Activism Issues: Collectives and Conferences

[Jess]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I've been watching some of the discussion around the Butch Voices Conference issues of late unfold on these boards and many others over the last few days. It occurred to me that these "top-down" steering issues where sexism, capitalism, internalised misogyny take root is not specific to just the BV conference.

I was a founding member of the Femme Collective and worked on the organizing committee from 2005 - 2008. I stepped down in 2009 after some very similar issues now being discussed started manifesting.

I also remember attending the Queering Femininity conference in Seattle in 2005 and some of the inherent issues that were brought up in that conference.

All of the discussion lately has compelled me to start a thread where we can specifically discuss these issues - what we expect financially from conferences put on by our community, how we feel about the identities of steering committee members in identity-specific conferences. Maybe even the idea of organizing around politics and not identity.

For me, I tend to expect the exact same thing from any "conference" I attend, regardless as to which "community" I am supporting at the time ( LGBT, BDSM, Womens, Gardeners, etc).

I have the expectation of having:
a) Educational opportunities ( workshops/ demos/ panel discussions)
b) Networking
c) Community building
d) Socialization/ Entertainment
e)Self discovery
f) Safety ( in as much as the staff can provide)

It is a natural happening that the organizers of community events become targets of both adoration and scrutiny. I try to participate in neither of those pits. I can both appreciate the hard work ( and I DO believe it is no easy task to pull off a conference),AND ask questions/ send comments when I see areas that may benefit from some improvement or have downfalls.

Financially, as long as my above expectations are met, then I feel my money was well spent. As someone for whom conferences have traditionally been pseudo-vacations ( as I could rarely afford time/ money for both), I try to make the most of my experiences at conferences. Meeting new friends/allies, gathering as much information as possible, relaxing in a safe "like-minded" space with comrades. I feel "robbed" when my experience becomes fraught with in-fighting and the continuous gossip mill. I would much rather have intense community round table sessions open to the community ( usually at the end of conference) to openly discuss concerns and take THAT back to our perspective communities. I know these discussions generally have no solid decisive outcome, however, they do host the conversation in a forum that allows everyone to have their position honored.( Hopefully)

I agree, that the BV event is sooooo not the only one having these types of issues. Actually, I have yet to find a community that strives for civil/ human rights/ equality/acknowledgement that does NOT have internal issues, especially in the formative years.

I think the tricky part of figuring out the political vs identity alignment is in determining whether we are the focus group member or the ally?. I have often thought myself a "member" only later to realize that no, indeed I am an ally. Our politics and identities, while VERY similar, are NOT the same. Our struggles, while again, similar, are DIFFERENT.

I can be an ally and it is really ok. I think it more honorable to realize where I truly stand and show respect to those with whom I feel kinship, even when I realize we are different in many ways. I think the snare of the big ass umbrella, is that it projects a notion that we must all be the same.

Good topic, thanks for separating it from event specific discussions.