A Twitter message about spitting led Towson lawyer and lesbian advocate Cathy Brennan to file for a peace order against a transgender advocate. Phylicia Sampson, a 28-year-old Baltimore resident, and Brennan, 42, were engaged in a heated debate on the social media site when Sampson wrote that she wanted to spit in Brennan's face. Baltimore County District Court Judge Barbara Jung ordered Sampson to stay away from Brennan's home and place of employment, and to cease contact, according to the peace order. The order expires June 9. Source: Twitter Battle Between Lesbian, Transgender Advocates Leads to Court Order - Essex-Middle River, MD Patch What the article fails to mention is that Brennan has a history of finding trans women all around the country and outing them to their schools, friends, family, bosses, and co-workers. Phylicia responded to this and attempted to reason with her. When it became clear that Brennan's mind would not be changed, then she became passionate and said something she shouldn't. Brannan refuses to accept the gender identity of others, publicly humiliates trans people, and promotes the idea that women are unsafe with trans women in female facilities. She represents a surprising majority within the lesbian part of our community. They believe that I wouldn't be allowed in women's restrooms or even call myself a lesbian. I'm still surprised at the apathy the LGB has for the T.
Cathy Brennan is a bigot and down right bitch; I cannot stand anything that comes out of her stupid mouth.
Don't invest any anger toward her. If you read more of what she says, there's very little intelligence, substance, or consistency. She's obviously not the brightest bulb in the box, and thus her virulent misandry comes out in the form of intolerance toward all kinds of groups. Edit: her rambling, incoherent mess of a blog only confirms my suspicions. How she even gets this much attention is beyond me. She's not an advocate of any kind. She's just an idiot.
I might be wrong, but feel free to educate me on this... But isn't the whole point of mtf is that the male wants to be a woman and not perv at woman? it's like Brennan is using the idea that all men are perving women or something... (okay, i didn't click the article. i mean, this is twitter >_>)
I can't believe that Cathy Brennan is a feminist. She's just like the powerful old men she hates; someone desperate to police what makes a woman, and beat down who does not fit their own definition.
That's just twisted =\ LGBs like her give the rest of us a bad name. ""At some point, we came to a fork in the road because she believes transwomen are women," she said." Uh...maybe because they are women? Fully agreeing with Zontar on this one.
People like her are why I'd be a bit scared to go to any feminist rallies, despite my support for the feminist cause. I'm very intimidated by people's aggression.
Trans-Exclusive Radical Feminism (TERF) is really rare, you won't find many of them at feminist events that don't specifically cater to them.
From what I've read in the feminist literature on this subject, which admittedly isn't much, it sounds like this is holdover from second-wave feminism kind of moving in sometimes to pollute third-wave feminism. Some lesbian feminists and especially lesbian separatists have been extremely trans-negative, and their unfortunate presence embarrasses an otherwise strong and humanistic group of philosophical views. Cathy Brennan is an example of a person who is profoundly morally mistaken, and fiercely so. I can only wish ostracism, public embarrassment, and professional failure upon her until such time as she makes a genuine effort to regain her humanity. The problem with modern society is that it's extremely difficult to impose any meaningful consequences for behavior like this.
She drives me up the wall. The fact she thinks that MTF transgender people just want to rape women and FTM transgender people are being brainwashed into self hate for being women. Newsflash, if they're FTM transgender, they are a man, they do not want to be one, they are one. Same thing for MTF transgender people. And then in her articles she says things that are so disrespectful to trans people, even if she claims to support them (just FTM, as they are apparently victims of society telling them being a woman sucks or something to that extent). From what I've read, she pities people who are FTM but hates people who are MTF. I love how now she's an expert on people's gender identity. She obviously completely knows what she is talking about and I'm just a 14 year old rapist. Obviously. How does it invalidate the experience of millions of women and girls exactly? This doesn't make any sense at all. And how do transgender people make their own oppressor? You are evidence of the contrary. Cisgender is just the same as heterosexual, the opposite of transgender and homosexual. So that it's not "normal vs (insert transgender or homosexual), since that would be incorrect. Cisgender, transgender, heterosexual and homosexual are all normal and are part of who we are, something you seem to ignore. If you want people to respect you as a lesbian woman, maybe you should stop acting like the people that oppress you. No, no, no, you idiot. I don't like to call people idiots but really, you absolutely are. First of all, it is not the "opposite" gender. Trans people already are stuck as the opposite gender and just want to be themselves. They do not make their own oppressors, as you have demonstrated. And then you say that Trans is part of the problem with no support or evidence beyond "They're icky and different", the comments you claim are being used against you. So, here's a crazy idea. You are PART of the problem. Really? Children have no voices, is that it? They can't form opinions because they're children, yes? Well, neither can you then, since you have the mentality of a six year old hiding from the opposite gender because they have cooties. The LGBT community beats women into submission? News to me. And they are not male, they are as female as you are. You are just too thick to see beyond your simplistic view of the world. You are just as bad as the people who call homosexuality unnatural and a sin. But what sickens me more are the people who believe and side with her. Take these comments for example (taken from reply sections for her articles and people who have talked about them): Here's a crazy idea, it wouldn't have consequences if you people stopped making a big deal out of it. Do you know what it's like to not recognize yourself? To not see yourself when you look in the mirror? Would you like to live with that every day? No? Of course not, no one does. So quit getting mad at the people who just want to look in the mirror in the morning and see themselves looking back when you can't understand it. Quit calling it wrong to want to have people see you for you. So, trans people have an agenda now? Please, I have not gotten it yet. Nor have I gotten the gay agenda yet, can you send that my way too? As for trans women that think they are lesbian, it's because they're as lesbian as a cisgender lesbian woman. I've never heard of this before. In fact, most trans individuals I have heard about/spoken with are supportive of LGB rights and really start moaning when people like you make ignorant comments like this. Erect tool of rape and impregnation? Because women can't rape men, obviously. Your ignorance is astounding and just goes to show that even people belonging to a minority can spread hate for the same reason people spread hate towards them. Then this horrible, horrible person (in the comments of her articles) posts the personal details (email, IP address) of people who disagree with her. Wow. Sorry about the length. Whenever I see people like this, it just sets me into rants.
This is just... depressing. It's just not fucking fair! How can people who know this kind of oppression as a minority do the same to another? BRB, crying.
@Mykayla: That's just a tip of the iceberg of what she believes, but yeah... It's outrageous. Just never contact her directly. She isn't above outing and calling the police on teenagers. She's also well-known for making up crimes that trans people committed and lying repeatedly to the police while crying. Very manipulative.
lets not make the mistake of labeling cathey brennan a 'feminist'. she is not a feminsit, she is a cesspool of stupidity, a designation that knows no gender. she is about as pro-women as todd akin and richard mourdoch.
I'd never contact her after seeing the way she treats people who disagree with her. Though, I would be curious to see how she would get to me up here in Canada, if she decided to try and out me or whatever.