Three strikes I’m out?
I’ve just received an invite to a feminist conference as part of my membership in the group Feminist Ethics and Social Theory . It’s the first time I’ve encountered an academic feminist conference with such an exclusionary policy. I’m not welcome on a few counts. The conference Women’s Liberation Now is only interested in liberating some women it seems. From their website:
"Who is this Conference Intended For?
This event is for feminist women-identified-women of all ethnicities, classes, and sexual orientations. We discourage trans advocates, trans-identified people, pro s/m, and pro-prostitution advocates from attending. We do not think you will enjoy the retreat much, anyway."
I have written to the list saying it doesn’t strike me as particularly ethical or feminist. I am curious to see what the organizers say. Of course, given the description I don’t want to go so exclusion isn’t really the point here. It’s not as if the problem with the meetings of racist organizations is that they don’t invite or welcome people of colour. The problem is the assumptions and beliefs that ground the group’s existence. Now I’m not suggesting these women not meet. I hate it when criticism is automatically heard as censorship. It’s that they do it under the banner of "women’s liberation" that galls me and that it’s posted on a feminist ethics list serve. And besides how many men’s clubs said that women couldn’t be members but it was okay because they wouldn’t like it much anyway?
Update: The preliminary conference program includes a workshop called ""What role, if any,
should transsexuals play in the movement?" How could such a workshop possibly take place without the active participation of trans people and their allies?
September 8th, 2006 at 4:42 am
The site for the conference is currently unavailable–it’s been taken down in light of criticism and the text describing the conference will be rewritten. Sam