Since the start of June, I’ve seen many social media profiles and businesses awash in rainbows, and as today marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Stonewall Riots, the genesis of Pride Month– a celebration for which we can thank Marsha P. Johnson, a black bisexual trans-woman– I hoped that I might address something problematic I keep running across– TERFs (or Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists) in the witchy and wellness communities.
As a bisexual cis-woman, I understand that un-learning a lifetime of internalized self-hatred stemming from external forces telling us how we “should” behave and how our bodies “should” look is really f*cking hard (spoiler alert: they’re wrong). I am all about de-stigmatizing menstruation, and understand that rituals like “red tent ceremonies” can help heal past trauma and help us consciously re-frame the totally natural thing (some of) our bodies do. Moreover, in a world full of toxic masculinity, embracing the feminine can be an act of revolution. But as an ardent feminist, I’ve been deeply dismayed to witness trans and non-binary exclusionary viewpoints in the witchy communities.
My experiences in this body have certainly impacted my worldview– I am vocal about my pro-choice beliefs, and again, menstruation is totally normal! The thing is, every time we center the divine around binary gender constructs, we are applying a limited and very human social construct to something ultimately unfathomable. It’s just as silly to me–and as harmful and exclusionary–as Christians who describe their God as a bearded old white guy.
All of that said, I’d like to appeal to the TERFs and “gender critical” individuals out there who are centering their spiritual practices around “vagina magic,” etc., and ask that you watch this brilliant video.
(Yes, it’s 34 minutes long, but really, isn’t expanding your worldview worth a half-hour commitment?)
Many thanks to my brilliant friend James for introducing me to ContraPoints!
