Rejected Proposal #1
what my book is and is not about
Forum: Transfeminism.org Forum
Date: 05/23/2000
not to scare anyone away, here is an example of proposal rejected due to "not getting it at all":
As a member of the Re-evaluation Counseling (RC) movement I seek an opportunity to bring the RC perspective on oppression and liberation to the anthology.
I will present some fundamental RC theory about how oppression works, and about the counseling process.
I will seek intersex and trans people to counsel, and write about that experience.
I will seek input from other RC people who have experience in counseling intersex and trans people.
here's my response to this person:
Remember, our anthology is intended to give voice to (1) intersex and trans people who are feminists who have been needlessly attacked within feminist movement, and (2) feminists who are allies to intersex and trans people who struggle with others feminists' disapproval or discrediting their feminist consciousness. What is feminist about what you are proposing? Intersex and trans people are not pawns of RC movement or any other movement, and I am very concerned that you would end up using and abusing intersex and trans people rather than becoming their allies if you go forward with this proposal. Therefore I will say at this point that I am not interested in the piece you are proposing. This is not your opportunity to spread the RC philosophy -- it is the opportunity for feminists who are intersex, trans or their allies.
Thank you,
i'm not necessarily anti-rc (nor pro-rc), but it pisses me off how voices of intersex and trans people (and their allies) are silenced by the medical and psychiatric establishment that appoint themselves to be the authority on the matter. i thought rc was claiming to be an antithesis to all that, but this person's proposal makes me think perhaps it just wants to replace the current medical and psychiatric establishment. great.
i don't doubt rc is helpful to many people, including the person who submitted the proposal. but i'm not interested in spreading its ideology at the cost of silencing and appropriating the experiences of intersex and trans people. it's that simple.
emigrrl