.......What the fuck? There are NOT enough words to describe.......wow.

I'm not so sure about that... I actually read this as people trying *really incredibly hard* not to be gay.

Lol, looks like a bunch of gay bears to me.

My first reaction - WTF? (and a little anger)
But on second glance - it's a Bear Trap! to entice the more reticent bears out of the woods. After all thatt's how the first 'bears' started -woodsy gay guys who didn't want to be seen as stereotypically 'gay' getting together for huntin' and fishin' - 'male bonding + sex. wonder how many closeted bears will go for it?

To play around with gender pushes through boundaries that are restrictive to say the least. I think it's okay for these guys to experiment. After all we as butch gals have done so, and do.

maybe they're a bunch of bears who're making fun of the "straight but queer" hipster folks?

I don't know if it is real, fake, or some kind of joke, although it is pretty funny. What strikes me is that there is no apparent problem with "men only." Straight or otherwise. OK for straight men or gay men, but no longer OK for WOMEN who want to spend one week in the woods (Michfest) without males, natural OR constructed! Just sayin' . . . .

Yes, I know that transgender people who have or who are reconstructing their bodies into a form other than the one produced by their biology believe they are women (or men, as the case may be). The controversy arises because the INTENT of MichFest is a gathering of women—women born, raised and living as women. Women who support this intent—women who have spent more than thirty years building this festival and who want to be able to meet in the woods for a week once a year under that intent—have the right to do so without being harassed or called vile names by others who believe something different. Naturally, transgender people should always have all the civil and human rights afforded by our society and not be subjected to the violence because of their choice, but that does not include MichFest, a private event on private land. Many groups gather together based on shared attributes or philosophy and do not include those who do not share those attributes or philosophies. It is one week in the woods for women born, raised and living as women. Respect the intent.

i thought the issue with michfest was the controversy about trans* women. trans* women are women, so... yeah. i don't know if that's what you were referring to (apologies if i misread your comment). i've never been, so i don't know all the details.

out of curiosity, are trans* men and non-binary folks allowed at michfest? cuz that'd be pretty uncool, imo, seeing how it's supposed to be for women only. women-only spaces seem pretty necessary.

"Yes, I know that transgender people who have or who are reconstructing their bodies into a form other than the one produced by their biology "

This depends on how one defines biology. Also, it was my understanding that trans men are welcomed. It is odd, is it not, that people who are not women, and who would not call themselves women, are welcomed in a womens space, and actual women are not.

@blue: good point!

@pgar: ew. i'm not going to go into it with you and have an argument on bw's lovely blog. all i'm gonna say is "ew."

LMAO...whatever...

I'm not so sure about that... I actually read this as people trying *really incredibly hard* not to be gay.