April 2000 Letters section anger over transsexuals Dear Lesbian Connection, I am amazed at the arrogance, classism, and oppressiveness the pro"transsexual" (pro-male) Lesbians aim at those of us who dare to say we support what little remaining femaleonly space (like the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival) is left. Just because we are Lesbian-identified enough to care about female-only, &, ideally, Lesbianonly, space, does not man we are "ignorant," "need educating," or are "transphobic." We are not afraid of men who demand we accept them as Lesbians -- we are oppressed by them & we have the right to say we don't want our oppressors claiming THEY are US. I HAVE read the recommended books (although it is classist to imply you can't have valid politics without them). I do think Leslie Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues is one of the best & best-written books I've ever read in describing some aspects of Butch oppression, but I also believe she is betraying Butches & all Lesbians by supporting men who demand access to us against our will. She identifies with "Male to Female Transsexuals" instead of recognizing them as being like the cops who raided Lesbian bars in order to rape Lesbians. (What else do you call it when you say "no" to men in any guise & they ignore that?) And please don't use Teena Brandon on behalf of men. Men raped & killed her. "Transsexuals" insist that she was killed because she was one of them, yet the only thing I've seen written by an actual friend of hers insisted she was a Butch Lesbian trying to pass, NOT a "transsexual." I've been a Lesbian my entire life (I'm 49) & I know the difference between Lesbians & men. I've worked for 30 years to help build Lesbian communities, & the issue of men invading our rare, almost non-existent space (whether in the guise of "womyn" or not) is not new. In my experience, "MTFs" are anything but "gentle," "passive," "empathetic," "female," or "Lesbian." They grew up male & with male privilege, many have lived as adult het men for years, and they still act like men. The first "MTF" I ever met was an arrogant man who relentlessly harassed me when I was a 17-year-old Lesbian to be het with him. I told him "no" repeatedly, but, with the typical male assumption of ownership rights to all females, he continued to pressure me for months. I still refused, & my being a Lesbian was incomprehensible to him. He probably now says that he always felt he was a woman trapped in a man's body, which is what "MTFs" commonly say, but he didn't then. He was very proud of his prick (he even wrote a poem glorifying pricks) & of being a prick. He had no understanding of females as Lesbians, but once he decided he wanted sexual access to Lesbians he decided to "become" a Lesbian. And like so many "gentle," "passive," MTFs" he also wanted to be in a power position among Lesbians -- so he became vice president of a Lesbian organization (the Daughters of Bilitis) in 1971 (causing the group to end), became a public "Lesbian" performer, wrote "Lesbian" articles including one called "Lesbian Sex" for off our backs (he told them he was a "woman-born woman" so they'd print him), wrote a regular "Lesbian" column for a gay & Lesbian newspaper (Bay Area Reporter), & I can only imagine what else. Even though a lot of Lesbians know who he is, other Lesbians try hard to help him keep it secret that he is an "MTF," Recently, I went to a neighborhood Lesbian gathering & there he was. When my Lover, Andy, & I objected, we were told by the organizer to keep his identity a secret & that she'd rather have him there than us. I DON'T WANT ANOTHER LESBIAN TO EVER HAVE TO SEE A MAN WHO HAS SEXUALLY HARASSED HER IN LESBIANONLY OR FEMALE-ONLY SPACE. Men expect access to females. Many men find Lesbianism sexually titillating, which is why it's commonly portrayed in male pornography. And some men claim to be Lesbian to get access to us. Lesbians can be very tolerant & often don't want to reject anyone. Unfortunately, Lesbians can also be more rejecting of other Lesbians than of men. How else can Lesbians really believe that the male medical profession can turn men into Lesbians? Are females really just the absence of a prick? Would Lesbians as easily accept that a European-descent man is African-descent just because he says he is & he's paid a European-descent surgeon to alter his features & skin color -- especially when he wants to infiltrate and get into power positions in the African-American descent community? If "MTFs" really are female, why don't they understand the need & right of an oppressed group to be on our own, with our own people? And why do they insist on going where they are not wanted? Don't males have enough of the world as it is? As an oppressed people, we have the right to have our own space away from our oppressors. Very little female-only space is left & there is even less Lesbian-only space. Men, including "MTFs," have more privileges than Lesbians & more places in the world where they are welcome. Females are trained to always put males first. Supporters of "MTFs" should remember that & stop trying to force males on us against our wills. Many Lesbians feel very disillusioned & upset at the amount of oppressiveness & Lesbian-hating in writing that is being printed seemingly by Lesbians. I want to support Lesbians who are concerned about this & say: Often, if you know who the writer actually is, they are bisexual or het women, or even men, writing as Lesbians. bev jo in support & agreement andy greenwood linda trega alix greenwood In our book, Dykes-Loving-Dykes, we wrote in more detail about the issue of "MTFs" oppressing Lesbians as well as other issues harming Lesbians & our communities. Any Lesbians who are interested in getting our book can send a SASE to: Battleaxe, P.O. Box 9806, Oakland, CA 94613.