demand without apology (which I was looking
forward to speaking to at the rally); and to the many-faceted
struggle for women's liberation. I'm keen to contribute in a way that
advances our march towards an inclusive feminism for the 99%, a
feminism that doesn't leave any woman behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment