Pantheacon 2012 transgender controversy

I was not able to attend this year’s Pantheacon, but my daughter was there and was part of the silent meditation outside of the controversial ritual. She showed me this blog http://themagickofalexandria.blogspot.com/2012/02/pantheacon-2012-part-2-of-2-healing-our.html and asked me to share some of the thoughts I shared with her during our discussions on the topic. (I tried to reply directly on Tony’s blog page but my post was too long, sorry.)

In a Witch’s Voice article dated May 7, 2004, Falcon River says:

“Women's Mysteries include the physical, emotional, and psychic passages that women universally share by having been born biologically female. The five women's uterine blood mysteries are comprised of: being born, menarche, giving birth/lactation, menopause, and death. These Mysteries acknowledge and honor women's ability to create life, sustain life, and return our bodies to the Goddess in death. Whether or not a woman chooses to birth children, all women are Mother/Maker in acts of creating, sustaining, and protecting.”

(http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=uswi&c=trads&id=8451)

“Born biologically female” may seem at first a very clear concept. I gather from all of the controversy that has arisen at pagan gatherings that at least some Dianics support the above definition for the purpose of excluding all persons whom they believe to be men and including persons who are or have been capable of living those five “women’s uterine blood mysteries”. How then would the people pictured in this website be greeted if they showed up to participate in one of Z’s ritual’s? http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TSsuccesses/TransMen.html

Many of these men fully qualify as “women” according to the description given here by Falcon River. I have to wonder how comfortable the Dianics would be be sitting in ritual with these men (whom I am guessing the Dianics would insist are “really women” since they do insist that trans women are “really men”.)

I admit I am being half serious and half sarcastic here. I have served as Wiccan clergy for nearly 20 years. I am a man. A transsexual man. That means I (the person I am at the core of my being) was born male and will be male regardless of what changes I am able to effect to bring my body in sync with my being. I would not think of imposing on a women-only ritual. I do not think any transsexual man, who happens to still have uterus intact, would think of using that loop-hole to push his testosterone-laden bearded self into Z’s space. Similarly I do not think (though I may be mistaken) that any person who generally presents as male would expect to be admitted into a women-only space.

I will not pretend to speak for transsexual women. I am hoping some will enter into this conversation themselves. I do want to offer a little glimpse I have had into their world. Since beginning my own physical transition about 12 years ago I have been in many support and discussion groups with transsexual women. I have witnessed the pain, sorrow and agony many suffer over the fact that they would never get to experience menarche or be able to bear a child. Their grief is no less real than that of any woman who wants a child but learns she will be unable to bear one.

The idea that a group which knows and celebrates these mysteries so well would deny their insight to those women who need it most (and through no fault of their own are unable to experience those mysteries physically) is very, very sad. I most certainly do not deny any “women only” or “men only” group their right to their exclusive mysteries. I just question the wisdom of their definitions given 21^st century understanding of gender and our brains.

I want to add just one more, technical observation, before closing this too-long message: I see there are many well-meaning “trans” allies, and all support is very much appreciated. However, there continues to be a fundamental misunderstanding of terminology. I have used the terms “transsexual man” and “transsexual woman” here for a reason: Transgender is an umbrella term which covers transsexuals, gender-queer, and any other non-“standard” gender identity. Many transgender folks eschew labels and boxes and I applaud their freedom to do so. Transsexuals however have long been defined as those person who specifically must live (not merely dress) as the gender which they know themselves to be inside. While “transman” and “transwoman” are recognized to be synonymous with “transsexual” when transsexuals are speaking among themselves, I have observed that there may sometimes confusion on this point among the general public.

Forest Jones