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On July 9th, 2017, Martha Harvey, the Executive Director of the Pride Center of the Capital Region shared an article from a feminist website to the Center’s Facebook page, along with the comment, “Interesting article. What do you think?” The article, “Lesbianism is under attack, though not by the usual suspects,” was about the historical erasure of lesbianism, lesbian women’s accomplishments, and the ongoing violence and coercion they are subjected to around the world in order to force them to submit to heterosexual relationships. The article criticized a modern version of this coercion, disturbingly rubber-stamped by many progressives and queer activists. These are recognized, long-standing issues facing lesbian women and girls, which any organization who claims to represent them should be concerned with.

But because a very small but vocal group did not agree with the arguments made in the piece, they decided that it should not be read by anyone at all. Within hours of posting the article, Harvey was attacked online by a group of people who labeled her “transphobic,” demanded she apologize and take down the article, and proceeded to write the Center’s board of directors, repeating these demands and calling for her resignation.The article contained no slurs, hate speech, or calls for violence, and Feminist Current, where the article was published, is a well-known feminist, progressive publication, that advocates against male violence and towards women’s liberation. Still, even after Harvey took the post linking to the article down and posted a lengthy, detailed apology, demands the board ask for her resignation, claiming she was unfit for the position, continued.

No political article will be wholly agreed on by all readers. It is ok to disagree, it is ok to critique, it is ok to have conversations, to argue, and to debate. It is not ok to silence, censor, or attempt to destroy the lives of those we disagree with. It is not okay to silence and smear a lesbian woman, for raising concerns about the human rights of lesbian women, on the page of an organization whose mission includes increasing political recognition and human rights for lesbians.

The article was said to have included “damaging rhetoric,” and Harvey was accused of “transphobia” and “transmisogyny” for having shared it. A statement posted on the Black Lives Matter: Upstate NY Facebook page read:

“The Executive Director of the Pride Center of the Capital Region recently shared, via social media, a cruel and dehumanizing ‘article’ perpetuating violent and transphobic rhetoric. The article, among other things, compared trans women to rapists and reduced members of the trans community to their genitals.”

No quotes from the article were offered as reference for these claims. In fact, what the article argues is that lesbians have the right to refuse sex and sexual relationships with people with penises. This argument is not hateful or phobic, it is a matter of respecting lesbianism, respecting women’s boundaries, and in opposition to a misogynist and homophobic culture that says all women should desire and be sexually available to males.

It has become common practice to evoke the concept of “violence” in reference to language or ideas with which we politically disagree. To claim an article supporting lesbian rights is “dehumanizing” and perpetuates “violence,” without supporting those claims is dishonest and dangerously manipulative. Considering the real-life violence lesbians (and other oppressed groups of people) have faced and continue to face as minorities in a patriarchal, racist, heterosexist world, painting words and thoughts as “violence” minimizes that violence and misunderstands the roots, reality, and function of systems of oppression, like patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy.

Social justice movements need to engage in critical thought and open, rigorous debate, with integrity. In the U.S., minority groups are up against a misogynist, racist, imperialist regime that poses a daily threat to their lives and human rights. Faced with a demagogue in power in the U.S., who silences and smears the free press with wild abandon, who rejects any and all critique/critical thought, and who bullies and punishes those who fail to toe the line, we need to ensure our social justice movements are not operating through the same tactics.

Many of those calling for Harvey’s resignation have stated emphatically that “Transwomen are women.” But, while it has become unpopular to say so, most of those who identify as transwomen have male bodies. It is indefensible to suggest that lesbians (i.e. women who are attracted explicitly to other women) must consider sexual relationships with males who identify as trans, simply because they say so or because it is considered “open-minded” by some. This should not even be up for debate within an organization whose core mission is to advance the rights of those who maintain a same-sex orientation. But it is, hence the article, which details the history of homophobic oppression worldwide, the erasure of lesbians and lesbianism, and the way our patriarchal culture and the media produced within it too-often fetishizes lesbianism, inserts males into lesbian relationships, and makes use of a narrative that depicts men “turning” lesbians heterosexual through penetrative sex.

The targeted harassment and attacks Harvey has been subjected to, simply for sharing an article, are sadly not uncommon. There are numerous cases of women, feminist organizations, and even experts in the field of gender dysphoria being targeted for questioning discourse around gender identity, transgenderism, and for centering women in their politics. Individuals are harassed online, in real life, and through their employment for asking the “wrong” questions, using the “wrong” words, and sharing the “wrong” articles.

Pride centers represent lesbians, as well as other groups and individuals who are marginalized in a patriarchal, homophobic society. Not all of those groups and individuals are or should be in agreement about every issue. Certainly they are not all in agreement about the issue of gender identity and the question of what is a woman.

Why should one vocal minority get to speak on behalf of all LGBT people? Why should that group be permitted to dictate what conversations are allowed to happen among LGBT people? Why is this group being permitted to attack, threaten, and silence a lesbian woman, who has worked for decades, on behalf of LGBT people, simply because they don’t like the kinds of articles she reads?

Harvey has done nothing wrong. She has not said anything hateful or bigoted. She is thinking critically about an issue that is of utmost importance to lesbians, and feminists, more broadly: bodily autonomy, boundaries, the right for women to define and enact their own sexuality. She was trying to open up a dialogue.

Those who are attacking Harvey are doing so without sharing — or even having read — the original article, so that people can read it and decide for themselves if it is wrong or “harmful.” Putting ordinary, nonviolent political speech — about lesbian rights and feminism, no less — so far outside the realm of polite conversation that the contents can’t even be meaningfully alluded to is to say that these topics are more dangerous than slurs, more dangerous than the harshest moral condemnation, more dangerous than direct calls to violence, more dangerous than the writings of mass murdering dictators whose words are still quoted for reference when appropriate. And if the writing is that dangerous, how much more so the feminists who write it, the lesbian who shares it? Are feminist ideas now so dangerous they are unspeakable? So dangerous they must be suppressed, so no one else may read these words?

To prevent critical thought, free speech, and robust debate, by silencing and harassing your opponents, is destructive of the democratic norms and institutions that have allowed the oppressed to advance our rights in systems not built to respect us.

Harvey should not have apologized for posting the article, but she did. We, the undersigned, think it is fair to believe her when she says she does not want anyone in her community to feel “unsafe, attacked, maligned, erased, unheard, or misrepresented.” Doesn’t she deserve the same consideration?

This is nothing short of a witch hunt. This behaviour should not be tolerated, no matter what your opinion. We implore the Board of Directors and all allies of the LGBT community to support Harvey in her position as Executive Director of the Pride Center of the Capital Region.

We stand in solidarity with Martha Harvey and with the principles of free speech, critical thought, and woman-centered politics.

If you would like to add your name to this letter, please email: [email protected].



List of Signatories:

1. Angie Conroy

2. Manu Schon

3. Deidre Pearson

4. Meghan Murphy

5. Monika Beatty

6. Orla Hegarty

7. Elizabeth Pickett, LL.M.,

8. Colleen Glynn

9. Tina Minkowitz

10. Tara Prima

11. Memoree Joelle

12. Peggy Luhrs

13. Spider Redgold

14. Tracy Allard

15. MJ Reilly

16. Barb Gurwell

17. Melinda Mann

18. Russell Gibson

19. Jean P. Miller

20. M.K. McCaffrey

21. Marian Rutigliano

22. Jasmine Northrop

23. Lesley MacDougall

24. Pansy Watson

25. V.L. Zajdel

26. Sarah Richardson

27. Holly Northrop

28. S. L. Bondarchuk

29. Ashley Chickadel

30. Carol Crystal

31. Tracy Lanzafame

32. Martin Dufresne

33. Lynn Johnson

34. Susan Smyth

35. Meg Goodman

36. Casey Hall

37. Kacie Mills

38. Laura Brewer

39. Elaine Grisé

40. Natasha Chart

41. Sandra Harpes

42. Sarah Blaquiere

43. Ann Elizabeth Wheeler

44. Leah Harwood

45. Lea Pierce

46. Molly Donohue

47. Marie Guzzo

48. Nancy Lee Koenig Sr

49. Andrea Stumpf

50. Sarah Westbury

51. Cathryn Atkinson

52. Diane Guilbault

53. Vanessa Fraser

54. Sara Wiseman

55. Erin Graham, PhD

56. April Applegate

57. Ella Josten

58. Georgina Whitby

59. Robertson Taylor

60. Nancy Crase

61. Ellen Donohue

62. Magdalena Gutierrez

63. Trish Oliver

64. Natalie Ballard

65. Mary Syrett

66. Harry W Laughlin

67. Katherine Denison

68. Moira Ariev

69. Karla Gjini

70. Wendy Lewis

71. Dawn Wilcox

72. Kate Hansen

73. Amanda Sabean

74. Angela Lee

75. Cherry Austin

76. Tim Leadbeater

77. Julia Beck

78. Elizabeth Robertson

79. Susan MacHolan

80. Elana Dykewomon

81. Barbara Lapthorn MSc

82. Maxine Lewis

83. Ivy Ziedrich

84. Amanda Ripley

85. Penelope Greenhough

86. Jessica Gardner

87. Terre Spencer

88. Katy Saunderson

89. Emma Flynn

90. Sheena Best

91. Barbara Scott

92. Maureen Doll

93. Camilla Strand

94. Katarina Visnar

95. Helen Saxby

96. Susanne Bischoff

97. D’Arcy Pocklington

98. Maria Alferova

99. Charlotte Peterson

100. Mags Hodge

101. Corinna Cohn

102. S. Grace Skrobisz

103. Morgan Westcott

104. Maureen Bourke

105. Ida Jørgensen

106. Maria MacLachlan

107. Vaska Tumir

108. Rhoda Mueller

109. Brian Cross

110. Jennifer Murnan

111. Janet Cotgrave

112. N. Lawji

113. Cheryl Lickona

114. Max Dashu

115. Stella Jane Bowen

116. Leah Martin

117. Judith Sara

118. Ru Ide

119. Anne Bevan

120. Dr. Sean Heather K. McGraw

121. Lisa Steacy

122. Laura Phelps

123. Nicole Buckley

124. JJ Barnes

125. Trula Earthgarden

126. Tracy Shringarpure

127. Diane McGowan

128. Thora Broughton

129. Glen Morgan

130. Patricia Booher

131. Hearth M. Rising

132. Joshua Slocum

133. Sarah Cummings

134. Christine Muldoon

135. Susan King

136. Celia A. Nord

137. Lorna Garano

138. Alex McKane

139. Sarah Porter

140. Anemone Cerridwen

141. Barbara Derbyshire

142. Helen Staniland

143. Vicki Wharton

144. Alison Dover

145. Ann Menasche

146. Katie Watkins

147. Claire Heuchen

148. Spiro C. Lampros

149. Racheal Rodman

150. Carol Pinegar

151. Suzie Blake

152. Rebecca Harmon

153. Ruby Barnett

154. Lily Cage

155. Mary Lunetta

156. Bettina Brand

157. Nancy Lulic

158. Thistle Pettersen

159. Margaret Shivelight

160. Nicola Williams

161. Brett Howard

162. Darcie Whitehurst

163. Michelle R Miller

164. Jennifer Bilek

165. Temple Ardinger

166. Daisy Kler

167. Jennifer Chavez

168. Kim Macphail-Chicago

169. Karla Mantilla

170. V J Link

171. Debbie Liu

172. Henrik Persson

173. Eliza Karat

174. Charlee Connor

175. Kathleen Knight

176. Elizabeth Johnson

177. Inge Kleine

178. Pour les droits des femmes du Québec (PDF Québec)

179. Kate Gould

180. Abigail McGowan

181. Kitty Barber

182. Dru Smith

183. Rebecca Whisnant

184. Darl Wood

185. Susan Boyd

186. Ellen McManus

187. Elise Osha

188. Liza Cowan

189. Paul Joseph McDonough

190. Gina Quinlan

191. Claire Robinson

192. Nicole Jones

193. Casey Leeds

194. Miep Rowan O’Brien

195. Amanda Whyte

196. Lisa Mallett

197. Liz Waterhouse

198. Simone Watson

199. Anna McCormack

200. Karen Cayer

201. Jane Margaret Kelf

202. Mick Parkin

203. Hayley McPhail

204. Shawnee Freeman

205. Morven Magari

206. Laura Williams

207. Francine Sporenda

208. Marylou Singleton

209. Marieke Bos

210. Alisha Read

211. Jo Gaylor

212. Tua Wester

213. Ben C. Smith

214. Georgina Blackmore

215. Carol Hanisch

216. Shuli Goodman

217. Vandra Costello

218. Temple Morris

219. Teresa Henderson

220. Mark Fulwiler

221. Shoshana Handel

222. Kathy Scarbrough

223. Caity Strickland

224. Adam Sowa

225. Myriam Perera

226. Mandy Vere

227. Kelly Yardy

228. Kate Lewis

229. Rebeka Hoffman

230. Diane Szczesniak

231. Kay Rowan

232. J Gourley

233. Elizabeth Albright

234. Terry Harris

235. Sandra Russel

236. Aoife Assumpta Hart, PhD

237. Jessica Anderson

238. Josephine Bartosch

239. Amy Whitman

240. Cristy Webb

241. Lizeth Alvarez

242. Lia Patris

243. Sharon Fraser

244. Pat Whyte

245. Michele Richards

246. Mary Burns

247. Patricia Fraser

248. Kathleen Connor

249. Michelle Connolly

250. Merilee Thompson

251. Susan Wiseheart

252. Gretchen Brown

253. Maureen Peterson

254. Sarah Richardson

255. Krista Sawchuk

256. Mary McClintock, M.Ed

257. Joan Moore

258. Zoë Lafantaisie

259. Molly Belt

260. Cynthia Bott

261. Rachel King

262. Kathleen Lowrey

263. Keira Smith-Tague

264. Hilla Kerner

265. Samantha Grey

266. Louisa Russell

267. Maria Paredes

268. Maria Wong

269. Rachel Anthony

270. Michelle Gale, PhD

271. Meredith Avila

272. Lynn Schirmer

273. Susan Breen

274. Cherrie Bertha-Elizabeth

275. Tove Happonen

276. Jennifer Grimsley

277. Jodi Shaw

278. Dr Lesley Semmens

279. Elizabeth L Little

280. Raquel Rosario Sanchez

281. Tanya Lebar

282. Liz Warren

283. Tara Candido

284. Lee Evans

285. Marie Moore

286. Emma Robertson

287. Magi Gibson

288. Marcia K. Matthews

289. Sabrinna Valisce

290. Natalie Thompson

291. Jessica Shepherd

292. Maureen K. Doll

293. Amy Guy

294. Anna Makarova

295. Joyce Miller

296. Maureen Anderson

297. Bear Dean

298. Julie Smith

299. Cassandra Birch

300. Anika Cunningham

301. Gaye Spetka

302. Nori Budge

303. Karis H. Post, CAGS

304. Donna Zinno-Baybusky

305. Dani Richards

306. Linda Barnes

307. Linda K. Best

308. Cheryl Bergen

309. Harriet C. Forman

310. Melissa McCudden

311. Claire Williams

312. Richard Pope

313. Beckie Kuipers

314. Nick Dager

315. Jan Whitman

316. Joey G. Mueller

317. Patricia K. Wood

318. Rona Stewart

319. Angela C. Wild

320. Gunhild Mewes

321. Ulrika Winbäck

322. Moa Lindholm

323. Susan Lowney

324. Lydie Labat

325. Nasheima Sheikh

326. Robin Birdfeather

327. Natasha Collins-Lynn

328. Jane Levan

329. Lenore Norrgard

330. Carolyn Scofield

331. Jerl Dilno

332. Natalie Painter

333. Karen Bercovici

334. Kimberly Sabrosky

335. Alison Batts

336. Jen Izaakson

337. Jay Keck

338. Frances O’Connell

339. Corrinne Farner

340. Vajra Ma

341. Susan Matthews

342. Sandy Cleomaude

343. Donald J. Anthony

344. Mary Forst

345. Ramona Boston

346. Madeline Ruoff

347. Perig Gouanvic

348. Louise Moondancer

349. Sarah Mooney

350. Rand Hall

351. Kayley Self

352. Lori Curry

353. Marcia Levin

354. Melinda Tremaglio

355. Juliette Doroy​

356. Melissa Kelly

357. Claudia Raven

358. Nil Şimşek

359. Kristen Erskine

360. Wendy Lev

361. Trisha Baptie

362. Michelle Noonan

363. Helen Ridsdale

364. Eavan Moore

365. Lina Nordström

366. Melissa Kramer

367. Suzanne Jay

368. Barbara van’tSlot

369. Karolina Jurikova

370. Heather-Rose Ryan

371. Amilkar Romero-García

372. Emily de Castrique

373. Robert Doublin

374. Spyros Marchetos

375. Krysti Hollaway

376. Mary J. Mulligan

377. Rae Robinson

378. Aurora Linnea

379. Clara Göransson

380. Lacourarie Pascale

381. Gabriel Parra-Blessing

382. Jessica Weber

383. Candyce Rusk

384. Conni Johnson

385. Kajsa Ekis Ekman

386. Gaye Chapman

387. Jody Biesche

388. Sophia Ramsden

389. Elicka Sparks

390. Heidi Wilson

391. Rebecca Bergfjord

392. Sylvia Black

393. Judith Woolf

394. Suzanne M. Kupiec

395. Sibyl Frei

396. Jessica MacFadzen-Reid

397. L.A. Murphy

398. Wendy Davis

399. Susan Flindt

400. Pamela Morgan

401. Tracie Warden Dengá

402. Sarah Morgan

403. Dee Sias

402. Nicole Lacoste

403. Chris Sitka

404. Ann Allen

405. Marta Sofia Mendes Mendonca Correia

406. J. Bourge Hathaway

407. José Bateira

408. Michelle Mead

409. Lena Newman

410. Twilah Hiari

411. Christina M. Limpert

412. Maartje Kuilman

413. Candace J Groudine

414. Katherine Dalton

415. Maxine Lewis

416. Mia Mantello

417. Lise Pauzé

418. Florence Humbert

419. Jolie Malone

420. Danitza Cornejo

421. Christine Delphy

422. Susan Perry

423. Jacqueline Casares

424. Mahina Nightsage

425. Kao Huguenin

426. Helen Webster

427. Olivier Blanc

428. Lauren Levey

429. Lisa Trost

430. Jeannine Bigrat

431. Diana Arseneau-Powell

432. Riel Hahn

433. Angela Moy

434. Jacob Russell

435. Dinah Stubbs

436. Julian Vigo

437. Miranda Yardley

438. Gjertrud Johansen

439. Dorothy A. Mayfield

440. Magdalen Berns

441. Tammy Wilder

442. Lydia Morris-Jones

443. Natasha Magness

444. Alice Dreger

445. Blossom Martin

446. Joanna Matley

447. Bonnie Atwood

448. Rachel King

449. Angie Sabin

450. Pamela Rothfield

451. Spider Redgold

452. Rebecca Jurgens

453. Dr Amelie Summer

454. Victoria Doherty

455. Ophelia Benson

456. Rya Jones

457. Megan Robinson

458. Csilla Florian

459. RL McKee

460. Kalyna Katherine Lesyna

461. Laura McIlroy

462. Stephie Smith

462. Sascha Patrice Kramps

463. Julie Moss

464. Marina Surette

465. Morgne Cramer

466. Amanda Conrad

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