1. 1999 T 11
A rouse
Mixed signals?
Local activists charge the Unitarian-Universalist Association
and its Beacon Press with transphobia
Your
T
Do you live or work
in Washington
County?
We’re here for you!!
by Inga Sorensen
association’s alleged history of disseminating
argaret Deirdre O ’Hartigan says
transphobic literature.
it’s time for the Unitarian-Uni
O’Hartigan says she wants Beacon Press to
versalist Association to live up to
discontinue
publishing “one-sided and deroga
its reputation of valuing the inher
tory” accounts of transsexuals and wants Unitarian
ent dignity of all human beings.
churches
“They claim to believe that, but if you
look at to cease selling “anti-transsexual works.”
(Many Unitarian churches, including the First
how transsexuals have been treated over the years,
Unitarian Church, sell Beacon Press titles on their
it just isn’t so,” says O ’Hartigan, a 42-year-old
premises.)
legal secretary and transsexual rights activist from
“[O’Hartigan] has been heard,” says Susannah
Portland.
Crolius, First Unitarian Church’s summer minis
During a 9:30 am service at Portland’s First
ter, who did not witness the July 23 demonstration.
Unitarian Church on July 23, O ’Hartigan and an
“Apparently many of our congregation members
other activist, Rachel Koteles, distributed flyers to
went up to Ms. O’Hartigan after the service and
church members denouncing what O’Hartigan
expressed their interest in learning more. We’ve
describes as “ 17 years of anti-transsexual literature
invited her to speak at one of our Sunday forums [a
produced by the U n itarian-U niversalist
service open to members and nonmembers who
Association’s Beacon Press.”
wish to address concerns related to social issues].
The flyers quoted passages from Beacon Press
We’ve also sent a copy of
publications characterizing
Margaret’s flyer and letter
transsexuals as “eunuchs,”
to Beacon Press so they are
“necrophiliacs,”
aware of her concerns.”
“ F rankensteinian,” and
According to Crolius,
“rapists.” The Unitarian-
First Unitarian Church’s
Universalist Association,
congregation has grown
which has about 200,000
dramatically due in large
members nationwide, owns
part to its response to Bal
the Boston-based Beacon
lot Measure 9. During that
Press. To bolster her claims,
divisive campaign in 1991 -
O’Hartigan cited the writ
92, a large ribbon was
ings of Beacon Press au
wrapped around the build
thors Mary Daly, Janice
ing declaring itself a hate-
Raymond and Walter Will
free zone. With an esti
iams.
mated 1,300 members,
“Janice Raymond wrote
First Unitarian Church has
a book called The Trans
become one of the largest
sexual Empire, which de
Unitarian congregations in
monized transsexuals and
the country.
said that ‘the problem of
“We are very liberal.
transsexualism would best
| We’ve worked hard on be
be serviced by morally man
half of gays and lesbians,”
dating it out of existence,’
Margaret Deirdre O 'Hartigan
says Crolius. “We held a
and says that ‘all transsexu
service the morning of Portland’s Gay Pride cel
als rape women’s bodies by reducing the real
ebration and I specifically welcomed gays and
female form to an artifact.’ It’s outrageous,” says
lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people in
O’Hartigan.
my opening remarks.”
Beacon Press published the work in 1979, and
Crolius, however, says O’ Hartigan’s request to
it is no longer in print. Daly’s Gyn/Ecology, which
address the local board of trustees directly was
was published a year earlier, was reissued in 1990.
turned down because “the board is a policy making
According to O ’Hartigan, Daly describes trans
board, not a sounding board for everyone’s politi
sexuals as “ F ran k en stein ian ,” and says
cal agenda.”
transsexualism is an “example of male surgical
“I can understand why Ms. O’Hartigan and
siring which invades the female world with substi
others may be upset by The Transsexual Empire.
tutes.” Furthermore, O ’Hartigan says Williams’
Though I haven’t read it myself, I’ve heard about
The Spirit and the Flesh, which was published by
it,” says the Rev. Meg Riley, director of the na
Beacon Press in 1988, describes the transsexual
tional Unitarian-Universalist Association’s Office
experience as “bodily mutilation.”
o f Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay C oncerns.
O ’Hartigan adds that she is very concerned
“[O’Hartigan] has a right to be angry, but I want
about the pending Beacon Press release of Leslie
people to know that we returned the rights to the
Feinberg’s Transgender Warriors. Feinberg, who
author in 1983 and the book is no longer in print. As
reportedly pondered changing her sex during the
for Mary Daly, I believe she’s made an important
mid-’70s but decided against it, is the author of
contribution to theology. But the fact is, Daly is
Stone Butch Blues, a 1993 novel which O’Hartigan
very radical and very anti-male. Anything she
describes as “unrelenting in its portrayal of chang
views as being non-female—including transsexu
ing sex as an endless procession of unmitigated
als— may incite her wrath.”
humiliation, degradation and oppression.”
She adds: “I want people to know that we are
“Feinberg is no friend of transgendered people,”
taking this very seriously. We are pulling together
she says. “It’s absurd that Beacon Press and the
a curriculum for our congregations that will help
Unitarian-Universalist Association would point to
them educate themselves about transsexual issues
her Transgender Warriors as a way to counter
and challenge transphobia. W e’ve invited
charges that they’re anti-transsexual.”
[O’Hartigan] to review materials and make sug
In a letter sent to First Unitarian Church’s board
gestions
about materials we should include. I mean,
of trustees, O’Hartigan, who is not a church mem
it was only a couple of years ago that we included
ber, said the July action was a “last resort” after
‘bisexual’ in our office’s name. Change takes time,
failed efforts urging Unitarian ministers, national
but we are working on it.”
Unitarian-Universalist Association officials and
Beacon Press representatives to renounce the
M
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LUCILLE H A R T D IN N E R
S a t u r d a y , O c t o b e r 14, 1995
Featuring
STA N D IN G
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For more information, call
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TORIE OSBORN
(Former Executive Director of the
National Gay 8t Lesbian Task Force)
AU design: J e ff F ish er