Hi all,
Fascinating discussion; in California, at least, there has been quite a bit of tension in the Pagan community in the last several years around issues of transwomen attending women-only rites. Some organizers and attendees, mostly those of the Second Wave feminist stripe, perceived this as a violation of women's space by individuals whom they saw as having male privilege. There has been a strong reaction of support for transwomen and other TG persons from the queer Pagan community. Interestingly, I have not heard of this issue arising for transmen who attend men-only rituals.
One question that perhaps someone can help me with. Last weekend at Pantheacon, I spoke with a person who identified as "meta-gender" and used the pronoun "e" to refer to eself. What exactly is "meta-gender?" I haven't run across this one yet, and I don't see it on Pitch's list from the new Facebook designations.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Best,
Sabina
(A cis-gender bisexual woman in a lesbian relationship)
Sabina Magliocco
Professor
Department of Anthropology
California State University - Northridge
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From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pitch313 [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 10:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] transgender and paganism
Aloha,
A few additional comments:
1.) For U.S. members, Facebook has added a large number of
possible gender identifiers (58) that may be self-selected. An
article at Slate suggests that these offer at least 18 broad gender
categories.
This is a far more elaborated categorization than I have seen before.
2.) In regard to protocols of terminology, I have a sense that there's
a lot of changes going on here. I'd say that descriptive clarity is the
ideal for academic usage, but that, often, we just do the best we can
with our terms.
3.) Modern Paganism is certainly responsive to its socio-cultural
environment
and influenced by it. Transgender as an outlook and as folks has, in my
experience, stirred up plenty of controversy and conflict. Even among
Pagan Trads and Pagan folks who advocate diversity and tolerance. It's
a highly charged concern.
Transgender in Modern Paganism, it seems to me, provides a good
example of how we frame things in terms of purity and danger. As well
as how, when circumstances of gender or gender identity alter, what
was pure becomes dangerous. Or vice versa.
4.) In regard to the categorization offered in the Slate article, I'd say
that I more or less behave as a cisgender male of middle years and
experience. But that, intellectually, I push myself a little to think in
terms of pangender. My appreciation of today's Paganism and magical
endeavors suggests that this is the most fruitful outlook for making
sense of things and getting some practice done.
From Slate:
Confused by All the New Facebook Genders? Here's What They Mean.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2014/02/21/gender_facebook_now_has_56_categories_to_choose_from_including_cisgender.html
Musing Gender Can Be A Comfort, A Challenge, A Confusion, A Terror, A
Theogen--Magic! Rose,
Pitch
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