On the 'Cotton Ceiling' controversy

[marjaerwin]

As a lesbian womon, I am tired of the pressure to make myself romantically and bodily available to men. In straight circles, other womyn have insisted that every womon is really heterosexual and I'm in denial. In queer circles, some womyn and some men have insisted that everyone is really pansexual and I'm in denial. I think it's important to have people and communities which respect our lesbian identities.

As a trans womon, I am tired of the messages that tell us that our bodies are wrong, no matter where we are on the healing process, or that our identities are wrong. I am tired of the messages that tell our sisters that if they are attracted to trans womyn, they aren't really lesbian, and I am tired of the messages that tell us that if we're attracted to non-trans womyn we're intruders and if we're attracted to other trans womyn we're fetishists. Or 'pretendbians.'

You know what? I don't think anyone should feel pressure to sleep with trans womyn, or to never sleep with trans womyn. I do think it's important to recognize the body-policing and body-devaluing and work against them. And I really think it's past time to stop devaluing each other's identities and stop saying someone isn't lesbian because she is, or isn't, attracted to certain womyn's bodies.

Anyway, there's a brief anti-inclusion mention of the controversy here: http://bugbrennan.com/2012/03/13/178/

And this is also relevant, although I think sexualization and desexualization are both major problems: http://gudbuytjane.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/dating-from-the-margins-1/

Comments

[bugbrennan.livejournal.com]

Lesbians aren't interested in penis. That isn't hateful.

Also, who gives a shit if people don't think you are women? You be you. You exist.

[gwen clark (from livejournal.com)]

You're missing the point. Radical feminists don't accept post op transwomen as women. It's in the comments. It's not about the penis although I totally get a lesbian not appreciating it in a partner....totally. That's why the whole penis thing is a derail. It's not really about the penis if you don't accept post op women as women. Whether you accept a post op transwoman as a sexual partner or not is between you and her. I AM post op and I get called a guy rapist as well. The whole article including the pregnancy bit (because if there was any dialog between trans and red fems at all you would know that pre op transwomen are sterile within 6 months of starting hormones, mostly don't ejaculate and have difficulty even getting an erection)is shockingly ignorant and transphobic and that's before you get to the comments. The sad part is most transwomen I know would be totally repelled by any thought of coercion in the bedroom or anywhere else. All I think is really being asked (although the language used was appalling) is that we not be dimissed as sexual partners just because of a label. If it's a deal breaker in bed, it's a deal breaker, anyone would get that.

[cathy brennan (from livejournal.com)]

I am not missing the point. Lesbians are female homosexuals. We don't want sex with males Respect that.

[gwen clark (from livejournal.com)]

Transwomen are women....respect that.