If you have been on Facebook at all lately you will have undoubtedly heard reference to the state of things as the “Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists” or TERFs for short hi-jacked London Pride. This naturally made a lot of LGBTIQ+ activists and community members very irate.
Pride is often understood as one of those liminal, yet sacred spaces in the LGBTIQ+ community but it isn’t without it’s faults. This year Dublin LGBTQ Pride rightfully came under heavy criticism for allowing consumerist sponsors to dominate the Parade in such a way that many community groups and activist groups could not be heard because it took two hours to get started—by which time most had started to move on to the after parties. I opted not to attend Dublin LGBTQ Pride this year because of the blistering heatwave which would have had me hospitalised if left standing for two hours straight before getting walking. Besides unlike Evgeny Shtorn it wasn’t my first Pride Parade, check out what he had to say of his first Pride Parade ever let alone in Ireland!
Ireland and the UK are lucky in that we can have Pride Festivals and Parades but our safe spaces aren’t all that safe when we have individuals like TERFs raring their heads. We have them showing up and leading out London Pride and now we have them raring their heads in Pagan spaces.
For those not in the know, Zsuzanna Budapest (sometimes stylised as Z Budapest) has been a well recognised figure in the Women’s Rights movement and in Goddess spirituality in particular. Staunchly focal in Dianic circles for her views on trans women in Circles she has actually had the gall to proclaim that, “It is a lie that I am against trans transwomen. The reason they are mad at me is because i will not allow any males into Dianic rituals where the ladies are naked”. She concludes by saying, “I also Will not bend to their artless language requirements.” . Budapest says a lot more but let us unpack this one for a moment…
First, it is trans women and the rest of the LGBTIQ+ community endeavour to use the correct terminology. We make mistakes and we do our best to apologise and remedy the offence caused. So to describe trans women as males and “dudes” because you refuse to subscribe to “artless language requirements” has nothing to do with speaking three languages and everything to do with disrespecting an entire community of individuals. — It is NOT a lie to say you are against trans women!
Secondly, trans women are not men or male they are women pure and simple. And to infer that they are only interested in Dianic circles because [other] women are naked infers that you do infact see transgender people as being sexually deviant by nature.
I’m a cis-male who is gay, I have been known to work skyclad for ritual and I can tell you this much while everyone looks beautiful in the radiance of the Gods of the Craft, I’m not really looking at guys and thinking I’d like to bone them. My mind is on the work or the celebration at hand. I’m also a feminist, though I daresay some might critique how effective I have been.
Thirdly, I must confess that I am bewildered by your assertions that trans women have no interest in your workshops. Perhaps you meant in recent years because I have lost track of the amount of trans women who have commented online that they were refused entry to a workshop you were running as part of open pagan festivals. I wonder if maybe some trans women may simply have hoped to approach you and for you to get to know them before judging them. Truth is I know LOADS of Seekers who do things opposite to how I did them, they went about quietly seeking covens and traditions and avoided larger gatherings until they felt secure in themselves.
This latest post from you Zsuzsanna is probably the most honest one of the lot! Fundamentally I do wonder if you are disturbed but personal jibes aside at least now we get to see your bigotry for what it is!
“Who finances them?”, really?! No doubt you share the same paranoia as many of your followers do accusing ‘Big Pharma’ of creating a means by which the deviant trans women or “dudes” can infiltrate your sacred space.
Right now there are other well known Pagans defending your right to run your coven, grove or tradition as you see fit. Good thing I’m neither well known nor of a mind to simply chalk this down to a difference of opinion. Your views are rooted in transphobia and even a touch of misandry (can’t believe I even just typed that!!!) and have nothing to do with preserving safe space for women in Goddess spirituality or the Craft. Just like Trevor Noah, I believe context matters and the context of your comments on Facebook illustrates that your opinions are those of a bigot.
Abhainn 