The Women’s Centre at U of T wants to change its name. The collective wants to transform the centre into a trans(sexual or transgender) inclusive and trans positive space. Part of that transformation will include a name change.
To officially introduce this initiative, on March 11, the centre held an event unlike any it has ever had. Its evocative and linguistically challenging title was: “Engendering so-called women’s spaces: dismantling gender boxes, challenging notions of sisterhood.” “They’re boundaries and borders we’re born into that society defines, that do not necessarily represent who you are,” says Rebeka Tabobondung, co-coordinator at The Women’s Centre at U of T. “For example, women are told they need to be submissive, hairless, pretty, favour certain colours…these are all societal ‘norms’ put on you just by virtue of having a vagina.” Conversely, she lists a set of stereotypes and societal expectations that fall on men. “We want to challenge that,” she says. “There are other possibilities to people’s identities that we want to explore.”
Tabobondung graduated from U of T with a major in Aboriginal studies more than a year ago and has been co-coordinator of the centre for two years. Noel Asha is the other coordinator and helped organize the event, which coincided with the 120th anniversary celebrating the admission of female students at U of T as well as International Women’s Week.
Tables in the front lobby of the Koffler Institute for Pharmacy and Management offered information and definitions on trans issues. The “Vote Yes” flyers promoting the Women’s Centre levy increase and pamphlets for the LGBTOUT (Lesbians Gays Bisexuals and Transgendered of the University of Toronto) “69 cents” levy increase were prominently displayed. (The Women’s Centre referendum will be held from March 23-25 and the LGBTOUT fee increase vote will be on ROSI from March 16-18.) Speakers began around 6:30 pm and the evening ended with a discussion about the future of the centre.
Tabobondung points to the example of the Dragon Root Centre for Gender Advocacy (DRC)-the former women’s centre at Concordia University. The DRC has been held up as an example of how women’s spaces can become more inclusive. It used to be a women-only centre.
But, as speaker and DRC member, Marc Marakoff said, “The fight is still going on.” The Dragon Root Centre may once again become the women’s centre. So, Marakoff says they formed a “Trans Caucus.” He says the caucus found that things went sour when they (FTMs or Female-to-Male trans) got too “mannish.” Overall, the DRC members had a problem with “bio men” coming into the centre.
U of T may be ahead of the game since the Women’s Centre here has never been a genetic women-only space. Everyone has always been welcome-including men. The centre is housed in the same building as Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) and First Nations House.
Matt Francino, a fourth year political science and Italian studies student (who hopes to attend OISE) was at the event. “I applaud The Women’s Center,” he said. “It’s not at all easy for them to do,” he says, referring to the centre’s efforts to make trans identified folks feel welcome.
Francino says changing the centre’s name is an important step. “I don’t go into women’s spaces unless it specifically says trans inclusive,” he says.
The 20-year-old is cautious for a reason. He’s experienced discrimination on campus ranging from violent verbal threats to not being able to change his first name on his T-Card (although he’s quick to point out that the university administration has been very understanding and helpful).
Francino also believes that women and men should be allowed to have their own exclusive spaces on campus. The problem at U of T may simply be a lack of space.
“It’s one of the only spaces for gay men on campus,” he says referring to the LGBTOUT drop-in centre. The LGBT drop-in is only open about 30 hours per week. It has women and trans hours on Monday and Wednesday from 11-2. He says that women and trans identified people may get lumped together categorically because “those less privileged” often do. Class issues can also overlap with trans issues. “Loving someone of the same sex is free. Sex Reassignment surgery is very expensive,” he says. His U of T plan covers a testosterone prescription, but surgery is not.
“It’s expensive to be a tranny,” says speaker Andy Scheim. Scheim, a 17-year-old high school dropout who says he would like to go to university some day, refers to recent articles in Bust magazine and even the New York Times about “trendy trannies.”
“It’s cool to be a tranny…but only if you’re white, in university taking gender studies and have a faux-hawk,” he says. “A lot of trans activity is on campus, which tends to disclude those under 19,” he says, adding that it can also create an environment that is “too academic” and can make non-students feel isolated.
Scheim is a volunteer with T.E.A.C.H. (Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia) and is part of the North York Queer Youth Arts Project. Scheim has “always identified as a feminist” and says one of his biggest challenges today is figuring out how to be a good feminist. “When I started coming out as a trans it was hard to reconcile being a feminist. My feminist analysis says it’s all part of the same fight, but I still felt like a traitor…” He says it is really important for women’s spaces to be trans inclusive.
The centre is also looking for a trans representative to join the collective.
“This is a women’s issue in a larger sense within the women’s movement. There are limiting notions of gender-you’re born male and female and then put into boxes and when you go outside of those boxes society reacts negatively. In that sense it is a women’s issue. It’s everybody’s issue.”
