We note that once again, with Chantal Millet (see text below), some lesbians have been driven without compunction from the LGBT Centre, Paris IDF. We deplore the lesbophobia, ageism and misogyny which, apparently without conscience, have infected the LGBT Paris Centre. This purge, accelerated over several months, must be recognised for what it is and the ‘L’ must be removed from the ‘GBT’, because lesbians have nothing to do with any of this. Lesbian feminist sisterhood for the Senioritas against this masculinist attack! [Thank you Gretchen & the other women for this translation]
Communique from the Senioritas
We are a group of cis lesbian women aged 55 and over. Our group is called the Senioritas and our activities take place mainly at the LGBTQIA+ Paris, Ile de France.
We used to have two nominated volunteers with a seat on the committee of the Centre. They liaised between the Centre and the Senioritas and for this purpose had a dedicated email address.
Following an email sent by a Seniorita which was considered to be transphobic, she received a warning from our representatives. Following this, she sent another email containing a communique from l’Observatoire de la Petite Sirene, a non-transphobic society. The Centre then excluded the Seniorita with no consultation. When some of us asked for her to be reinstated, the centre arbitrarily terminated access to the Senioritas’ email address and suspended participation at the Centre indefinitely.
The renewal of participation is conditional on the Centre’s requirements, including ‘training’ in the trans question by Outrans and Bi-cause, for all Senioritas, which we refuse.
This situation is unacceptable. These accusations of transphobia are unfounded. As senior lesbian women we have had to suffer discrimination, sexism and lesbophobia our whole lives. We did not experience all that to ourselves discriminate against anyone else.
We are capable of handling our differences, which are oppressive, to be women and lesbian in a world made for men and already difficult enough. Nevertheless, trans people seem to have the upper hand, and we wonder why.
We have nothing against trans people, whom we respect, we simply want to exercise our free will and not suffer injustices.
Each group within the Centre has the right to ask questions and to establish their relations with others as they understand it.
It is inconceivable that our group of cis lesbians should have to step aside for another group, also discriminated against. Women must be able to think and express themselves freely, without outside interventions.
The LGBTQIA+ Centre has the duty to protect and respect the character and differences of each group
Must women once again suffer the interference of men on their ways of thinking? This is no longer acceptable in this day and age. Some of the militants among us have fought all our lives without discriminating against anyone.
We demand that the place of cis lesbians be protected, respected, recognised and legitimised within the LGBTQIA+ Centre.
The acronym LGBTQIA+ contains the letter L, distinct from the letter T. Otherwise, we question the legitimacy of keeping the letter L in the acronym.
Pending clarification from the officials of the LGBTQIA+ Centre, the Senioritas group (senior lesbians) withdraw from the Centre, no longer feeling welcome there.
Outing at the Paris LGBT Centre
A statement from lesbian feminist Chantal Millet (summer 2022)
Far from being a place where the whole LGBT community could meet, the LGBT centre champions pro-trans, pro prostitution and pro surrogacy positions. Any dissenting point of view, particularly lesbian and feminist, is suppressed and gagged.
A member of the centre since its inauguration in 1994, and a volunteer since 2012 in the VDF (Vendredi des Femmes/Women’s Friday) women-only space, Chantal Millet jointly signed an open letter from Marie-Jo Bonnet denouncing the pervasive presence of transactivists and erasure of lesbians.
“In response, the centre issued a statement citing me by name and describing me as transphobe. I am outraged by this naming and shaming when the centre should respect the anonymity of its members. Any criticism of trans ideology is immediately censored.
As a lesbian and feminist I am no longer comfortable in a framework controlled by gays and transactivists. The protection of a safe space reserved for women born as women is under threat from the entryism of transactivists.
The situation of women questioning their sexual orientation is completely disregarded in the interests of the recognition of the femininity of trans [-identified males], even though some have not given up their masculine habits, mansplaining and male gaze”.
Résistance Lesbienne 