See, we have always seen ourselves as a magazine by and for Irish LGBTQ women. We have done this because we feel that there is a need for a publication that focuses on women's issues in the Irish LGBTQ community. However, definitions of women's experience are as diverse as there are people in this world.
The main point of contention at the moment is this: should BoLT broaden its focus, taking a look at issues relating to genderqueer people, trans men, and everyone else on the female-to-male spectrum of people? We have never explicitly stated that we accept contributions from people who do not identify as female, yet this is indeed the case, as long as such contributions keep a focus on Irish LGBTQ women's issues.
When it comes to including people in the FTM spectrum, there are two possibilities to consider. Many people who identify as genderqueer or trans men have experienced life as women, even if it was against their will. As such, we would not want to exclude them from the remit of BoLT. On the other hand, many FTM spectrum people have found such consideration to be demeaning to their male identity, somehow questioning its authenticity compared to that of cis men.
We want BoLT to be as inclusive as possible while retaining its emerging character as a publication that addresses needs within the larger Irish LGBTQ community of all genders. As such, we are making this crux, this conundrum, the topic of Issue 6. We would like your best submissions on this, or other relevant topics to the general idea of Gender and Identity.
More information here.
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