Let me preface this by saying one, I was not there at Pantheacon and two, I am still new and learning my own path which is why I was hesitant to even give my two cents on what happened but I see it as, I have an opinion as well so why not share it?
First of all, from what I have read from Z Budapest and about her, I don't really care for her at all. I understand feminism and wanting to further women's rights in general and I am all for that, but in my humble opinion she is going about it in the wrong way and coming off as nothing more than a man-hater, lumping the good and the bad together giving the entire gender a bad name.
That being said, I understand the desire to have a private ritual, on your own terms and according to your own rules and set up. That's the beauty of having different paths and traditions - we can all find what suits us best and speaks to our beliefs. However, I do have to agree with what many other people have said that at such an event as this, a private ritual like the one she wanted to perform should have stayed just that - private.
Why go to a public event such as Pantheacon, where the message is Unity in Diversity, if you're just going to exclude people? A ritual for women should be just that - a ritual for ALL women, including those who are transgendered - because they are women as well. So what if the parts aren't "correct" - is that what we are being defined by now, our parts, and not who we are and what we feel? Imagine being a transgendered woman, how many go for years feeling like they are in the wrong body before finally being able to make the change then to be told "You're not woman enough." It's insane and hurtful and uncalled for.
But what should be done about it? On that subject I am most definitely unsure. I understand the need to boycott Z. Budapest because of her hurtful, hatefilled speech, but I'm not too sure about boycotting Pantheacon. However I do think Pantheacon should take action to prevent something like this happening again. Maybe making a note for all future conferences that private rituals like this should remain private and on the leader's own time or even asking Z. to not return at all.
As I said, I am still new to my own path and having not attended Pantheacon still feel it's hard for me to say anything definite except that as pagans we face exclusion and judgement plenty from those outside our religions and paths, why should anyone have to deal with it from our own people?
2 comments:
Well said. VERY well said.
Agreed. IMO it's just plain silly to define people by their biological parts and not by what they feel.
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