Womens Fun Weekend 2009

[Alcofrollic]

Bec, if you *are* going to go, give me a shout, especially if ESV and CA are going too
I'm thinking that the boys want to have a go at the toy making!


Like CA said, strength in numbers

[admin]

Originally Posted by Captain Ass

I wonder did he realise the sh*t would hit the fan when he posted it...LOL I gave him rep for starting WW3!!

NO! And I'm keeping well out of this argument

[Captain Ass]

Originally Posted by admin

NO!

I thought so..XOX

@ Alco, WOULD LOVE THAT, but I am more interested in the debate!! And a couple of other things.

Also can I just say thanks to all the rep I'm getting...

LOL

[becc0]

Well I _reallyreallyreally_ want to go to the debate. Like lots. I'm still going to go if no one wants to go with me. Certainly though I'll be delighted if people who wouldn't go alone etc want to come with me, I'm super friendly AND a woman

What gripes me is that I can understand other parts of the weekend being a woman only space, as can other members of the forum, and I respect that. In a male dominated scene it must be quite nice to have a woman only space (I've never been to a strict woman only event in Ireland, caKe and Takeover always have a male presence which puts me neither up nor down), but when we are in a community which is clearly segregated shouldn't we be trying to open up some events to integrate with each other? A debate on what essentially is GAY marriage and a musical which should be of entertainment to the whole GAY community....you'd think these events would be open to the whole community, because they are not exactly female exclusive.

Look at the momentum LGBT NOISE! has built up so far, and is trying to fuel forward. I haven't heard anything about a similar debate regards gay marriage that will be taking place in Cork, especially off the back of last Sunday's protest. Surely the organisers of CWFW can see how this talk would be of massive interest to all gay people in Cork?

Clearly, a lot of the background of this whole thing is way over my head and I'm probably being exceptionally naive about thinking we can all get along but it's still nice to dream that we wouldn't be discriminating against each other

[Captain Ass]

I agree Becco some events can be women only...but having very relevant topics shut off to the people who they affect most is wrong so I see what you're saying about women only spaces.

I agree the background is way over your head as is it mine, because we weren't able to be there for when it was started....but I think if they want younger generations to continue they must explain WHY!-valid reasons...not just the simple reasons "women only space for women only" more accurate reasonable ones.

And I think that YOU and I becco are the future of the LGBTQ-RSTUVWXYZ movement and we need to show WHERE are we aiming to go with the minorities we represent....continue divisions or create bridges!!

I italic WE because of the importance we have to put on it being a wide ranging viewed minority, not just the same group that continues to hold us back!!

[earlstvincent]

I agree. Totally. There seems to be some history marring this potentially great event for a lot of people.

And like CA said, we are the future of the LGBT Commununity in Cork and Ireland. A friend said to me recently that we as gay people are a response to the previous generation of gay people before us who by their work and example gives us courage, inspiration, direction as well as much more. Just as they were our example we'll be a new generations example by the work and example we provide.

To promote this sort of man ban so aggressively and widely is contradictory to what we as a community have struggled to attain. Like some people have said about going to these events, "strength in numbers", this applies to the community as a whole. This debate is one of the biggest issues facing the WFW right now. Lesbians as a community need gay men and the rest of their LGBT community, JUST like we need them to make the difference to the real debate. Facilitating exclusion does not help this debate or the greater one ongoing around the world.

Whatever is past is past, we should look to the future for our examples if the present is so intent on looking to the past, and whatever bad blood exists there.

[Teri_Rose]

Yeah! - the causation of this problem is either older die-hard traditionalist Lesbians, or more than likely - a few extreme female 'anti-men' bullies. As I mentioned in a previous post.

They need to be rooted out or voted out - fast! and a proper fair constitution written for their group for 'everyones' human benefit.

A legal action, in my view, would 'open the eyes and wake up' the 'passive' majority.

It is obvious to me, that they are not going to change the meeting to say:
'Open to all, everyone welcome'

Its up to you!- the Younger Generation, to fix this issue and share ALL events together!

Teri_Rose

We are Few - Together we are Legion!

[Invincible]

For a non follow-on thread (like the 'random posts', 'rant rant rant' threads etc) this has gotta to be the longest thread i've ever seen here!! Dontcha love the drama and controversy.

[Captain Ass]

Originally Posted by Invincible

Dontcha love the drama and controversy.

You know us gays...LOL

[shoegirl]

Originally Posted by Teri_Rose

Yeah! - the causation of this problem is either older die-hard traditionalist Lesbians, or more than likely - a few extreme female 'anti-men' bullies. As I mentioned in a previous post.

Its up to you!- the Younger Generation, to fix this issue and share ALL events together!

You are correct Teri_Rose, its not really representative of the majority of lesbians in Cork at all. At least, I'd be very, very surprised if a vote was taken by any of the groups and it went that way. I think the vast majority are not bothered at all by the odd guy wandering in, for whatever reason.

And really I do think its up to the groups organising events in Cork to discuss this among themselves and decide how they want to handle the situation. They should not be pressurised into change from outside, that will only create resentment. However its really important that the groups don't remain at the end of a deeply conservative political tradition simply because they are afraid of hostility from within what really is a small minority within their own community.

The challenge is of course, is that the image that gets projected tends to decide whether or not younger or 30-something radicals like myself will bother going along at all and help to create those changes. If not, I think newer groupings and networks will emerge and eventually take over and move things forward. All isn't lost!!

[Teri_Rose]

Originally Posted by shoegirl

You are correct Teri_Rose, its not really representative of the majority of lesbians in Cork at all. At least, I'd be very, very surprised if a vote was taken by any of the groups and it went that way. I think the vast majority are not bothered at all by the odd guy wandering in, for whatever reason.

And really I do think its up to the groups organising events in Cork to discuss this among themselves and decide how they want to handle the situation. They should not be pressurised into change from outside, that will only create resentment. However its really important that the groups don't remain at the end of a deeply conservative political tradition simply because they are afraid of hostility from within what really is a small minority within their own community.

The challenge is of course, is that the image that gets projected tends to decide whether or not younger or 30-something radicals like myself will bother going along at all and help to create those changes. If not, I think newer groupings and networks will emerge and eventually take over and move things forward. All isn't lost!!

We are both right shoegirl! - you prefer the diplomatic middle of the road/debate/consultation approach. - I prefer a once and for all nip it in the bud/kill it/legal approach.

As a matter of interest, mainly to myself and any other TG's out there; I wrote 2 e-mails to the 2 addresses of the 'fun weekend' as follows:
quote:

Cork Women’s Fun Weekend
A weekend primarily for Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Hi!
I am a resident of county Cork - I am a M/F transexual lesbian.
I want to know if I am welcome to attend this meeting please?

Thank you!

Teri

-------------------------------------------------------

I have received no reply / which speaks for itself! does it not?

I know I could gain entry to this event - because the cigar chomping 'bulldykes' at the door would melt at the sight of me, and I would smile my way through to the meeting.

But this would be deception wouldn't it ?- and I would sit there waiting for the big clammy hand on the shoulder and maybe an order like 'lift your skirt Hunni and lets make dead sure'

Sod that! - I am for court action/EA action to get Ireland into the real world!

Teri_Rose

We are Few -Together we are Legion!

[Slayer]

Ok, L.inc has always been open to Mtf transgendered women from my experience, as has very feminist lesbian spaces like sapphicireland.com etc

No one's going to ask you to lift your skirt up Teri, let's not get hysterical here. Legal action would be useless, I'm not even sure if the women's weekend is a legal entity that you can bring to court as such. I think a bit of discussion and negotiation could go a long way.

If we're all about unity, I don't see how a divisive court case that would involve dragging fellow members of our community through the courts would help anything.

Re: the emails - they must not check them that regularly.

[Hay-ch]

This is the response I recieved from corkwomensfunweekend@gmail.com

Hi ____________,

Thank you for your enquiry, the event is for women only, it is the nature of the weekend and the organised events are centered around the same. So basically the musical on Friday, Saturday day time and night time events, the tennis, walk and (participants of the) quiz on Sunday and the golf on Monday are strictly women only event. The remaining events will be open to all.

Kind regards,

CWFW 2009

I didnt see the need to post since they prity much posted this info themselves on here. But I want to just show that they did eventually did get back to me personally.

I am wary about using legal proceedings, It certainly warrants it, however, I believe this matter should be sorted out in a more inhouse manner. I think we should form a recomendation that in future the CorkWomensFunWeekend could operate on. It would require someone starting a new thread, with the first post being a mission statement, we all then bash some ideas up onto it, and in X days time lets say, a copy of all recomendations be forwarded onto those concerned in the organising of the Fun Weekend.

Something else that reflects more towards Linc and the GayProjectCork rather than CorkWomensFunWeekend itself would be: that since Gaycork.com is increasingly playing a bigger and bigger role in the dynamic of the whole community perhaps one member of Gaycork.com of correct gender could sit on the respective bords as advisors. This would obviously need to be fine tuned such as only moderators may apply or something like that, and the position should be renewed every 2 years lets say. those are the nitty gritty details, but I think all in all it would be good for the community.

[Shiva]

Well done you just elected yourself.

[becc0]

Originally Posted by Slayer

No one's going to ask you to lift your skirt up Teri

WAT! FAil AT being strict on rulez.