Statment resisting cis-supremacy and trans-misogyny
* Content Warning: transphobia and cissexism *
- Label
- Statment resisting cis-supremacy and trans-misogyny
- Creator
- Unknown, signed collectively and anonymously by trans women activists
- Object Type
- Statements
- Description
- *Content Warning: This caption includes description of transphobia and cissexism* This statement, titled "OWS Must Resist Cis-Supremacy and Trans Misogyny," and signed by "a bunch of trans women occupiers," calls for accountability within Occupy Wall Street. The statement, which was first circulated online, and was later printed as a flyer to be distributed in-person, followed the November 9th General Assembly. During this meeting, members from the Queering OWS Caucus were disrupted by trans-exclusionary feminist groups, Women Occupying Nations and Strong Women, while the Queering OWS Caucus spoke out about issues of sexual assault and racism within the movement. The statement reminds readers that the "elimination of systemic oppression against marginalized people is a core goal of the Occupy movement" and calls for trans-exclusionary groups to be blocked from participation in the New York General Assembly. Citing their significant contributions to the movement, including the "creation and operation of OccupyWallSt.org," the signers note that they "are prepared to leave the New York General Assembly and its empowered Spokes Council en masse if trans-excluding groups, spaces, and individuals continue to be tolerated by this body.” The signers also demand the adoption of a trans-inclusive safer spaces policy. After the release of this statement, in December 2011, activist, artist, and filmmaker Tourmaline wrote "An Open Letter for Gender Self-Determination in/at OWS" in the first issue of Post Post Script, a publication which circulated during Occupy. Tourmaline states, "As long as there has been trans leadership, particularly trans women leadership, in movements for self-determination, we have faced resistance and ejection from the very movements we have helped to make." Tourmaline reminds the reader that Occupy Wall Street is repeating the harms of the 1973 Washington Square Rally, during which organizers allowed Lesbian Feminist Liberation to remove Sylvia Rivera, a trans woman activist, from speaking. Tourmaline closes her note by saying "I want to remind each other with love that an investment in biologically determined gender is an investment in identities that were violently imposed on our bodies in order to maintain capitalism, white supremacy, and colonialism. That is why it is not good enough to just have non-trans queer women, gender queer people, and trans men in these spaces and claim them as trans affirming. That is why it is not OK to non-consensually gender other people. That is why we must support the leadership of those who have faced historical exile and isolation from feminist and queer space. And that is the reason why being trans, gender-non-conforming, and queer are anti-capitalist acts."
- Image Description
- Below the title, "OWS Must Resist Cis-Supremacy and Trans-Misogyny," a transliberation symbol, is placed to the left of the statement's opening. This six paragraph-long statement is on a single page and calls attention to transphobia at Occupy Wall Street, in particular, the participation of trans-exclusionary feminist affinity groups in the movement.
- Citation
- Trans Women's statement, 2011; PE.029 Printed Ephemera Collection on Subjects; box 27, folder "Occupy Wall Street (Robert Reiss Donation)"; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University
- Collection
- Printed Ephemera PE.29
- Themes
-
- Declarations
-