The following open letter has been delivered to the trustees of Vancouver Public Library ([email protected]) and to the Vancouver Rape Relief collective ([email protected]).
I believe this issue deserves serious consideration by the Library, by Rape Relief, and by the general public, and I encourage concerned citizens to contact Vancouver Public Library and/or Vancouver Rape Relief if you have any concerns regarding this event. Tthe event program is available at http://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/learn/resources/montreal-massacre-mem....
18 November 2013
To Vancouver Public Library management and board, Vancouver Rape Relief management, collective, and board, and to members, donors, and volunteers with both organizations:
I am writing regarding Vancouver Rape Relief's (VRR's) intent to host Janice Raymond at their “Montreal Massacre Memorial 2013” event hosted by Vancouver Public Library (VPL) on Nov. 30, 2013. Ms. Raymond is to deliver a talk titled “Prostitution: Not a Job, not a Choice”. Further to Raymond's controversial stance on prostitution, you are likely aware of Raymond's notorious stance toward transgendered people, too. I am requesting that space be made available to both transgender communities and sex work communities to respond to Ms. Raymond when she speaks at VPL.
Ms. Raymond is infamous for suggesting that “medicalized transsexualism represents only one more aspect of patriarchal hegemony” and arguing that transgendered people should be morally mandated "out of existence". She also wrote Technology on the Social and Ethical Aspects of Transsexual Surgery, for the US Government, which led to the elimination of US federal and state aid for indigent and imprisoned transsexual persons – legislation which some speculate facilitated the deaths of already-marginalized trans persons. Raymond's opinions on prostitution are similarly controversial, and widely criticized: her testimony in Bedford v. Canada was judged not to be credible. Her promotion of the belief that “legalization or decriminalization of prostitution ... promotes trafficking” has been widely debunked and policies based on this mistaken assumption (like the USA's PEPFAR legislation, until it was struck down by the US Supreme Court) have been shown to have harmful effects.
Meanwhile, VRR's negativity toward transgender people is well-documented in coverage of VRR's dispute with Kim Nixon in the 1990s. However, you may not know that VRR continues to perpetuate this conflict, with VRR insinuating “real woman” discourse into UBC's recent Take Back the Night event. VRR collective member (and de facto leader) Lee Lakeman's recent defamation of Ms. Nixon in the form of public accusation of felony theft continues VRR's aggression toward transgender people – a politics of exclusion reified into a praxis of hate (to this day, VRR argues that transgender is not an identity, but rather, say VRR, “it is really an insidious form of paralyzing liberalism which translates into ultraconservatism in action”). Moreover, VRR's ideological bond with Raymond's politics is reflected in VRR's role as the home of the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres (CASAC), authors of a 2013 statement which prioritizes the elimination of sex work over all other women's issues.
Whereas VPL intends to host an event sponsored by VRR, featuring Raymond, I refer you to VPL's policy, which “is responsible for working with its communities to create services that diverse communities identify as respectful, inclusive, and accessible” with specific regard to “sexual orientation, gender identity,” etc. In light of this policy, I am asking both VPL and VRR to ensure that Janice Raymond's presence at VPL includes the voices of the communities that she and VRR excludes. I am appealing to the Library's Diversity and Inclusion Statement (referenced above) as well as to theLibrary's meeting room policy, which in turn refers to the BC Human Rights Code. I believe the latter's clause on “discriminatory publication” applies to any statements made during this event.
To be clear, this is not an attempt to censor or censure VRR or Raymond. To the contrary, I invite VRR to step inclusively into the realm of civil society rather than continuing to privilege the purity of your particular voice at the expense of the people you exclude. Inviting a dialogue between Raymond and the people she speaks against so stridently would be a step toward dissipating the pain and harm that Raymond's views have caused to so many people.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that this request is motivated by values promoting civic discourse in a vibrant public sphere. I respect VRR's right and privilege to mount this event, but showcasing a speaker who many people believe to be guilty of hate speech is inconsistent with these values, both generally and as reflected in VPL's policies.
Respectfully,
El Feministo
Silly me, I read this because I thought it would be about the Polytechnique Massacre (which only people far from here call the Montreal Massacre, as if there haven't been other massacres here - very annoying).
By the way, feminista (and féministe) are the same in masculine and feminine, so presumably in anything in-between...
El Feministo, your letter is excellent, and I wonder if it would be possible to repost it at my blog?If so, how would you like to be attributed and is there a link (i.e. if you have a blog or website) that you would like included?
lagatta, indeed the event is intended to mark the massacre at l'Ecole Polytechnique. Janice Raymond's lecture, however, is designed to co-opt and channel the concern about violence against women into a campaign to abolish sex work.
I think both abolitionists and decriminalists have every right to speak out against massacres of women. Both currents were certainly present at the Sisters in Spirit events here in Montréal: Stella, La Clés, Québec Native Women...
lagatta, certainly. There is a difference, though, between that and using the massacre of women to argue that the very existence of an unrelated group or groups (sex workers, trans people) *is* violence against women, and to call for their abolition.
It's doubly dubious when that viewpoint (given that it's one that the event's sponsor, Vancouver Rape Relief, holds as well) is the only viewpoint presented.
There's no such thing as felony theft in my country (Canada). However, there is such think as libel, lying and cheating and it's THIS. Babble is a stink bug and Rabble is a stink bug for allowing this anti-woman stench.
Hi all,
1. Yes, Mercedes and others, feel free to reproduce my post as you wish, and thanks for asking.
2. I have received a thoughtful and detailed response from Vancouver Public Library. I won't reproduce it without permission, but their position is reflected in the following tweet: "This is a third-party event and is not VPL-hosted or -endorsed. Our public space policy is at: http://ow.ly/qZGer ." For VPL, this is essentially a room rental, and nothing more. I accept that.
3. Thank you, hysperia, for the correction re Canadian law regarding theft. Nevertheless, I agree with you that Ms. Lakeman's assertion appears to be defamation. The statement, to be clear, was
This statement came after the directive: "if you happen to see Kimberly Nixon you might remind KN of owing VRRWS 1200$ plus as I recall," which Lakeman subsequently corrected: "that was 12000$ owed to VRRWS".
Of course, this statement isn't defamatory if Lakeman can provide proof that Nixon owes VRR $12,000. I have asked Lakeman to provide evidence to support her assertion about Ms. Nixon, but there has been no response.
4. My point in publicizing this issue is to address and to expose the enmity that leads to statements like these. Much dialogue and healing is necessary to overcome this rift. It is clear to me that there are no winners in this battle.
I also think it's important to reveal what this event is attempting to do in the name of women and in memoriam to the women who lost their lives in Montreal. Inviting a transphobic speaker to rail against prostitution seems like a Trojan horse of the worst variety: "come to support and remember the victims of violence – would you like a side-serving of ideology with that?" As someone who is moved by the memorial aspect of this event, I think this kind of bait-and-switch is quite tasteless.
5. Finally, my efforts have led at least one party to "out" me as a "Men's Rights Activist" who is "harrassing" Janice Raymond. Not true. They even made me a web page! While I am obviously opposed to many of Raymond's positions, I have never contacted, much less harassed her. In any case, my words speak for themselves, and anyone who wishes to peruse my Twitter account will see that I sometimes challenge MRAs bad behavior, too. That said, the similarities among MRA discourse, "real women" discourse, and abolitionist discourse are often striking.
6. As the library is no longer involved in this conversation, I look forward, hopefully, to Vancouver Rape Relief's response. This is an opportunity for VRR to heal past wounds. I would rather see VRR recuperate their relationship with trans people, with sex workers, and with progressive women in general—rather than continuing to marginalize themselves by embracing the bigoted and xenophobic ideologies of transphobia and abolitionism.
ELF
As an organizer of the Montreal Massacre Memorial I would like to remind you that Janice Raymond is specifically invited to speak on the topic of prostitution at the Montreal Massacre Memorial. She had not been asked to share her views on trans issues. Janice Raymond is professor emerita of women's studies at the University of Massachusetts. She is a former director of the international Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and the author of the recently published book: Not a Choice, Not a Job: Exposing the Myths about Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade. Her presentation is a part of an all day event marking the National Day for Remembrance and action on violence against women. Other speaks on the day will address topics like Sexism within the Police Force, Tribal Law and Violence Against Aboriginal Women, The Impact of Recent Immigration Reforms on Women Escaping Male Violence and Defending Battered Women on Trial.
Vancouver Rape Relief is intentionally orgenizing an event that is free and open to all.
For more information about the day and its political-historical context please visit www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca
Hilla: I'm not sure you've read through this thread, but I linked to the program and noted the topic of Raymond's talk at the outset. You've reiterated the information from the program, but this doesn't really add to the conversation; in fact, in ignoring the substance of this thread, it seems impertinent.
That said, thank you for adding the subtitle of Raymond's talk. Having Janice Raymond speak about "Exposing the Myths about Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade" is quite perverse. Raymond's work has been discredited by Canadian courts and widely debunked elsewhere. As mentioned above, Raymond's conflation of prostitution and trafficking is a perfect example of mythmaking – with dangerous consequences. The references in my letter are just the tip of an iceberg of evidence in this regard.
Once upon a time, Vancouver Rape Relief supported all women, including sex workers, including prostitutes, including trans* people. Today, VRR allies with neoconservative organizations like Raymond's CATW, whose links to American conservative groups and the religious right have been amply documented – in addition to the references above, rabble.ca published evidence of this over a decade ago. More important than these ideological alignments is the growing evidence that CATW's advocacy has contributed to harming women and others throughout the global south.
Yet, important as I think these points are, they have little to do with commemorating the tragedy at l'Ecole Polytechnique. In that regard, once again, Vancouver Rape Relief is exploiting a tragedy to promote its own political agenda. That seems profoundly anti-progressive, anti-feminist, and deeply disrespectful to the victims of that tragedy and to their survivors.
Hilla, I wish that you too would refer to the sad event by its real name, the Polytechnique Massacre. Sadly, it wasn't the only such massacre or school shooting in Montréal. I remember being in the university bookshop at Université de Montréal (I was a graduate student) when the radio announced the massacre at the Concordia University Engineering Department. I know a secretary there who cowered under her desk so as not to be killed. And then Dawson College...
Transphobia is certainly bigoted, but how on earth is it xenophobic?
I don't think abolitionism is either. Hating sex workers is bigoted, and often xenophobic because often they are either trafficked or in dire straits, from very poor countries, but there is nothing that is either about wanting to eliminate certain employment sectors as long as the workers are afforded transitional compensation and training for socially-useful employment. Ecosocialists would say the same about the arms industry, much of the auto industry, publicity, etc.
I have no familiarity with either Janice Raymond or her critics, and have no particular affinity with the views of either faction. I'm definitely an abolitionist in the broader sense, though. I don't think there is anything empowering or progressive about people selling themselves to the rich, or to access to bodies via money. And yes, I know people who are sex workers, and some are friends. However, I'm against phony abolitionism that simply persecutes sex workers.
It is very racist and bigoted indeed to proposition vulnerable Indigenous people, racialized people or transpeople with the assumption that they are "available" to service bourgeois people, usually white and usually male.
lagatta: for me, xenophobia describes transphobic attitudes for the same kind of reasons you acknoweldge re attitudes toward sex workers.
I'm using it in the sense described here (via wikipedia):
That seems to me a particularly apt description of the exclusionary, derisive, and sometimes outright hateful attitudes all too often directed toward trans* people and communities.
I appreciate your interest in getting the words right, btw. Thank you.
Usually, xenophobia means bigotry against "foreigners". I'd call bigotry against transpeople "transphobia", not xenophobia, unless they are the stereotypical Brazilian drag queens. I'd certainly not defend either form of bigotry. I looked at the Wikipedia article, it has very serious problems (unrelated to transpeople) related to attacking what can be defensive measures by oppressed peoples.
i wonder if the vpl would say its just a room rental" if it was something blatantly hateful ....for example and extremist islamist event recruiting terrorists....? or a drug cartel recruiting drug dealers...?
their response seems a little shallow considering the content of the presentation.....dismissive almost
I want to briefly respond to some of the online commentary in response to VPL's press release on this topic. I agree wholeheartedly with the Library's defence of the VRR's right to hold this event; VRR & Janice Raymond should feel be completely free—and should feel free—to speak for anyone who wishes to listen. I agree with the Library that “commitment to free speech and intellectual freedom are the fundamental core values of public libraries and are bedrock values for democratic society.” Amen.
That said, I believe that some expressions – such as those which contest people's human rights or those which can be argued to have caused significant harm – merit special consideration vis-a-vis the values of the public sphere. In this particular case, given the obvious rifts that are opened by this particular speaker, it is worth considering providing an opportunity for aggrieved communities to respond. That's all my letter requested—I hope I was clear that I did not think the event should be prevented from going ahead. That's what I meant by "Inviting a dialogue between Raymond and the people she speaks against".
I still hope that, given the contested nature of this event, the library will consider making space for this event's opponents to hold a concurrent counter-event. At the moment, it seems there is likely to be a protest anyway. Why not go one better? Why not make this a teaching & learning moment?
Lagatta: you posted "I'd call bigotry against transpeople "transphobia", not xenophobia, unless they are the stereotypical Brazilian drag queens."
I'm sure no harm was intended with this comment. However it is disrespectful and furthers misinformation to link transgendered persons with drag queens through suggestion that drag queens are also transgendered or a subset of the transgender umbrella. The two are completely different. The majority of drag queens are cisgendered men - men who identify as men and impersonate women. Often they have a female alter ego (different behaviours, mannerisms, voice, etc) when they are in drag, but they do not identify as women. Transgendered people are people whose internal identity does not match their external bodies - in otherwords their gender and sex are not aligned. Transgender includes those who do not identify as either male or female but somewhere inbetween or something altogether different as well as those who have an internal identity that is opposite to the sex assigned at birth. Their behaviours and mannerisms are consistent and do not usually change based on what they are wearing. I hope this helps to clear up any confusion or misunderstanding of the two.
Prostitution: Not a job, not a choice - A talk by Janice Raymond
For those who prefer to read, and for the public record, here is a transcript of Janice Raymond`s talk. It excludes verbal pauses ("um") and the occasional repeated word but otherwise is as faithful as a transcript can be – and of course, as Catchfire linked above, the audio of the speech is also available here if anyone wishes to double-check against the speech itself.
Prostitution: Not a Job, not a Choice
Professor Emerita Janice Raymond, Coalition Against Trafficking of Women
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Janice Raymond cited a government study of which she didn’t know who actually conducted it, a law of which she didn’t know the correct name, and figures that were not only derived via a dubious research methodology but which she also managed to confuse.
The “South Korean Model” is no more a “miracle” than the Swedish Model. The difference between the two is that the former states outright that it criminalises sex workers, while the latter claims it doesn’t.
For a detailed response to Raymond's claims, please read Janice Raymond and the South Korean Model.