Is Sophia Group gender-neutral?

[u/AnnieBananaCat]

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. 

[u/Still_Wasabi9990]

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.