#The labrys library

[thelabryslibrary]

Tamsyn Muir really said Exhume Your Gays and we all grabbed a shovel

[ragnars-tooth]

Newww icon (butch tam farrell hours)

More my flag than tam’s but he can have a little gender as a treat on occasion

[morphic-mythos]

DIVINA OBSCURA: a personal Hellenic library

Disclaimer: this post is a perpetual WIP, serving as an archive of all the books I've read on topics of Hellenic polytheism, mythology, ancient Greek history, and similar topics.

This is by no means a list of recommendations (in fact, there are some titles on this list I wouldn't recommend), but feel free to treat it that way if you're looking for suggestions!

Other reading masterlists:

ARCANA OBSCURA: a personal occult library

TRIVIA OBSCURA: books to honor Hekate

CLASSICS

The Odyssey, Homer

MYTHOLOGY

Mythos, Stephen Fry

Mythology, Edith Hamilton

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth, Natalie Haynes

HELLENIC RELIGION

Ancient Greek Religion, Jon D. Mikalson

Ancient Greek Divination, Sarah Iles Johnston

GREEK HISTORY

Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens, Robin Waterfield

MODERN WORSHIP

Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, Labrys

Hellenismos: Practicing Greek Polytheism Today, Tony Mierzwicki

In Praise of Olympus: Prayers to the Greek Gods, Hearthstone

A Year of Pagan Prayer, Barbara Nolan

Secrets of Greek Mysticism, George Lizos

THEURGY

The Practical Art of Divine Magic, Patrick Dunn

For the Love of the Gods, Brandy Williams

[dyke-tm]

Yellow with green text, "An Army of Lovers Shall Not Fail" and green labrys.

Collection: 

Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute

From Wearing Gay History Archive

[khaire-traveler]

Hey. Do you maybe have some books you'd recommend? And how did you learn?

Hey, Nonny!

For books, most modern ones I am in the process of reading or I have in my "to read" list. Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by Labrys is one that I've mentioned a few times now. I'm still in the process of getting through it, but it's interesting so far! For another modern book, I've been told Greek Religion by Walter Burkert is good, but it's still on my "to read" list. I've also been told Hellenismos by Tony Mierzwicki is good for beginners, but apparently isn't the best if you're already pretty acquainted with Greek polytheism. It's something that is also on my "to read" list, though I'm not too interested in it after hearing it's not as good to read as an experienced practitioner. A modern book I'm really excited to start reading is Worshipping Olympus by Hester Butler! I haven't seen many people talk about it, but it's a book with various modern hymns to the Greek pantheon. I hope I can check it out soon!

Regarding ancient sources (which I love reading the most), here's what I've got. If you're interested in magic, I suggest reading the Greek Magical Papyri which has a ton of useful knowledge regarding ancient Greek magic. The ancient books I've enjoyed the most so far have been The Iliad (Homer), The Odyssey (Homer), Theogony (Hesiod), The Library of Greek Mythology (Apollodorus), and The Bacchae (Euripedes). I tend to enjoy reading ancient plays, too, although I suppose they don't technically count as books, I guess. Also, I haven't read it, but I've been told Works And Days (Hesiod) has some good devotional pieces included in it; I'm not entirely sure how accurate that is, however. Not books, but I also really enjoyed reading the Homeric and Orphic hymns to the gods! The Orphic hymns are my favorite due to their poetic phrasing.

As for how I got my education, it's mostly from four years of experience and research. I do quite a lot of research (lots done in the beginning of my practice but still doing so today) and have read many historically educational articles. I'm friends with quite a few classics and history majors as well which definitely helped lol. I mostly focused on the historical side of things (ancient resources) first and foremost when gathering information, as I find it to be more trustworthy. I've learned that the best way to avoid misinformation tends to be looking into the original sources yourself, to the best of your ability. Doing so has saved me a lot of time and headaches. I'd recommend anyone to do the same.

I'm not sure if this is what you were looking for or interested in, but I hope this helps! I know more about historical books and sources than modern ones, so I'd recommend asking @teawiththegods , who has read and discussed many modern books, if that's more your style. Hope you enjoy my recommendations anyway. c: Have a good day/night! 🧡

[djuvlipen]

♀️latscho diwes djuviale♀️

💞 I made this blog to highlight the specific struggles Romani women face based on our sex, our race and our class

💞 I'm anti-gender, anti-sex trade, anti-religion, anti-capitalist

💞 I support women's and LGB rights. My feminism is female only!

💞 I'm a half-sinti, half-white working class homosexual woman living in Western Europe

BEFORE YOU BLOCK ME, READ THIS: x

FAQ, BOOKS AND RESOURCES BELOW

General / Frequently asked questions

-> Difference between Roma and Romanian (x)

-> Difference between Roma and Sinti (x)

-> My profile picture is from De la source à la mer (1984), by Sinti-Manouche filmmaker and writer Pisla Helmstetter

-> My banner is from The Gypsies are Found Near Heaven (1975), by Emil Loteanu

Posts on the racialized misogyny targeting Romani women

-> general masterpost (x)

-> posts on Romani women being sex trafficked into prostitution in Europe (x) (x)

-> posts on the forced sterilization of Romani women in Europe (x) (x) (x) (x)

-> post on healthcare discrimination (x)

-> incest, sexual and domestic violence targeting Eastern European Romani women (x) (x)

-> Roma, religion and misogyny (x)

-> On "Gypsy witches" (x)

Inspiring Romani women you should know about

-> autobiographies by Romani women (x)

-> Sandra Jayat, French-Romani painter and poet (x)

-> Katarina Taikon, Swedish-Romani writer and antiracist activist (x) (x)

-> Elena Gorolova, Czech-Romani women's rights advocate (x)

-> Jelena Savić, Serbian-Romani feminist, poet and essayist (x)

-> Tela-Tchaï, French-Romani actress (x)

-> Amoun Sleem, Palestinian-Domari antiracist activist and feminist (x)

-> Philomena Franz, German-Romani Holocaust survivor and writer (x)

-> Vera Kurtić, Serbian-Romani lesbian feminist (x)

-> Kiba Lumberg, Finnish-Romani and butch lesbian artist (x)

-> Zilli Schmidt, German-Romani Holocaust survivor (x)

-> "15 Bad ass Romani ladies you should know about" (x)

-> Romani herstory, an "ever-growing digital library that celebrates women of Romani descent from the past and present, unsung heroines & trailblazers who refuse(d) to conform to stereotypes"

Romani feminist writings

-> Intersections of Gender, Ethnicity, and Class: History and Future of the Romani Women’s Movement, by Jelena Jovanović, Angéla Kóczé, and Lídia Balogh (x)

-> Gender, Ethnicity and Class: Romani Women's Political Activism and Social Struggles, Angéla Kóczé (x)

-> Lessons from Roma Feminism in Europe: Digital Storytelling Projects with Roma Women Activists from Romania, Spain and Sweden, Jasmine Ljungberg (x)

-> Romani women’s identities real and imagined: Media discourse analysis of “I’m a European Roma Woman” campaign, Jelena Jovanović (x)

-> Džuvljarke: Roma Lesbian Existence, Vera Kurtić (x)

-> Re-envisioning Social Justice from the Ground Up: Including the Experiences of Romani Women, Alexandra Oprea (x)

-> Angéla Kóczé on the hijacking of the Romani feminist and antiracist movement by neoliberal groups (x) (x)

-> Mihaela Drăgan on the racialization of Romani women (x)

-> quotes from Romani feminist books (x)

Learn about the Romani genocide

-> general post (x)

The Genocide and Persecution of Roma and Sinti. Bibliography and Historiographical Review (x)

Roma Resistance During the Holocaust and in its Aftermath, Angéla Kóczé, Anna Lujza Szász (eds.) (x)

O Porrajmos: the Romani Holocaust, Ian Hancock (x)

Porrajmos: The Romani and the Holocaust, Ian Hancock (x)

Responses to the Porrajmos (the Romani Holocaust), Ian Hancock (x)

Barvalipe Roma Online University (playlist of lectures about many different aspects of Romani history, politics and culture) (x)

Romani slavery in Romania

Brief overview (x)

Alternatives to the labrys flag

(first design by @/sapphos-darling)

[loemius]

hi! just wanna say that your blog looks super interesting and i'm glad i came across it 😊 i'm wondering if you have any advice for someone new getting into hellenic polytheism. i have been really delving into my views on spirituality and religion for the first time in my life over the past year. i've been venerating Hekate a lot because of the deep calling i feel towards her. i've been thinking more and more about properly worshipping the other gods in the pantheon as well. i've always been very interested in all the mythology too. it feels right to start on so many levels but i am also so nervous at the same time :')

khaire!! thank you very much for your ask!! i'm very touched that you enjoy my blog so much and would ask for my advice. i'd love to give you some, with the caveat that i am absolutely not an expert or an authority and still have a lot to learn myself. i'm literally just a guy who loves the theoi a lot and does my best to worship them and honor them. this got very long so im gonna put this under a cut

first, i would encourage you to work past your nervousness. remember that historically speaking, children worshipped the theoi! there's plenty of evidence of this, from the rituals that youths would do as they became adults (such as cutting a lock of hair and offering it to the river [see iliad book 23 and pausanias 2.32.1 for primary sources on this, as a starting point]) or epithets like kourotropos (roughly translated to 'child nurturer', many theoi have this epithet, including hekate!). don't be scared of them. the theoi are gracious and good, and imo, they're very understanding. when i first started out, i prayed and basically said 'i'm new to this, i want to jump in and do my best, but i'm still learning. please be gentle and understanding to me as i embark on this path, and please guide me to worship you as you see fit.' i think being upfront about it really helps. i see a lot of people say that they want to worship but don't feel like they've done enough research or aren't ready for whatever reason. but you also have to start somewhere, and experience is a valuable tool on this path. it enriches your research to be doing it with a purpose, imo. you have to start somewhere yknow? as long as you're respectful, the theoi will be understanding, imo. i would highly, HIGHLY suggest you spend a lot of time researching. theoi.com is an invaluable resource. i also suggest perseus.edu, which is a digital library that has a wide collection of primary sources, including the epics and plays. i personally suggest the homeric hymns as a starting point, as most of them are rather short and approachable and make fantastic prayers to read aloud. i also suggest reading the epics and plays if you're able. secondary sources are also good. greek religion by walter burkert is a good source. i also suggest understanding greek religion by jennifer larson. people have a lot of divisive opinions on this one, but i think household worship by labrys can be a helpful source for what to do when it actually comes to doing your own worship and rituals. i also like hellenion as a source. use your discretion and critical thinking with all these sources. no one source is perfect. compare and contrast, look for biases, cross check. also, get interdisciplinary with it! look into theology, archeology, anthropology, philosophy, classics. don't be afraid to look in multiple places for information to piece it all together.

another suggestion i have is to spend some time immersing yourself in greek culture, both ancient and modern. religion and culture are deeply intertwined, and understanding the specific ways in which greeks view things will help you greatly. and look outside of greece too! ancient greece had a lot of contact with other areas of the world like italy, the middle east, and egypt, even india, and this absolutely influenced the religion and culture. be respectful to mediterranean people, and listen and elevate their voices. i very much like the blogs @/gemsofgreece and @/alatismeni-theitsa. you're not just learning about a religion, but an entire culture that still exists in the world today. here's my general worship advice: cleansing is important, but it doesn't have to be anything more than washing your hands before an offering or ritual. if you have a space for the theoi, try to keep it clean. offerings can be as simple or grand as you like. i find a lot of beauty in the simple things. a glass of water or sharing a meal goes a LONG way. clean, fresh water was a very coveted thing in the ancient world, so sharing a glass of water is honestly one of my favorite offerings. you can share your meal by praying over it and inviting the theoi to eat the steam/smells of the meal, or you could set aside a little plate for them if you wanted to (NOTE: traditionally, it is considered taboo to share offerings with kthonic deities. they were traditionally buried, and libations were poured onto the ground. in the modern day, i think setting things aside to be appropriately disposed of later or pouring things down the drain can be an acceptable substitute. its fine to share with ouranic deities!). really, just find little ways to involve them in your day to day life. pray. pray a lot, about anything, big or small. express gratitude to the theoi for the things you appreciate in your life, and share your struggles with them. it doesn't have to be formal (but it should be respectful). nurture your connections with the theoi and allow them to nurture you right back. do not feel obligated to share every part of your practice, especially online. keeping things to yourself or a close group of trusted friends can really be beneficial to you. truthfully i only post like .5% of my practice on this website. inherently, polytheistic practice in the modern day is a very personal practice. what might be a sign to you might not be to others. imo, the theoi reach out to us in ways that make sense to us, with the context and knowledge we have available, and that means its not always going to make sense to others. your practice should be for you and nobody else.

when it comes down to it, i suppose my advice is simple. research and just reach out. realize you're going to make mistakes sometimes (i have!) but as long as you have good intentions and respect the theoi, you'll be just fine. mistakes are a part of growing. don't beat yourself up over them -- use them as an opportunity to learn. we're only human, and the gods know this. your practice is going to change as you develop relationships with the theoi and learn more about them. things you might have resonated with at one point might not hit the same later on down the road, and thats okay! embrace that as a feature of polytheism, not a flaw. i realize i've given a lot of advice and this can be rather overwhelming. i've given you multiple places to start researching, and i absolutely was overwhelmed (and still am sometimes) with just how much information is out there. that is a blessing in hellenic polytheism. not every polytheistic religion has that wealth of information available, so take advantage of it, but do it in a way that's approachable for you. since you're interested in hekate, i would highly suggest you start with looking into deipnon . tldr its a monthly holiday on the new moon that honors hekate and her role in leading spirits, as well as purification for a new month. cleaning and purification of your home, food offerings, and charity acts are all great ways to honor this holiday. from there, you can easily incorporate noumenia and agaithos daimon (holidays to celebrate the beginning of a new month, usually devoted to zeus and other household gods such as apollon). ive really went off on a tangent here, so i'll cut myself off here. thank you again for asking a fantastic question, and i hope my answer can be of assistance to you and anyone else who might be in your position. may the gods bless you and look after you, and guide you with a kind hand as you embark on this journey. and have a great day and a fantastic meal friend <3

[bravelittlescrib]

>be me, moderately attractive female undergrad working in the math collections department of the university library

>usually seen as heterosexual bc no one notices the labrys necklace and Venus sign earrings and gay/lesbian flags plastered all over my person and belongings

>make conversation with people bc I’m chatty, I like talking to people about their research

>every single week I am asked to dinner by a different socially awkward male physics major and have to awkwardly reject them

[caestusvulpes]

The thing I'm most interested in exploring with part2kari is her intense self hatred and grapple with both her humanity and mental health, comparing and contrasting what having a support system can do for someone struggling vs. not having one, and soooo many more themes. If you thought dckari was fucked up in the head oh my god dude you don't even know the half of it.

A lot of key differences involve doing things alone for most of her life. Wandering as a vampire, living off what animals she could catch and even sometimes stealing blood from hospitals when she needed it, keeping all those negative emotions bottled up so she didn't deliberately hurt anyone with immense willpower, ect. She didn't have her Stand, so she was alone even in her darkest moments-- not even having a fighting spirit to guide her or aid her when needed. She went into Soft Cell completely alone, endured its trials alone, and took a lifetime from Sinclair alone, and felt the sun on her skin for the first time in 3 years alone. She cut herself off from her family out of shame of what she'd become, even if she had no say in the how, why, or what. This amount of isolation is crushing for someone who's only 21. LaBrie haunted her memories as the vampire who turned her, and no amount of searching for vampires' origins could give her any information besides a handful of occult books she studied in local libraries at night as a drifter, or one odd isolated case in England fifty years prior where, allegedly, there was an undead onslaught in a small town.

Where partflexible hikari had things happen to her in a similarish fashion ( attacked by labrie twice, turning into a vampire for three years, developing her stand after a short illness post first-labrie, soft cell's entire shit ) she HAD people. She knew people. She had Tenmei and Yukako and Astrid and Sadzi and whoever else she met along the way that lead her away from destructive impulses and within six years of being around she has a stable career as a Stand user agent in the Foundation within a wonderful community.

part2kari doesn't have that support. She left home just shy of 18 to be independent, was turned for her trouble, and apent those 3 years researching what had become of her, and how to cure it. Nearly obsessively. She succeeded at the cost of a part of her she'll never get back. Soft Cell shows someone their worst possible traumas to soldier through and claim their cure, and this mental torture was what claimed so many lives for the Stand to draw on. Hikari persevered out of sheer force of will, even as her body slowly lost the curse as she progressed. By the final chamber, she was weak, exhausted, and in pain. Hikari hadn't felt legitimately fatigued in the whole time she was a vampire, and here she was, clutching the wispy and intangible chains of gold pierced through her heart and panting and sweaty, feeling her fangs piercing her bottom lip as she tried to fight and not keel over from the sheer oppressive weight in that room.

And then, release. She's outside, stepping out from under the trees all by herself and no one to share in that victory with. It feels remarkably hollow as she stands there, hand encased in light and not searing in agony. Why don't I feel better? This should have fixed me.

I have a lot of thoughts abt her.

[thelabryslibrary]

Dorian Gray being able to get away with all of THAT just proves that pretty privilege is real. My guy literally committed MURDER and everyone's response is basically "ah ha ha what a little scamp. you're too handsome to be evil uwu"

If little bro looked like his portrait, old and decrepit in the attic, it would be game OVER. People would try to have him arrested for talking to them. DJs would cut the music when he walked into a bar. Neighbors would try to get the local HOA to throw him out for violating community standards or something. My man would have to move under cover of night. He would have to operate in the shadows. He would NOT be getting laid. Really makes you think.

[metalshockfinland]

STRANGER VISION Release New Single + Video 'Nothing Really Matters', Feat. James LaBrie

Photo: Annalisa Russo – Location: Estense University Library of Modena, courtesy of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBAC). Stranger Vision just released their new single Nothing Really Matters featuring James LaBrie from Dream Theater. There are moments in a man’s life when everything he believed to know dissolves. Not due to a mistake, but because, at the end of the long…

[korrasamibottles]

andy's axe is called a "labrys", and it's a weapon that was used by the amazons... also, she's sapphic in the comics (she and the woman who was lost in the ocean were lovers) -- hopefully netflix has the guts to depict this in the sequel that's being made

THANK YOU!!! Wow yeah the movie did not make the sapphic part clear....like at all...I feel like that would've helped the audience understand Andy's grief better but what do I know lmao. Anyway I have the comics on hold at the library I'm very excited!

[obtenebrate]

i feel so special when i tag a post with a very specific yet funny labrys scenario and the committee all turn up to like the post. feels like i just stood up in a meeting at work and tentatively suggested something and my boss has clapped me on the back like good work kid! amazing

[khaire-traveler]

Do you need signs from hellenic deities or is there any chance that they will not work with you??

I've heard Artemis is picky with who she works with but then again, unreliable source because tiktok 🚶‍♂️

Hey, Nonny!

Genuinely, I would not take any advice or listen to TikTok pagans or polytheists in the slightest. Misinformation is spread rampantly there, and people often make ridiculous claims. I would just disregard it completely, if I'm going to be honest. I don't think I've ever learned anything helpful from there. I'm not shaming you for finding information there, though, just so you know! It's hard to know which sources to trust when it comes to such a freedom-based religion.

That said, you don't need signs from deities - in general - to start worshipping them. I only engage in deity worship (which I honestly think still includes "work"; deities still help you improve on specific aspects of your life through worshipping them), but I've personally not met a deity who is unwilling to receive worship or veneration. My biggest piece of advice to you is to just jump right into it! What do you have to lose by reaching out? Remember that deities are the protection from evil, not the cause of it. There aren't any negative consequences for simply reaching out.

That said, however, if you want more certainty before beginning, I recommend looking into different divination methods. This is the best way, imo, to receive a direct answer from a deity. It allows for back and forth conversation, oftentimes, as well which is undeniably useful. I recommend simply reaching out and asking the deity in question if they're interested, if it bothers you a lot.

In my experience with Artemis, btw, she has not been picky. She seems to be very welcoming and has always been kind to me, even looking out for and protecting me from danger. She is extremely compassionate (I believe she actually has something similar to "Kind" or "Compassionate" as one of her epithets) and tends to be very nurturing, in my experience. I recommend simply reaching out. I see no harm in doing so.

Also, if you'd like some good resources on Hellenic deities and worship, I highly recommend the book Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by Labrys. I also recommend looking into ancient works, such as Theogony by Hesiod or The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus. These can simply inform you on the culture and myths surrounding the gods, though I would not interpret them literally personally. I've also heard Artemis by Stephanie Budin is good, though I haven't read it myself. I've simply heard this from other worshippers of Artemis. As for online resources, as always, Theoi.com is a great place to find very basic information about Artemis as a goddess. It doesn't include much worship information, but you can likely find out more traditional ways of worship by looking into her ancient cults, if that interests you.

If any of my followers know of any good resources on Artemis, please feel free to let me know! I'd love to give Nonny a solid place to start.

I hope this helps! I wish you luck on your new journey. I wish you well! Take care, and have a good day/night. 🧡

[coochiequeens]

But they just want to pee in peace 🙄

Female students at one of Latin America’s top Universities say trans activists staged a coup of a single-sex washroom on their campus, and have left some gender critical women and lesbians fearing for their lives.

On August 24, feminist students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) were confronted by trans activists as they painted a lesbian pride symbol on a wall near the Samuel Ramos Library. Speaking to Reduxx, a witness who prefers to remain anonymous said that the activists began hurling verbal abuse at the women who were painting the lesbian labrys.

“They called them TERFs, colonial fascists, and transphobes,” the source says, noting that shortly after, additional activists from the Queer groups on campus joined in to harass the female students. The women desperately tried to appease the crowd by talking with those who were outraged.

“The women tried to engage in a dialogue, but found that the trans activists only wanted them to paint a symbol for lesbianism they agreed with.”

Shortly after, as a result of the lesbian symbol that had been painted, the trans students reportedly declared that they “did not feel safe” on the campus and went to administrators to demand a gender-neutral washroom be established in that area. 

While administrators agreed to create one, the students did not wait for it to be designated. Less than 24 hours later, the activists took over the largest female restroom, which was on the second floor of the Faculty of Philosophy.

As part of their symbolic coup, the activists vandalized the walls outside of the washroom with anti-feminist and pro-sex trade graffiti.

“Less abolitionism, more whoring,” and “less TERFs, more sex” were among the slogans painted outside of the washroom. The “female” bathroom designation was also erased and replaced with “gender neutral.” 

The source within the school says that the washroom that had been seized had once been considered one of the safest for women on the campus. Sexual assaults at UNAM are so common that the University recently had to install emergency buttons inside of the cubicles of women’s washrooms. 

As a result of lack of safe alternatives, as well as a reluctance to give into the demands of the trans activists, female students have continued to use the washroom, but now report lengthy wait-times and queues as male students have also taken to using the “gender neutral” facility due to its size and convenience.

In response to the bathroom putsch, some feminist students on campus attempted to mark the washroom with their own graffiti. 

Photos from inside the washroom taken last week show some feminist slogans have been written on the mirrors and walls. One reads: “if you want a unisex washroom, take it from the men! Don’t violate women’s spaces,” while another asks the activists to respect the rights of female minority students.

But other photos snapped inside show violent threats have now emerged, directed at the women. One, which was menacingly placed near an assault crisis button, reads: “rape and death for TERFs.”

Feminist students reportedly tried to make the University aware of the threatening graffiti, and documented its location for administrators to have it cleaned up, but the University claimed it “couldn’t find” the violent slogans despite it being marked by the women.

The source within UNAM reported to Reduxx that administration has been ordering the removal of the feminist graffiti, but allowed those made by trans activists to remain up, including the death and rape threats. 

In a statement issued on August 26, the University appeared to express support for the trans activists who had taken over the female washroom while condemning those expressing “discrimination” towards them.

“The technical council … agreed to categorically condemn any expression of hate, violence, or discrimination towards gender-diverse students,” the statement read. “This is no place for those who undermine the human rights of people who make up our community.”

Apparently emboldened by the University’s lack of action, trans activists have been targeting lesbian and feminist students in an effort to intimidate them. Gender critical women on the campus who have tried to organize formal protests against the seizure of the washroom have been faced with harassment.

“They have begun a witch hunt against lesbian feminists who belong to student organizations,” the source at the University told Reduxx. She continued that female students known to be opposed to trans activism are being particularly targeted.

“They follow [us] to the bathrooms, hoping to find [us] red-handed painting graffiti,” the anonymous source says. “They want to silence us, it is a witch hunt.”

Commenting on the incident, Women’s Declaration International Mexico representative Laura Lecuona expressed outrage at what has happened on the UNAM campus.

“UNAM, and in particular the Faculty of Philosophy, has been a breeding ground for transgender policies for years,” Lecuona tells Reduxx. “In recent months, the violence of different anti-women groups has increased. They have impunity, with the active and passive complicity of [University] authorities.”

Lecuona says the University has been actively imposing gender ideology on students, and that there has been multiple incidents of trans activists on the campus forcing the administration’s hand under threat of unrest. Lecuona explains that earlier this year, trans activists on the campus demanded that a video explaining the difference between sex and gender be deleted from the University’s systems.

“It seems that the authorities are terrified,” Lecuona says. “They make it very clear who they want to protect. Time and again, [UNAM] has shown that their campuses and faculties are not safe spaces for women.”

Lecuona alludes to the statement issued by the University, and asserts that while administration is buckling to the demands of the trans activists, feminists and lesbians on the UNAM campus have been showing tremendous resolve in the face institutional condemnation.

“Under the passive gaze of those who should be protecting our freedom… our bodies are attacked and our words are attacked. If the authorities are afraid, feminists will not be.”

Trans activism is closely related to pro-sex trade activism in Mexico. In July, a transgender politician aggressively disrupted a government conference aimed at tackling human trafficking after becoming offended at the implications abolitionist policies would have on trans “sex workers.”

Maria Clemente, a trans-identified male politician elected to Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies last year, called the suggestion that the sex trade be abolished for the protection of women and children “hate speech.” To a critic, Clemente said: “I am a woman, and I am a whore!  It’s my job and and how my family eats! I love it!”

Sex-based violence against women in Mexico is considered to be among the highest in the world, with the country’s femicide rate continuing to rise even as the general homicide rate falls. 85% of human trafficking victims in the country are female, with women and girls overrepresented in every form of the crime, including organ trafficking, forced prostitution, and labor exploitation.

By Nuria Muíña Garcia Nuria is a news contributor and the head of Spanish translation for Reduxx. Nuria is a passionate advocate for the rights of women and girls, and seeks to connect feminists across borders. A Spanish native, Nuria currently lives in Switzerland.

[bumblee-stumblee]

ByNuria Muíña Garcia

September 10, 2022

Female students at one of Latin America’s top Universities say trans activists staged a coup of a single-sex washroom on their campus, and have left some gender critical women and lesbians fearing for their lives.

On August 24, feminist students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) were confronted by trans activists as they painted a lesbian pride symbol on a wall near the Samuel Ramos Library. Speaking to Reduxx, a witness who prefers to remain anonymous said that the activists began hurling verbal abuse at the women who were painting the lesbian labrys.

“They called them TERFs, colonial fascists, and transphobes,” the source says, noting that shortly after, additional activists from the Queer groups on campus joined in to harass the female students. The women desperately tried to appease the crowd by talking with those who were outraged.

“The women tried to engage in a dialogue, but found that the trans activists only wanted them to paint a symbol for lesbianism they agreed with.”

Shortly after, as a result of the lesbian symbol that had been painted, the trans students reportedly declared that they “did not feel safe” on the campus and went to administrators to demand a gender-neutral washroom be established in that area.

While administrators agreed to create one, the students did not wait for it to be designated. Less than 24 hours later, the activists took over the largest female restroom, which was on the second floor of the Faculty of Philosophy.

As part of their symbolic coup, the activists vandalized the walls outside of the washroom with anti-feminist and pro-sex trade graffiti.

“Less abolitionism, more whoring,” and “less TERFs, more sex” were among the slogans painted outside of the washroom. The “female” bathroom designation was also erased and replaced with “gender neutral.”

The source within the school says that the washroom that had been seized had once been considered one of the safest for women on the campus. Sexual assaults at UNAM are so common that the University recently had to install emergency buttons inside of the cubicles of women’s washrooms.

As a result of lack of safe alternatives, as well as a reluctance to give into the demands of the trans activists, female students have continued to use the washroom, but now report lengthy wait-times and queues as male students have also taken to using the “gender neutral” facility due to its size and convenience.

In response to the bathroom putsch, some feminist students on campus attempted to mark the washroom with their own graffiti.

Photos from inside the washroom taken last week show some feminist slogans have been written on the mirrors and walls. One reads: “if you want a unisex washroom, take it from the men! Don’t violate women’s spaces,” while another asks the activists to respect the rights of female minority students.

But other photos snapped inside show violent threats have now emerged, directed at the women. One, which was menacingly placed near an assault crisis button, reads: “rape and death for TERFs.”

Feminist students reportedly tried to make the University aware of the threatening graffiti, and documented its location for administrators to have it cleaned up, but the University claimed it “couldn’t find” the violent slogans despite it being marked by the women.

The source within UNAM reported to Reduxx that administration has been ordering the removal of the feminist graffiti, but allowed those made by trans activists to remain up, including the death and rape threats.

In a statement issued on August 26, the University appeared to express support for the trans activists who had taken over the female washroom while condemning those expressing “discrimination” towards them.

“The technical council … agreed to categorically condemn any expression of hate, violence, or discrimination towards gender-diverse students,” the statement read. “This is no place for those who undermine the human rights of people who make up our community.”

An August 26 statement from the Faculty.

Apparently emboldened by the University’s lack of action, trans activists have been targeting lesbian and feminist students in an effort to intimidate them. Gender critical women on the campus who have tried to organize formal protests against the seizure of the washroom have been faced with harassment.

“They have begun a witch hunt against lesbian feminists who belong to student organizations,” the source at the University told Reduxx. She continued that female students known to be opposed to trans activism are being particularly targeted.

“They follow [us] to the bathrooms, hoping to find [us] red-handed painting graffiti,” the anonymous source says. “They want to silence us, it is a witch hunt.”

Commenting on the incident, Women’s Declaration International Mexico representative Laura Lecuona expressed outrage at what has happened on the UNAM campus.

“UNAM, and in particular the Faculty of Philosophy, has been a breeding ground for transgender policies for years,” Lecuona tells Reduxx. “In recent months, the violence of different anti-women groups has increased. They have impunity, with the active and passive complicity of [University] authorities.”

Lecuona says the University has been actively imposing gender ideology on students, and that there has been multiple incidents of trans activists on the campus forcing the administration’s hand under threat of unrest. Lecuona explains that earlier this year, trans activists on the campus demanded that a video explaining the difference between sex and gender be deleted from the University’s systems.

“It seems that the authorities are terrified,” Lecuona says. “They make it very clear who they want to protect. Time and again, [UNAM] has shown that their campuses and faculties are not safe spaces for women.”

Lecuona alludes to the statement issued by the University, and asserts that while administration is buckling to the demands of the trans activists, feminists and lesbians on the UNAM campus have been showing tremendous resolve in the face institutional condemnation.

“Under the passive gaze of those who should be protecting our freedom… our bodies are attacked and our words are attacked. If the authorities are afraid, feminists will not be.”

Trans activism is closely related to pro-sex trade activism in Mexico. In July, a transgender politician aggressively disrupted a government conference aimed at tackling human trafficking after becoming offended at the implications abolitionist policies would have on trans “sex workers.”

Maria Clemente, a trans-identified male politician elected to Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies last year, called the suggestion that the sex trade be abolished for the protection of women and children “hate speech.” To a critic, Clemente said: “I am a woman, and I am a whore! It’s my job and and how my family eats! I love it!”

Sex-based violence against women in Mexico is considered to be among the highest in the world, with the country’s femicide rate continuing to rise even as the general homicide rate falls. 85% of human trafficking victims in the country are female, with women and girls overrepresented in every form of the crime, including organ trafficking, forced prostitution, and labor exploitation.