Feminists

And while I disagree with the author's explanation for why it's necessary, I agree that there should be some spaces for women who were born in a female body to be around other women who are born in a female body -- and a community has the right to preserve the nature of that space.

Mainly, it's because there are some things that women who were born in a female body can only share with others who were the same -- for example, discussions/rituals about menstruation. A menstrual blood empowerment ritual is not something that our transgender friends and allies can really share. If I want to talk to someone about that very specific bodily function who understands it both from previous *and* current experience, that is something I can only discuss with a post-menarche, pre-menopausal woman who was born in a female body.

There was a kind of dust-up regarding one intentional community in my local area that is safe space for women who were born female only -- they were having discussions about whether or not they should invite transgendered persons into their space. As part of that discussion, they wanted to hear from both FTM and MTF folk, but due to current policy it was impossible for them to stay overnight on the community property during those discussions. I offered my home as a haven so no one would have to pay for hotels, etc, and had quite a few very lovely and interesting houseguests for a weekend. Wolf Creek Sanctuary had a similar meeting to discuss whether or not they would invite people who were not gay males into their space -- I'm honestly not sure how either discussion ended.

I'm very glad that places like Short Mountain Sanctuary that are inviting to all genders instead of just one or two, all sexualities instead of just one or two or three, etc. But do I think that every safe space should be just as inclusive? No. There are things that I will never fully understand about the experience of a gay man in our culture, and there may be times when they need to be around others who can understand that aspect of their experience from personal previous and current experience.

And I don't think either of the two ICs I mentioned are bigoted for being safe space for people who share that experience.