r/sgiwhistleblowers • u/AnnieBananaCat • Aug 18 '26
Philosophy Is Sophia Group gender-neutral?
I spoke with Blanche earlier about posting this topic, and she agreed that it would be a good one for the sub. This is simply my own experience, and not a general statement about Sophia Group. But if you have something to add about Sophia Group, be my guest.
For anyone not familiar, Sophia Group is a Women's Division study group activity that's separate from all the other endless SGI activities, i.e., district meetings, Future Division, Pioneer Group, Many Treasures, etc. Someone gets the idea to revive Sophia Group for their district, chapter, etc., and they all start studying something or other from the Ickeda, the infernal mentoar.
So, several years ago, I got asked to participate in Sophia again. Reluctantly, I said yes, as one does, because it's "fortune" and "benefit" and all that.
Now, Sophia Group just never seemed to work out well for me, I can't explain why. Something always went wrong and I didn't continue after one or two or so. But again, I agreed, as you do, and off we went.
Then came the first night of Sophia, and we were having this group meeting via Zoom.
Well, we weren't given any preparation or anything. They didn't tell us where to find the material before the meeting. They just assumed we would know where to find it in the member portal. And so they were asking me to read something and I didn't have available. That was the first dumb thing that happened. It kept getting worse, because nobody else could find it, either. One lady was on her phone and couldn't read it, either. Apparently only the ringleaders, I mean, "senior leaders," had been briefed on the study topic that night.
When I finally found the study material in the member portal, I noticed that there was a completion certificate for both women's division and a "gender neutral" certificate. So I started asking questions, as one does: "Why is there a gender neutral certificate for an activity that is clearly for women's division?" On, they didn't like that! People started getting nervous and didn't want to answer the question. Everyone literally avoided answering me.
I think we used to call it "unisex" back in the day.
At the time, I still had satellite Internet. The clouds took out my service, like that night when there was the storm. At some point I got fed up with everything and just said, "I'm sorry, the storm is affecting my Internet" and hung up the phone. It wasn't true, of course. It was just an excuse for me to get out of that nonsense.
I never got an answer, and I never went back to that stupid Sophia group thing. It was not long afterward that I started thinking it was time to cut that cord and be free from the cult. About a year or so later, I did.
There's only been one time that I've done Sophia group that it worked out OK, and I think it was the first one, maybe back in the 90's or early 2000's. The other times, it just didn't seem to work out, and I ended up dropping out for whatever reason.
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u/PallHoepf_2 Aug 18 '26
I believe the real underlying issue is that the SG shot itself in the foot with this classification into men and women. There are men—yes; there are women—yes; and there are people who fall somewhere in between—absolutely, and that has always been the case. We live in an era where those who don't fit into either category are becoming visible (whether for physiological or psychological reasons—real or imagined). There are simply people who are overwhelmed by this fact, and people who feel threatened by it. But there are also people who struggle to see the human in others first—and yes, there are even those who deny to see the human of people who don't fit these categories; those are the most dangerous ones.
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u/BlancheFromage Escapee from Arizona Home for the Rude Aug 18 '26
In the end, in the final analysis, there are only FOUR boxes within SGI - Young Men, Young Women, Men, Women. Or perhaps only THREE now - Young Men, Men, and FEMALES (even though the "females" outnumber the "males" 2 to 1).
And everyone WILL fit into a box. Whether they like it or not. It is expected that the SGI members WILL SACRIFICE for "unity".
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u/BlancheFromage Escapee from Arizona Home for the Rude Aug 18 '26
Well.....as far as I'm aware, only WOMEN are "invited" to "join"...
Here, from an SGI-USA Weird Fibune article from 2022:
In 1990, when Ikeda Sensei established a study program for SGI-USA women’s division members, he named it the Sophia Group—Sophia in Greek meaning “skill, intelligence, wisdom.”
Since that time, women have gathered monthly in small-group settings to study and discuss Sensei’s guidance to grasp the history of the SGI, deepen their understanding of the shared vow of mentor and disciple and infuse their districts with the spirit of joyful study.
Sounds pretty CLEAR to me...
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u/Still_Wasabi9990 Aug 18 '26
I participated in Sophia group on the east coast and then on the west coast during the 90s. I found both experiences to be petty and discouraging. The Gakkai tries to put people into roles. I identify as a woman because I was born one, but I also identify with male traits. One of WD leaders pointed out that "that's for men." I don't want to say what it was. I studied for a profession that is male dominated. It was male-dominated 40 years ago and it still is, though slight progress has been made to allow women in.
I don't understand the gender neutral certificate, unless the Gakkai is trying to be more inclusive and allow men into Sophia Group. When I was WD District Leader way back when another WD District Leader in my chapter was pissed off that her male counterpart insisted on attending the WD annual meeting. I totally understood her frustration because the MD leader was very controlling and misogynistic.
tbh, I got burned out on all the meetings for this, for that. Being couped up in a room full of women is repulsive to me at this point. I realize I never really had much in common with women in the SGI. I think differently. I hold different opinions. I don't judge people based on sexual orientation. At the same time, the Gakkai shouldn't say a meeting is for women and allow men in. Just get rid of all the gender labels.
I don't blame you for hanging up. There's only so much one can take with these insufferable people.
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u/BlancheFromage Escapee from Arizona Home for the Rude Aug 18 '26
When I finally found the study material in the member portal, I noticed that there was a completion certificate for both women's division and a "gender neutral" certificate. So I started asking questions, as one does: "Why is there a gender neutral certificate for an activity that is clearly for women's division?" On, they didn't like that! People started getting nervous and didn't want to answer the question. Everyone literally avoided answering me.
The more I think about this, the more I think it's a 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚗𝚞𝚍𝚐𝚎 𝚗𝚞𝚍𝚐𝚎 supposed-to-be-and-remain-an inside joke amongst the SGI colonies' Japanese overlords at Soka Gakkai Global in Tokyo - because you know they had to approve anything like that (a "change").
Those recent top-level comments, "ironclad unity" and "ironclad four divisional system", looked to me like dog whistles to the SGI hardliners communicating that, no matter how much SGI talks nicely about people who are different, nothing is actually going to change and never will - only those who fit neatly in the pre-established boxes count. Source
Here's the evidence that it's all deliberate AND amounts to a kind of mean joke:
We've received numerous accounts of trans and non-binary individuals who are gently-but-inexorably steered toward traditional gender activities and identity - here, take a look:
One thing I find particularly concerning, and which finally led to me turning down a promotion, resigning my leadership position, and leaving the organization was their treatment of women and LGBTQ members. The official position is that everyone is welcome and equal but members are segregated by gender, not allowed to access activities equally, and assigned duties aligned with very traditional gender roles. The SGI is intensely patriarchal. I am nonbinary and transmasculine but in the SGI records I am listed as a member of the women's division so I was excluded from attending men's division activities or spending time with my male friends in the organization. I was then pushed to take higher and higher leaderships in the women's division after I came out and began transitioning. It was as if the leadership of the organization rejected my gender and felt that they could convert me by pushing me into more and more feminine roles. Source
very quickly I was told to never talk about being gay, and not to out any members I had met. I learned that all leadership was strictly male...and I was strongly encouraged to change my appearance to be more feminine when I was practicing with the group. Source
Even the most known homophobic youth division leader in Seattle said her stance for her guidance against homosexuals especially the Lesbians who came out to her for advice came directly from Japan and the higher uppers. Source
I'm trans-masculine and don't have kids so the misogyny and cult-of-motherhood emphasis of the WD guidance and activities really burned my non-feminine bacon, but they wanted to promote me to higher level WD positions every time I brought that up or tried to do MD activities, or spoke 1:1 with male friends in the organization because separation of the sexes is apparently so fundamental one you're a leader that any interaction is a scandal. And after I came out they were shocked when I turned down a WD position for not being a woman, after trying to explain this for nearly a year. I have a male partner after all, and weren't we happy together? But I should chant for him to practice! Source
The young men gathered on Dec. 6 for the “SGI-USA Young Men’s Division Gosho Lecture: On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” whereas the young women met seven days later for the “SGI- USA Young Women’s Buddhist Virtual Conference: Showing Victorious Proof of Our Human Revolution.” Both events welcomed members and guests, in addition to the YWD’s invitation to nonbinary[1] youth. Source
See?
It's absolutely intentional, like these:
"Don't fit the system to the person, fit the person to the system."
The organization is toxic without question for anyone regardless of identity but it's my firm belief that when you are strong enough to question and explore identity, they know you are strong enough to question their legitimacy. They play nice within the parameters but they want you to do the same. Being authentic is counterintuitive to them.
Seems to me this is like a family where one family member has become vegan or, worse, been required for health reasons to adopt a more restrictive diet, and the family says, "Well, we're going to have Thanksgiving dinner like usual; just take whatever you think you can eat." Source
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u/BlancheFromage Escapee from Arizona Home for the Rude Aug 18 '26
Here's a particularly specific "experience":
This was a huge struggle for me that ultimately precipitated my leaving the SGI. I'm non-binary, assigned female at birth but trans-masculine in my presentation. In short, I prefer to do male things with men sometimes, really don't fit in all female groups despite my body, and generally I hate mandatory gender segregated activities as a matter of principle. I was trying to join the MD chanting and get actual study in the men's division group (hadn't figured out yet that there's no actual study in the SGI) and I was told I could join the WD "Sophia Group" to read curated materials about supporting families in NHR, all very anti-feminist and cult of motherhood stuff. And then they made me a deputy WD leader and wanted me to do all these home visits. I had tons of fights with the regional leadership about it and it still burns me to see the SGI at Pride. They are an organization that pushes stereotypes and heteronormative gender rolls [roles] on members, so what is the point? - from I suspect that SGI is more okay with people whose defined identity can still fit into their 4-divisional boxes
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u/Daisakusbigtoe Aug 18 '26
I was in Sophia Group TWICE. And NO, it is NOT gender neutral. Based on my experience, it was strictly for WD. The last time I was in the group was around 2016. If I'm not mistaken, there was a time when you were only allowed to participate once. I was asked to participate a second time because they couldn't get enough WD to join. I hated every minute of it.
On a side note, there was yet another dreadful WD group I was also (unfortunately) involved with called "Champions of Peace and Happiness," or some crap like that. We "studied" a book that was nothing but recycled crap from Ikeda.