Tell Planned Parenthood To Support Women’s Sexual Autonomy

March 20, 2012 · by · in Blame Canada · 5 Comments
Planned Parenthood Toronto is helping to sponsor a March 31 conference in Toronto that includes a workshop inviting participants to discuss and strategize ways they might be able to “overcome” women’s objections to these participants’ sexual advances.  We believe that no means no, that a woman’s right to say “no” to sex at any time is sacrosanct and that no explanations should ever be requested because none is ever necessary.   The name of the workshop proposed is “Overcoming the Cotton Ceiling:  Breaking Down Sexual Barriers for Queer Trans Women.”  The workshop facilitator has defined the “Cotton Ceiling” as follows:

The cotton ceiling is a theory proposed to explain the experiences queer trans women have with simultaneous social inclusion and sexual exclusion within the broader queer women’s communities. Basically, it means that cis queer women will be friends with us and talk day and night about trans rights and ending transmisogyny, but will still not consider us viable sexual partners.

The term cotton ceiling is a reference to the “glass ceiling” that second wave feminist identified in the workforce, wherein women could only advance so high in the workforce but could not break through into positions of power and authority. The cotton represents underwear, signifying sex.

Please sign this petition and ask Planned Parenthood to withdraw their support from this workshop and to continue their legacy of support for women’s sexual autonomy.
Information about the conference can be found here.

5 comments

  1. Andrea Rosenfield · ·

    A workshop on how to pressure unwilling women into having unwanted sex, and trying to modify sexual orientation? That doesn’t sound like Planned Parenthood, it sounds like their political enemies.

    It’s so absurd, I wonder… is there any independent confirmation that Planned Parenthood Toronto is actually doing this? I can’t find a thing about it on their website. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place?

  2. bugbrennan · ·

    Hey Andrea – See http://pleasureandpossibilities.com/. The workshop is also sponsored by the Sherbourne Health Centre, home of the famous meanie Xander Sarkisova. You can read about him here http://bugbrennan.com/2012/03/14/silence-continues-from-sherbourne-health-centre/ and here http://gendertrender.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/whats-up-with-toronto-sherbourne-health-center-threatening-lesbians/

  3. Andrea Rosenfield · ·

    Hi again Cathy!

    OMFG, this is REAL? I was hoping to call out a hoax, now I feel like I’ve been spun in a circle. My family does not donate to PP to teach men how to pressure women into having sex that they don’t want to have! As soon as I regain my sense of equilibrium, they’ll be hearing from me too.

    As I’m writing this, the phone company just delivered a new phone book. Inside, I will find an alphabetized list of tens of thousands of people, most of whom probably do not want to have sex with me. I will somehow manage to get through the rest of my day without feeling “oppressed” by this.

    Thank you for the background linkies. I’m so sorry the kooks are harassing you again.

    1. bugbrennan · ·

      Naw, we ladies are pretty smart at the figuring out the stuff. Hope you are well. xoxoxox

      1. Andrea Rosenfield · ·

        Yes, yes you are. Wow did you ever sniff out a doozie on this one. Sorry to have seemed like I doubted you, it was pure incredulity.

        Doing great out here, thanks. Life is good. Hope it’s the same for you.

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