Statement by: The Butchies and Mr. Lady on: 6/11/99 at 10:12AM. Dear folks on the Chainsaw Message Board, Firstly, This is not a press release, simply a public statement. All other comments being debated on this board were personal emails used for public debate; a practice we deplore and will never tolerate or willingly participate in. Kaia wants to say she cannot respond to everyone?s individual emails to her, please let the following Butchies / Mr. Lady statement speak for her. We, Kaia, Alison, Melissa and Tammy Rae, want to say that we support and advocate for the rights of transgendered/transexual people, and the need for trans inclusion and representation in the queer rights movement and communities. We also understand that the issues facing transgendered and transsexual folks often differ widely from that of lesbians, gay men and bisexual people; this difference needs to be honored, supported and celebrated. This is, obviously, a really complicated and important issue that needs to be discussed and urgently addressed. We strongly believe that transgendered/transsexual people are an important part of the queer community and that they face an enormous amount of opposition. We would never want to hurt anyone and if we have for that we apologize. The history of the Michigan Womyn?s Music Festival is, like the feminist and queer political histories, a complex one. There have been many mistakes as well as extremely important steps. Based on our discussions with Lisa Vogel, the main organizer, we know that the MWMF started as a separatist event for womyn born womyn and we personally still feel the continued need for that kind of space and event. There are no gender checks at the festival and there are a huge contingent of people who organize, staff, perform and attend the festival who identify as transgendered. If you have questions and/or disagreements with the festival?s policy we have been told that the staff is available to address these concerns. Though we do not necessarily agree with or defend the actions of all individuals involved in organizing and securing the festival - we do believe in and support the 24 years of hard work and commitment to growth that the festival has represented to us. Simultaneously, we believe in, support and will work to bring about spaces and events for both coalition building and separatism within transgendered, transsexual, queer, lesbian, gay male, bisexual and womyn communities. We don?t think that our support of the trans communities and womyn born womyn communities are in direct contradiction to each other; our support of one does not diminish the support of the other they are both equal in our hearts. We are not each others enemy but rather intricate components of a large powerful and beautiful mass of queers who must resist participating in cannibalizing one another. We hope that this clarifies our position, we offer it with respect and hope it is received with the same. We are going into the studio for the next 3 weeks and therefore won?t be able to participate in the format of this discussion cuz we won?t be around a computer or at home during this time. Sincerely and much love, The Butchies and Mr. Lady