SPOTLIGHT: A Feminist Film Review by Carol Downer

It's great for those of us who see the institution of patriarchy as oppressing the class of women when a movie comes along that shows clearly how patriarchy works in society. The Oscar-nominated and award-winning film, Spotlight, released in 2015, recounts the story of how the molestation of many young children by Catholic priests in Boston, Massachusetts was covered up until reporters from the Boston Globe exposed it.

Even those who scoff at the term "patriarchy" to refer to anything other than the type of family structure headed up by males, agree that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has a patriarchal structure and promotes a patriarchal family structure.  So no one should quibble at the term "patriarchal conspiracy" to describe the policies of the Catholic hierarchy in Boston, which was headed up by Cardinal Law, to settle any threatened lawsuits brought by families of the victims (on the condition that they not sue), keeping information about an accused priest confidential- coupled with the decision of the Church to reassign the priest to another parish. The attempt of anyone to cover up a crime is itself a crime, and therefore, if it were to be taken to court and proven that they had done so, the Church's actions would be a criminal conspiracy.

I highly recommend that you see Spotlight because it shows this conspiracy very well, but it shows much more. It shows how various attorneys in Boston and the Boston press made this alleged criminal conspiracy successful. The phrase "old boy network" applies in this case. In Boston, a Catholic town, the prominent men that were in a position to do something went to school together and played golf together. Some shared family celebrations together. They were loath to assist in ferreting out the truth because associates who represented the Church persuaded them that the damage to the Church's reputation by bringing a spotlight to the problem would greatly outweigh whatever damage had been done to individuals. The attorneys for the victims had a duty to get justice for their clients, so when their clients decided to settle and keep quiet, they had performed their duty and had to no obligation to the public.

Spotlight shows us the pain of the victims who were haunted for years by the shattering of their childhood innocence and it also shows the power of male bonding,  and the ways that patriarchal socialization effects everyone. The erring priests were able to carry out their abusive behaviors, because of the trust of the victims and their families, and they were able to go unpunished and continue their abusive behaviors because of the victims' and the Church members' unwillingness or inability to reconcile this breach of their trust with their reverence for the Church and the men who run it.

Spotlight is a beautifully acted, touching film that skillfully recounts the story that most of us followed in the media, and the brilliant editing enables the viewer to answer for themselves the question most of us asked while the repercussions of the scandal unfolded: "How could this happen and go on for so long?" It's unsparing journalistic style doesn't preach any message, other than to the show the importance of vigorous journalistic investigation in a democracy and to caution all of us to not let loyalties to old friends and fear of facing unpleasant truths turn our eyes away from injustice, especially toward young and defenseless children.

Note: Subsequently, it was established that the Catholic hierarchy had been engaging in the practice of transferring accused priests to locations all over the country where they were in a position to continue their abuse.

Also, none of the leaders of the Catholic hierarchy have been charged with any crime. Most are still in their position, or even transferred to positions that give them more power and prestige within the Church organizations.

REPORT ON MANA CONFERENCE: 2015 

Midwives Alliance of North America Conference

2015, October 15 to 18. Albuquerque, New Mexico  

By CAROL DOWNER

BACKGROUND:

To promote my Pro Woman Agenda project, I attend midwifery events, such as the MANA conference.  This year, I also participated in a “shadow conference” put together by MANA member and midwife, Mary Lou Singleton and members of WoLF (Women’s Liberation Front), to protest a change in MANA’s “Core Competencies” document language. “Pregnant woman” was changed to “pregnant individual”, “mother” was changed to “birthing parent”.  This was done to be inclusive of trans men who have babies.  WoLF had reserved a table to discuss the issue with attendees. MANA cancelled their reservation and refunded their fee, on the grounds that it would make the conference more “safe”. I exhibited the WoLF literature and the announcements of the workshops on my table.

THE ONLINE CONTROVERSY BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

Mary Lou Singleton and fellow midwife Michelle Smith wrote the Open Letter to MANA a month ahead of the conference, placing it on the website, Women-Centered Midwifery with 190 signatories. Birth for Everybody set up a website, including hyperlinks to other sites to further explain their support for the language change with 625 signatories. Supporters of the language change

A Midwife for Every Body Buttons

set up a petition to ban a prominent midwife Ina May Gaskin from speaking at future conferences.

The Open Letter sparked other online responses, including a blog on Huffington Post from a trans man, Trevor MacDonald. Mary Lou commented on this first blog, prompting a second blog which contained outright misrepresentations of what Mary Lou had said in her comment that was obvious to anyone who read the photo of her comment that he had placed there.

The Loss of a Good Friend: Pati Garcia, who went to midwifery school in Texas three years ago signed the Birth for Every Body response and placed it on her Facebook Page.  I followed the very long thread of comments she received, all in complete agreement with her.  One commenter said that she was upset to see respected pioneers in birth, such as Ina May Gaskin, on the list of signers to the Women-Centered Midwifery Open Letter.  Pati’s response was to say that I was one of the signers that she knew very well, and that she had stopped associating with me because I am racist. She said that I said that women of color have too many doors being opened for them.  Of course, I have never said this nor do I believe it, so I wrote Pati to admonish her on her ad hominem attack (I never quite understood what that was until it happened to me).  I saw her at the conference many times because she staffed a table with others.  Anyone who knows me and Pati knows that we were closely associated for several years and I was privileged to help her with her founding of Shodhini.  I know that her slur will not damage my reputation with those who know me and work with me, but her personal attack deeply wounded me.

Perhaps this is one reason this report has taken so long to write.   It may show the level of acrimony that exists in the movement over this disputed debate.

SHADOW CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

 

”Women’s Liberation is Based on Sex, Not Gender,” Kathy Scarbrough.

“History of the Women’s Self-Help Movement”, Carol Downer.

“Confronting the Gender Industrial Complex”, Mark (Maritza) & Lynna (Paul).

“Women’s Body for Sale: the growing market in eggs, milk and wombs with a Personal Story,” Mary Lou Singleton.

“Cervical Self-Exam Workshop”, Laura Perez and Carol Downer

WoLF activities: WoLF members (who had traveled to attend the conference and protest) distributed leaflets announcing their workshops.  Six WoLF members and supporters attended a plenary program presented by Sam Killerman (Gender Bread Person) and WoLF hosted an informal discussion about the forced professionalization of midwifery.

WHWH.ORG TABLE

One of the officers of MANA came by to visit my table to see that I wasn’t violating the agreement regarding the literature that all exhibitors have to comply with.  We had met at a prior MANA conference.  She was borderline civil; she stopped just short of being nasty and she let me know they were keeping an eye on me and would be back to check to see that, although I’m a member of WoLF, I was not just a front for WoLF.

Our table was poorly located, and I didn’t have too many visitors.  However, the few that came by were quite interested and had interesting things to share.  We talked some about the controversy, but mostly people were interested in the books and leaflets I had on display.  All the brochures for the Trans Health Initiative at the Feminist Health Center in Atlanta were snapped up. I hope the program became known to midwives around the country.  As usual, my copy of Radical Doula attracted a lot of interest, until it, along with all of my WoLF literature, disappeared during the night.

. ATTORNEYS FOR CHILDREN INJURED BY VACCINE

An organization of attorneys, Know Your Vaccines, was located across from my table.  I learned from the woman staffing it that the government recognizes that the vaccines given to babies and young children do cause severe injury to a certain number.  To protect the manufacturer from being hit by big damages from lawsuits from parents, the government has set up a fund to help parents to care for children who require years of institutional care, but attorneys are needed to help parents with the complicated process to qualify for the money.

OUTCOME OF CONTROVERSY MANA, like many liberal women’s organizations, quickly accepted the demands of the trans gender community to change its language to be gender-neutral.   They had a speaker, Sam Killerman, and they have accepted his views of gender. Some of the women who came to the table told me that at the opening Plenary Session, a MANA speaker had said that MANA “is still discussing the issue”, so they had the impression that perhaps there would be a reversal of MANA’s change.  No one has offered to discuss the issue any further with Mary Lou or Michelle, both of whom have been active in the organization for years and held high office.

IMPORTANT POST-CONFERENCE ARTICLE TO SHARE

                Women’s Health in Women’s Hands has just come across an article in an online magazine, Model View Culture, by Kyra, December 10, 2014, “How to Uphold White Supremacy by Focusing on Diversity and Inclusion”.   This article would have changed the dialogue about being “inclusive”.

                Kyra shows how white supremacist liberalism uses the demands for diversity and inclusion by working to ignore and erase difference rather than to undo oppression.  Of course, she is speaking from the viewpoint of oppressed people of color and people with marginalized identities with racial/gender/sexual backgrounds, but her analysis of the change to gender-neutral language in MANA’s guidelines is very applicable.