Thursday, March 12th 2009

By nicole stark

I applaud you, Adam Owen, for your attempt at convincing me of your un-chauvinistic perspective in the first line of your article. The rest of the article, however, not only presented a chauvinistic attitude towards the proposed women’s centre, but fell into the unfortunate cycle of unknowingly perpetrating the dominant hegemonic discourse from which you fought so hard to separate yourself.

I believe that the proposed women’s centre could be not only an important space, but a valuable resource for women and transgendered people within the McMaster community. I am saddened, Adam, that you do not feel the same way.

In response to some of the arguments put forth, the women’s centre would not act as an advocate for further gendered divisions. It would serve to acknowledge the divisions that are already in existence, and therefore create a safe space for women and transgendered people affected by those patriarchal structures. The women’s centre would not promote segregation to further illuminate oppressor and oppressed relationships, but would acknowledge that a “blank, grey abyss, devoid of discourse” is not a reality.

I was personally offended by Adam’s argument that “promoting isolation in the name of safety is an affront to the principles of the university itself.” The women’s centre would not act as a space of isolation, nor would it be a place for women to hide from the patriarchal values still implicit within society and the university setting. Perhaps through this opportunity for an establishment of a larger community of women and transgendered people, we can together, more effectively combat those repressive values.

While Owen’s interest in women’s issues could be commendable, his pursuit of knowledge should not come at the expense of those who feel that the public sphere is not yet a safe enough space for addressing issues such as rape and abortion. Of course I wish that gendered, racial, and sexual equality was a current reality, but it is not. One cannot force equal opportunity and equal experiences. By pretending that the public sphere of the university is somehow currently conducive to all people is a very ignorant perspective. I, like you Adam, wish that it were. However, pretending that it is so, does not remove the need for a women’s centre, nor the need for a further examination of the power relations embedded within society. 

From your straight, white male perspective, I can understand why you might believe that attacking societal norms “head on in an attempt at making the world a better place” could be the most valuable means in which to confront systematic and overt oppression. I encourage you, however, to empathize with those of us who do not have the luxury living within, and therefore framing our understandings through, your place within the dominant hegemonic discourse.