Women's Space and More

Amazing how easy it is to fall of the wagon. It's been almost two weeks since my last post. It's not that I'm not thinking about the world around me. On the contrary, I'm thinking and engaging with it, which is part of why I wanted this pressure of trying to do a daily blog. I want to be thinking about things, not just engaging in the world.
Anyway some thoughts:
Women's Space: For some reason the issues of women's space, particularly in the world of the Michigan Women's Festival. One of the things that has come up is a complaint that they don't allow men in, even trans men. Forgive me if I mentioned this thought before here - but Women's space is important. As is any separate space for minorities. Interesting how we don't question it with religious institutions. Don't question that sometimes a space where you can share your experiences and build your community is important. Interesting how it's accepted for male golf clubs and other clubs that provide access points to power. No - we question it about spaces that are meant to be sources of empowerment. So often we cut down places and events that work to create greater equality, confidence, power, etc.
I was on a website where people were critiquing the women's movement, and I had to chime in and add my two cents (shocking I know). But really, the women's movement has fought like hell to give us the vote, reproductive choices (I'm talking about access to even learning about birth control, not just abortion), sexual freedom, equal pay, nondiscrimination in employment and education. And so much more.
Is it perfect? No. But I'm not entirely sure that perfection is capable of progress. We exist in a world where things seem to have to happen incrementally. It's not really my preference, but I will take some progress over no progress. I also think it's important to realize that we have no idea what we're going to think in 20 years. We don't know how our ideas about gender, race, sexuality, etc., are going to evolve. The trans experience was virtually non-existent in the public arena 20 years ago. Which isn't to say that there were no trans folks, it's just to say that we didn't really know it existed.
We also barely acknowledge intersex individuals, and they are probably more prevalent than trans individuals, but as a society, we are more comfortable with a gender binary - so I think in many ways we'd rather have trans than intersex. In many ways trans identity doesn't make us question our gender binary. There are two and maybe sometimes you're born in the wrong body, but there are still two.
It's kind of like people understanding homosexuality more than bisexuality. Somehow the grey area or the flexibility is more threatening to our own identities.

Okay that's all I've got for now. Too many other things to do. But maybe I'll get back on the wagon.