Why aren't more women interested in the Red Tent movement?
I can't speak for other women, but I can answer on beha […]
I can't speak for other women, but I can answer on behalf of myself.
I know women who identify strongly with this kind of thinking, who feel empowered by a connection to Mother Earth, Demeter, the seasons, changing tides, and the cycles of the moon. They identify strongly with womanhood as a creative force. This type of movement, this identity, helps them to feel connected to other women, to the earth, and to life in general.
I was invited once to be a member of a pseudo-pagan group that held "moon parties," drank tea, read poetry, even chanted. They were quite kind, telling me that I didn't need to identify as pagan to be included, that they welcomed anyone who was "rather proud of her vagina."
But I didn't belong there. While they were all very cool women Custom PVC Tents ManufacturersI would have enjoyed hanging out with, I did not have the same regard for this type of thing as they did. As such, I didn't feel it would be respectful to participate. I am a very pragmatic person, and--while I honor their beliefs--it just isn't meaningful for me.
I believe that, in essence, much of this type of movement is centered on an ancient pattern of elevating women. The image of a fertility goddess or an archetypal understanding of feminine wisdom have long been a method of maintaining a certain type of power or status for women that they were often not afforded in the ancient world, and even more recently. For some contemporary women, this is their path to feeling strong, powerful, capable, of feeling like a part of a sisterhood. For me, it is a bit problematic, because I believe it contributes to the Othering of women. While it attempts to elevate women, it elevates them based upon an ancient and outdated idea of womanhood, and I think it is limiting. Not all women have a desire to procreate. Not all women are fertile. Not all womenMilitary tent menstruate. Not all women have vaginas. While I do not believe the primary intention of this movement is to be exclusive, it does effectively invalidate the womanhood of trans women, which is something I personally cannot condone.
So, while I in general support the aims of this type of movement, and certainly appreciate the historical implications of such thinking, I do believe it is outdated and the least direct path to empowering women as a whole. I don't condemn it, because I think anything that leads to women feeling empowered and in tune with their bodies is a good thing. I just believe that there are better ways.