You think I just don't understand, but I don't believe you.

Lesbian Caucus

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)

25^th Annual Creating Change Conference

Atlanta, Georgia

Saturday, January 26, 2013

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Room 205

The format of the Lesbian Caucus was a facilitated discussion led by Dr. Laurie Young, Ph.D., Aging and Economic Security Director of NGLTF, and Darlene Nipper, Deputy Executive Director of NGLTF. Approximately 40 women participated in the discussion where they were free to address their needs. We decided as a group that this was a women-only space. The following topics were noted as important to those in attendance:

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You might recall that last year, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force waited until the last possible moment to remember that L in NGLTF stands for Lesbians. As a result of pressure put on NGLTF by Lesbian activists, NGLTF begrudgingly allowed Lesbians to have our own caucus for actual lesbians (that is, women-born-women, not men who think they are women) – hence, the Lesbian Caucus was born.

What a difference a year makes, right? This year is going to be the year of the Lesbian resurgence. I mean, the Lesbian Caucus has a 600-woman strong Facebook group!

Ha!

I joke.

Here is the 152-page Creating Change Program. [...]

NGLTF used to recognize women-only space and didn’t actively and relentlessly seek to destroy it.

What happened?

Trans happened.

Trans activists have turned women-only space as something akin to Nazism or the KKK. [...]

Hai! My wife Cheryl came home one night in 1990 and found me dressed in her clothes. So, I garroted her and almost beheaded her. House me with women!

Much has been written about the decision of U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf, sitting in a Massachusetts federal court, to order the State of Massachusetts to give  murderer Robert Kosilek a “sex change” due to his gender-identity disorder.

In a telephone interview with the Associated Press, Kosilek said that “(t)his is who I am. My essence is female … To those who don’t understand gender-identity disorder, I understand that there is a reluctance to even think about this in a serious vein because to the average person who is uninformed, it may be truly bizarre, but this is who I am. This is who I have always been.”

Let’s put aside the the gender essentialism for the moment (My essence. Blergh.)

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Written by E. Hungerford and Cathy Brennan

Something has gotten lost on the way to liberation for the GLBT community – females. Females have been the backbone of the movement, with lesbians playing key roles in the 1980s fighting the “Gay Plague” of their gay male brothers, working to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and fighting for anti-discrimination protections at the state and national level. Lesbians deserve a pat on the back for their contributions, and the gratitude of their GBT brethren.

Lesbians also deserve recognition with regard to state legislation that has been advanced in the last 15 years by GLBT civil rights organizations, most notably the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, to ban discrimination based on “gender identity.” “Gender identity” sounds like a great concept; and one that – you would think – lesbians should embrace, as lesbians know full well the harm caused by sex stereotyping. But the gender identity legislation presents two fundamental problems for all females, and for lesbians in particular.

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