The church’s logo | Photo: Facebook/Pussy Church of Modern Witchcraft
The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) recently declared the Pussy Church of Modern Witchcraft (real name) an official church, complete with tax-exempt status.
As seen on sites like Charity Navigator, PCMW has been recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization as well as given Church 170(b)(1)(A)(i) status.
What these codes mean, essentially, is that the church is free from income tax and does not have to fill out forms like like the IRS 990, which provide transparency on such organizations.
Other churches that have these statuses include Scientology and the Church of Satan.
What makes PCMW unique, however, is its blatantly transphobic philosophy.
As stated on its website, the organization is for ‘adherents to our female born, lesbian-feminist-based religions beliefs and traditions’.
It only serves women and girls, definied as ‘adult female humans’ and ‘minor female humans’.
‘Males are not permitted to participate, regardless of how they identify,’ the about page further states. ‘We expressly reject the concepts of gender identity, transgenderism, and gender as being meaningful to defining what a Woman or Girl is.’
In other words, it’s a church of TERFs, or trans-exclusionary radical feminists.
While all cisgender women are able to join the church, to become a trustee one must meet certain requirements as stated in the Articles of Incorporation. Some of these requirements include ‘being female at birth’, ‘evidence of a consistent Lesbian life’, and a ‘testimony to an experience of the “new birth” in lesbian feminism’.
Being anti-trans IS being anti-women
PCMW defends their stance on Twitter, saying that being ‘pro-lesbian isn’t anti-anything’. They’ve also criticized outlets writing about them.
PCMW Tweet | Photo: Twitter @pussy_church
What this statement fails to understand, however, it’s that being ‘pro-lesbian’ or ‘pro-women’ while exclusive trans women is anti-transgender people.
Trans women are real women and they can also identify as lesbians. Therefore, nothing should stop them from being able to join this church, other than its blatantly transphobic attitude.
PCMW Tweet | Photo: Twitter @pussy_church
PCMW Tweet | Photo: Twitter @pussy_church
It is true that women should have places they feel safe, celebrated, and supported — even while excluding men, such as Wonder Woman screenings for women and girls only.
If places that claim to be for women exclude women, though, how much can they preach solidarity?
This Pussy Church of Modern Witchcraft is stating that trans women are not women, and therefore not worthy or deserving of such a space. This is a harmful attitude that helps contribute to the high level of violence against trans people, and especially trans women of color.
PCMW Tweet | Photo: Twitter @pussy_church
This, also, is true enough, and this church definitely isn’t for today’s inclusive and intersectional feminism.
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