Elsa Roberts Article

Secular Woman Urges the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival to End their Policy of Trans Exclusion

The Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival has been, for many lesbian and feminist women a ritual experience, where women could be surrounded only by other women, insulated from the sexism pervading their normal daily lives.

Every year, thousands flock to the iconic festival in Michigan. Unfortunately, also iconic to the festival is their notorious mistreatment of trans women and the blatant transphobia evidenced in their (informal) policies of exclusion of trans women.

This year, Secular Woman joins with many other organizations and individuals, including The National Black Justice Coalition and GLAAD CEO Sarah Ellis, to call on MWMF to end their transphobic policy and allow ALL women to attend the festival and celebrate their womanhood.

Our president, Kim Rippere, asks that the festival demonstrate an inclusive nature and “welcome all women”. She says that “changing the policy to allow every woman to participate in the festival will boldly announce a commitment to ending the discrimination of women; your inclusive perspective; and your willingness to grow, learn, and take corrective action.”

Kim speaks on behalf of Secular Woman when she reminds MWMF that we are “committed to the inclusion of all women” – our past includes working with trans advocates to petition the Southern Poverty Law Center to recognize Gender Identity Watch as a hate group.

Our commitment to trans inclusion and full equality carries through in our request that the festival overturn a long and ugly tradition of inequality and embrace an understanding of women that includes every woman, not just cisgender women.

Join with us and sign the petition by Equality Michigan to end the exclusion of trans women from MWMF.

Elsa Roberts Article

Our Thoughts on Secular Exclusion from the Boston Memorials

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, please contact:

Kim Rippere, Secular Woman President: 404.669.6727 E-mail

Elsa Roberts, Secular Woman Vice President: 906.281.0384 E-mail

Our Thoughts on Secular Exclusion from the Boston Memorials

Secular Woman is an organization which supports women without supernatural beliefs and works to ensure they have the opportunities and resources they need to participate openly and confidently as respected voices in every aspect of society including their government. When we come together as a society in light of tragedy it is important to ensure that people who have been affected have the resources they need to cope with the situation. Many people thrive on social support, which is partly composed of caring and motivating words from people who are seen as leaders within their community.

The percentage of those who are non-affiliated with any religion or are nonbelievers in the US is said to be as high as 20% of our population. When humanist and secular groups are excluded from services such as the interfaith service for the Boston bombings it erases them as a valid and important segment of the community and citizenry. It also denies many the grieving, mourning, and community they are craving during a time of upheaval. Excluding citizenry from a government sponsored and organized community memorial does not treat all citizens the same; it is unjust, discriminatory, and unconstitutional.

In the future when an occasion arises where coming together as a strong society is necessary, Secular Woman insists that secular community leaders also be chosen to show the passion we have to help our society heal.

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Secular Woman is an educational non-profit organization whose mission is to amplify the voice, presence, and influence of non-religious women. For more information about Secular Woman visit: www.SecularWoman.org.