group host / statement of purpose

[Gormy Cuss]

77. seabeyond, I've argued repeatedly over the first bullet point because I believe it was and is

a reaction to flame wars between different members of this community (both the Feminists group and DU at large.) Iverglas linked to the douchebag war, which is the most epic example of this. I contend that the first bullet can be modified to be less divisive and still allow conversations from different perspectives here in a civil manner.

What I'm hearing from Pri and justiceischeap is that asking them to divorce their LGBT identities from the argument is too much and I agree. It would be like asking you or I to respond to economic arguments without drawing on our perspective as women.

It seems to be that none of us want to have an SoP so open that it allows for raging, off-topic feuds but we do want to hear, digest, and debate issues from accepted feminist POVs (accepted as in academia includes them as feminist thought) rather than just sticking to the orthodoxy we personally accept. As I wrote somewhere else in this giant discussion, I'm baffled by many non 2nd wave feminist positions but I'm willing to hear the case in favor of them. I'm also straight but have had enough GLBT friends to know that I don't get it from their perspective on a number of issues unless and until we've had thoughtful discussions.

That's why I think our SoP needs to exhibit broad tolerance and our hosts should be those we trust to interpret the SoP in that spirit. Let me be clear though: if the group chooses to go with an SoP that I don't think is sufficiently inclusive I understand that I'm the one who needs to leave the group.