A Tale of Two Women in Black

As part of my ‘re-entry’ process, I have started to attend Women in Black vigils in Seattle. It’s very strange.

Women in Black—Seattle has a weekly vigil in Westlake Park, across the street from a downtown mall. (Not until I started attending this vigil did I realize that Seattle doesn’t really have a central place.) It’s small; I have been twice and it has been less than ten each time.

One of the things that I always found so interesting about Women in Black—Belgrade was that people would stop to watch us, even if all we were doing was holding signs and standing silently. The Seattle vigils remind me of why I thought that was so surprising. Passersby do not seem to care what we are about; they are too busy with their lives.

Women in Black—Belgrade is a full-fledged NGO that runs educational program and has lobbying activities. Women in Black—Seattle has a weekly vigil and monthly meeting, nothing more.

The most discomforting aspect of Women in Black—Seattle and a reason why I probably will not stick with them after my re-entry period ends is that they do allow men to join their vigils. I find the gender exclusivity element of feminist activism extremely distasteful. What’s the point of trying to improve things if half of the world is disqualified from participation in the struggle?

Besides, the comic book series that I am currently devouring about the world after a ‘gendercide’ that kills everything with a Y chromosome except one man and his monkey, further emphasizes the fact that men should be kept around.