Never mind inclusion, it’s about validation
Vancouver Rape Relief has a statement on the city council’s defunding:
1. On March 14, 2019, at the end of a flawed and unfair process, Vancouver City Council voted to terminate the yearly grant given to us in support of our public education work.
2. Vancouver City Council’s decision is intended to coerce us to change our position and practice of offering some of our core services only to women who are born female. Our organization’s status as an equality-seeking group and our entitlement to serve women who are born female was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2003, by the British Columbia Court of Appeal in 2005 and by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2007.
3. Vancouver City Council’s attempt to undermine our autonomy as a women’s group — to decide who we serve, who our membership is and who we organize with — also undermines the protections the law has granted us. Such conduct has no place in a democratic society.
4. Vancouver City Council’s decision to cut funding from Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter is discriminatory. Many Vancouver City grants are given to organizations that deliver programs and support to specific groups of people such as Aboriginal youth, Chinese seniors, deaf persons and migrant workers. Rightfully, none of these groups have been challenged with the demand that they demonstrate “accommodation, welcomeness and openness to people of all ages, abilities… and ethnicities.” Such a demand of these organizations would be incomprehensible, as it would contradict the essence and purpose of their work. Yet, this is what is being asked of us under the guise of inclusivity.
And it very much is a guise, too. It’s a mask, a trick, a ploy. It’s not about “inclusivity” at all, it’s about validation. It’s about forcing people to agree or pretend to agree (and if it’s forced it’s bound to be pretend to, isn’t it) that trans women are literally women. The problem is that trans women aren’t literally women, but the more vocal of them (like Morgan Oger for instance) want to force everyone to say they are. The problem with VRR isn’t that they don’t include everyone, it’s that they don’t pretend to think trans women are literally women in every sense. Validation is everything.
Men who “feel like” women on the inside working to force women to agree that they are women even in contexts such as counseling rape victims are doing a massively narcissistic thing: one guy’s feefees are more important than the safety and peace of mind of a whole bunch of raped women. That’s not politics, it’s self-love.
What do the women needing the services provided by the program want? What serves them best? What gives them more comfort after an assault? Last time I checked, crisis centers were supposed to be about the specific group affected.
The women needing the services being provided are just extras and bit players in the Battle for Trans Rights. The “specific group affected” whose prioritized accommodation is vital are the trans women who, being ACTUAL WOMEN, should have access to these services, or accepted as counsellors, no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts.” The really important thing is that trans women are allowed to insert themselves into this environment, which represents a Great Victory. This is Rosa Parks and Jackie Robinson territory here. Any clients unable to accept a fellow client or counsellor who is a trans woman should set aside their hateful prejudice (and it is, and must be hateful because TRANSWOMEN ARE WOMEN) and Just Get Over It.
This is particularly rich given the bullying tactics, threats of violence and real, actual, physical-bodily-contact-violence deployed by extreme trans activists, which are almost entirely bullying, threats and violence by MEN AGAINST WOMEN. And they trans women want to place themselves into situations where women are seeking shelter and help from MALE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. They might claim to be on Team W, but to many, perhaps including rape survivors particularly, they’re just members of Team M in make-up, heels, and a dress.
This is where “trans-centered” feminism gets us.
Donate to Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter here:
https://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/help/donate/donate
After women state that they are the victims of systemic male violence, they pour tremendous effort and resources into developing support structures and organizations free from the class of person responsible for that violence.
After trans-identifying males state they are the victims of systemic violence perpetuated by gender critical feminists, they…get the government to mandate that trans-identifying males be allowed to spend the night at their supposed abusers’ houses.
Makes sense, right?
Zing; good point.
Thanks, Lady M. That was just the information I wanted; I was going to go look that up, but you saved me the time.