The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) Womyn’s Centre is looking to undergo a minor name spelling change to improve inclusivity.
The proposed name change is from “womyn” to “womxn,” because of its use by transgender women and women of colour to represent themselves in more inclusive spaces, Harar Hall, one of the Womyn’s Centre co-ordinators, said in an email.
According to her, the word “womyn” has transphobic origins, and has been used very often to differentiate between cis and trans women, citing the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, which was promoted as a space for cis-gendered women only.
“We want the Womyn’s Centre to be a place that equally welcomes non-binary voices,” Hall said. “I think the best way to have a centre that has a name that encompasses all of the different people that need it, want it and enjoy it, is to have a name that leaves room for variability in identity.”
According to CUSA’s website, the Womyn’s Centre is the go-to place on campus for students—especially those who identify as female—that require a safe space or want to learn more about gendered issues, such as sexual violence. It provides free health items and services such as birth control, pregnancy tests, and menstrual products, as well as a “womyn’s only space,” according to the site.
While the centre has full support from CUSA and a name change survey is available online, Hall said the Womyn’s Centre plans to host a series of town halls for students to hear about the proposed name and share their ideas about what the centre should be called to continue providing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.
Hall said many students believe the misconception that “womyn” is an inclusive term for transgender people.
“We want to really deconstruct this notion and spread education about the ways that this particular word has been used to create a harmful divide between cis and trans women,” she said.
According to CUSA president Zameer Masjedee, the project is being led by the Womyn’s Centre co-ordinators, but CUSA will also be consulting with students to see if the name change is what students want. However, he said that a name change is an internal decision in the end.
“All these consultations are just recognizing the fact that ultimately the service centre is meant to represent the student body and the students that identify within that centre,” Masjedee said.
Hall said the new name is expected to come into effect by the end of the winter semester. The first open town hall will be held on Jan. 17, before the centre holds consultations with different racial and gendered groups, such as transgender women and Indigenous students.
“We want the centre above anything else, to be a place that all women, trans women and gender minorities feel comfortable accessing and using, and we feel that such a problematic name stands in the way of that mandate,” she said.
Photo by Serena Halani
