Join members of the local trans community and their allies to celebrate, commemorate and advocate for trans-inclusion within progressive, queer and feminist communities.

Here's a bit o'background for those of you asking what the heck camp trans is about.  Click to go the Camp Trans website.

Camp Trans is an annual gathering of trans people and their allies in Michigan with the intent of:

Protesting the exclusion of trans women from women-only spaces, most notably the Michigan Womyn?s Music Festival;

Building a trans-inclusive community that is welcoming and safe for all;

Empowering the next generation of activists to fight for trans issues locally through organizer trainings, workshops, and leadership development; and

Advocating for the inclusion of trans issues in progressive, queer, and feminist movements by building coalitions with supportive organizations and bringing attention to local campaigns.

This is a divisive issue here in my little local gay women's circle.  The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival is hallowed ground among some women.  Even the Correspondents don't see eye to eye on this issue.  But I'm writing this post so I'm gonna tell you what I think.

I won't set foot at the Womyn's Festival as long as they exclude transwomen, genderqueer women and so forth.  Don't get me wrong -- I bet Michigan is a wonderful experience and even though I prefer to camp with AC, television and showers, I'd probably enjoy the opportunity participate.  But I can't do it.  It seems wrong in 2006 to be having these kinds of divisive battles and inconsistent with the emergence of an entire generation of queer homosexuals.  Its like shopping at Wal-Mart which the Correspondents never ever do.  I'm not willing to trade the welfare of hundreds of thousands of employees and their families to save $$ on my dog food. 

And I don't want to trade on my white/lesbian/middle class privilege to go to a music festival -- it would feel very artificial b/c there's at least 200 women who cannot attend sitting up the road. I'd rather use that privilege to do something good for my community instead of just doing something good for my personal enjoyment.  Maybe I really am too much of a social worker after all.  Whatever. 

So mark your calendars for Friday, July 21 and head over to The Quiet Storm to show your support for all women in our community.