I Don’t Think So

I went to the Women's March in Hartford CT at the Capitol and a number of other trans women also attended the rally and I saw no reports that we had any problems at the rally. I saw a number of LGBT signs, the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective had a table there and I hung around it for a while and I didn’t hear any disparaging remarks so I was surprised when I saw this article.

How the Women's March's "genital-based" feminism isolated the transgender community
MIC
By Marie Solis
January 23, 2017

In the weeks approaching the Women's March on Washington, a woman in Los Angeles accidentally created what became the most popular accessory among protesters: a pussy hat.

"I wanted to do something more than just show up," Krista Suh told the Los Angeles Times. "How can I visually show someone what's going on? And I realized as a California girl, I would be really cold in D.C. — it's not tank-top weather year-round. So I thought maybe I could knit myself a hat."

Suh made the knitting pattern freely available online, and soon women across the country were working quickly to finish their own pink hats before the big day. The hats became a movement within a movement, turning President Donald Trump's infamous "grab them by the pussy" comment on its head.

While clever, Suh's pussy hats set the tone for a march that would focus acutely on genitalia at the expense of the transgender community. Signs like "Pussy power," "Viva la Vulva" and "Pussy grabs back" all sent a clear and oppressive message to trans women, especially: having a vagina is essential to womanhood.

"The main reason I decided not to go was because of the pussy hats," 28-year-old Jade Lejeck said in an interview Sunday night. "I get that they're a response to the 'grab them by the pussy' thing, but I think some people fixated on it the wrong way."

I personally just don’t see it. The rally was about women’s rights and the “Unity Principles” for the event were,

We believe that Women’s Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Women’s Rights. We must create a society in which women - including Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, disabled women, Muslim women, lesbian queer and trans women - are free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments.

And…

LGBTQIA RIGHTS

We firmly declare that LGBTQIA Rights are Human Rights and that it is our obligation to uplift, expand and protect the rights of our gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans or gender non-conforming brothers, sisters and siblings. We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes.

Um… “We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes” I think that spells it out pretty good.

I understand that at the Hartford rally there was a trans speaker (I left the stage area before the end of the rally.) and the Huffington Post has an article by a trans person who spoke at the Topeka.

I think that the organizers tried to be inclusive of all that attended the rallies around the country and their “Unity Principles” also was inclusive covering many marginalized communities. There were many signs like the ones mentioned but they were all homemade signs and the “pussy hats” was a grassroots effort and I don’t it was done to marginalized any communities.

What do you think?