By Romi Chandra

As an ally to the women's rights movement, it was with great pleasure that I read about the opening of Vancouver's new Lu's: A Pharmacy for Women run by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC). As a self-identified male, I try to be aware of my privileges on a daily basis—that's the least I can do.

With the opening of spaces like Lu's, it's a gentle reminder to all that nowhere in the world do women have readily available and accessible services, let alone taking home equal pay for equal work. I thank the VWHC for that reminder, and for taking the steps necessary in creating a more equitable world.

I write this from a place of attempting to understand my place in speaking about communities to which I do not belong. I am attempting to ask difficult questions but also learn.

I am very saddened to learn that VWHC and its partners have chosen to serve the public through the pharmacy by using a very narrow and limiting definition of woman (women-born-women). As explained on VWHC's Web site, the purpose of the committee's being is "health for all women in an equitable society". But by proclaiming who is a woman and who isn't, is that truly supporting the health of ALL women in an equitable society?

The Web site continues in the explanation of the passionate beginnings of the committee, "the founding women recognized that women’s health care needs were often ignored, underrepresented and trivialized within the medical system". But by caring and serving for only some women (women-born-women), isn't the pharmacy's policy contributing to the continued ignorance and underrepresentation and trivialization of self-identified women —emotionally, socially, spiritually, and medically?

The VWHC have chosen to establish their pharmacy in the Downtown Eastside, a community 'rich' (pardon the pun) with marginalized women from all backgrounds. VWHC have now limited the spaces for all women by establishing an exclusive space—the pharmacy. Is this not contributing to the further marginalization and continued gentrification of many of these women who call the Downtown Eastside their home?

Self-identified women have been pushed from one community to the next. Safe spaces for all women in the queer community are hard to come by while some women's spaces oppose self identification. Where are self-identified women to go? Who is to serve one of the most oppressed groups of our time? Because certain segments of the women's population, namely transgendered women, are still not protected under the human rights code, is this why the ill-treatment of these women continues—through such policies? Aren't we better than this?

Dare I ask who would is likely to receive services at the pharmacy: a self-identified male, born a female but despises being identified as a female whatsoever or a woman who has felt like she's been a woman all her life and can't understand why so many services are closed to her—even though the services proclaim they help women—and perhaps even receive funding on her back?

We have seen the patterns of past feminist movements (and many other movements for that matter) exclude aboriginal women and women of colour. Today, we see this exclusion includes self-identified women. The pro-choice movement helped establish the right for women to choose for themselves—without influence from others. Unfortunately the VWHC's policy now influences what type of woman receives medical services through Lu's Pharmacy by defining who and what makes a woman, taking away the very rights ALL women have fought so hard for: the right to self determination.

I support an ALL women's only pharmacy 100 percent, just as much as I support women taking legal action based on oppressive policies that try to define the being of a woman. Countless women's experiences are going to continue to be trivialized and their health put at risk because medical services are not provided to all women through such policies.

What does it take to create an inclusive space for all women? Prostitution Alternative Counseling and Education Society (PACE) and WISH have inclusive policies. Perhaps these organizations (and self-identified women themselves) can provide some guidance and insight to the benefits of being inclusive to all women?

In the meantime, I will be very hesitant to support, advocate, or provide monetary donations to Lu's Pharmacy and will share this with my friends and family. I will also contact some of Lu's Pharmacy sponsors and donors to let them know my concerns. I feel my resources and support are better served by organizations that work towards an equitable and just society while at the same time promoting the right to self determination.

Romi Chandra is a Vancouver community developer and an advocate for gay and lesbian rights.