Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 08:21:45 -0700 From: Clare Howell Subject: IYF-Michigan Womyn's Music Festival Protest MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Editor: Clare Howell, clare@gpac.org PROTEST CALLED FOR WOMEN'S MUSIC FESTIVAL DISCRIMINATORY POLICY STILL IN EFFECT ========================================= [New York, NY: 24 Jun 99] The street action group Transexual Menace announced today that "Camp Trans," the educational event across the road from the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (MWMF), will be held Thursday, 22 Aug 99, through Sunday, 25 Aug 99, to contest the festival's "womyn-born-womyn" only policy. The policy has been used to exclude trans-identified women or evict those discovered on Festival grounds. (Complete Menace statement follows) The original Camp Trans was held in August 1994, two years after attendee Nancy Jean Burkholder was forcibly expelled from the event by Festival Security for being transgendered. Festival owners then retro-actively announced the "womyn-born-womyn only" policy, effectively barring trans-identified women from attending. Two years later, 30 activists gathered to hold the first Camp Trans across the road from the Festival's main gate and conducted 3 days of workshops. Hundreds of festival attendees came out to attend. As the country's largest and 2nd oldest, the Festival continues to act as a model for women's music festivals across the country who evict or deny entrance to scores of trans- identified women each summer. Like MWMF, such events quietly enforce their policies with as little publicity as possible. Their policies are not displayed on web-sites or literature, effectively keeping transgender women out while keeping attendees unaware. Said Riki Anne Wilchins, one of the Camp Trans '99 organizers, "Our purpose is to focus pubic attention on the fact that these exclusionary policies are still very much in effect." S/he continued, "Five years have passed, and while the whole queer movement has embraced inclusiveness and diversity, MWMF still wants to act as the Gender Police, judging who is 'woman enough' and who is not. This is a policy that cries out to be challenged." Planners of "Son of Camp Trans" are asking supporters to join them peacefully and camp across the road from the Festival gates Thursday evening, August 12th. They plan to quietly march to the Festival Friday morning, declare themselves transgendered, and ask to be admitted. Continued Wilchins, "We're calling on everyone -- Menace members, Lesbian Avengers, Riot Grrrls, stone butches, diesel dykes, high femmes, intersexuals, transfags and faggot-identified dykes, FTMs, genderbenders, gender-blenders, transwomen, leatherdykes and dyke daddies, passing women, drag kings, and gendertrash of all descriptions. Being gender-different is not just a 'trans right,' it's a woman's right too. "When the owners know that gender- difference is no longer about 'them' but about 'us,' when they know there is solidarity, then this policy will fall. Discrimination against any woman must always be contested." Those interested in specifics or more information should visit the Camp Trans '99 website, www.CampTrans.com. ### [Menace statement begins] JUST** WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK ON IN THE WATER... ================================== ...They're baaaAACK! Yes, after 5 years, "Camp Trans" -- no, make that "Son of Camp Trans" -- is back: patriarchally-named, politically-incorrect, totally insubordinate, and even less well-behaved than ever. Why? Because even though it's been half a decade, even though the queer movement has firmly embraced diversity, yes -- you guessed it -- MWMF remains committed to admitting "womyn- born-womyn" only, which we know translates to "none of you gendertrash scum allowed." So join us at Son of Camp Trans for one more fun-filled, mosquito-ridden weekend in the Michigan woods August 12-15, when we once again meet face-to-face and maybe femme-to-femme with those wacky, wonderful gals of the Michigan Womyns Music Festival's Gender Police as they dance and pantie-check their way into our hearts. Be there or be square. Or maybe just gender-normative. See us and sign up at www.CampTrans.com. ---- The Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Womyn [Statement ends] ### Subscriptions. Please contact: Subscribe@Gpac.org For prior releases, check the GenderPAC website at: http://www.gpac.org (c) 1999 InYourFace GenderPAC's independent online news-only service for gender activism. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of GenderPAC's Board, Officers, or membership. ========================================================= Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 15:51:22 -0700 From: Clare Howell Subject: IYF-Correction MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Editor: Clare Howell, clare@gpac.org CORRECTION: DATES FOR 'CAMP TRANS' ================================== [New York, NY: 26 Jun 99] CAMP TRANS WILL BE held on 13-15 August this year. We mistakenly listed its dates as 22-25 August in a posting Friday. So Camp Trans, the educational event near the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, will convene on Friday, 13 Aug 99. Organizers hope to arrive on Thursday, 12 Aug, and set up camp. Anyone wishing to meet them there on Thursday is welcome. For more information, see the Camp Trans website at www.camptrans.com ###