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VIEWPOINTS
a monthly column by KC Wildmoon
Misogyny
It all started with a little piece of propa
ganda from the National Rifle Association
about what’s wrong with people who think
semi-automatic weapons should be banned.
The sentence read like this: “Our female-
dominated, spastic society has been work
ing overtime for a generation to discredit
manhood.”
Notice here the implication that owning
a semi-automatic weapon is somehow
indicative of one’s manhood. But that
doesn’t really bother me. Neither does
wondering just what planet these jokers live
on that has a female-dominated society.
No, what bugs me about that little state
ment is the obvious insult intended by
terming our society “female-dominated.”
This is a problem? I think not. After all,
we’ve never tried it
It’s not just in Strait America that this
idea that woman/female/not male is some
how the inferior way to be. Check out the
Post Pride Issue of this newspaper. In a rel
atively innocuous article about the Pride
Rally, our writer noted that some men in
the audience “moaned” that a Lesbian per
former’s music was “so...well...Lesbian.”
Now, this particular performer’s musical
content is about as Lesbian as oh, say the
Indigo Girls, so the only thing I could fig
ure that made her music “so...well...
Lesbian” was that she is one.
And then came the letters decrying that
the paper would say such a terrible thing
about a performer. Here’s what I want to
know: What’s the problem? Even if the
music was “s.. .w.. .L,” why is that such an
awful thing?
I’ll tell you why. The answer is
Misogyny. Never heard the word? It
means Hatred of Women. Its symptoms
are a belief in the superiority of the Male at
the expense of the Female. And it’s perva
sive. So pervasive, in fact, that few people
even acknowledge that it exists, let alone
admit to harboring it in their own souls.
But it is there, alive and well in hearts
and minds and newspapers and Pride
Rallies. And it is the root of the problems
between the Gay male and Lesbian com
munities.
Take this for example. Recently I heard
from the male owner of a phone sex com
pany that the only thing Queer men and
women have in common is that we sleep
with the same sex. His idea for the future
of Queer newspapers was to have a paper
full of sex ads and bar gossip (because
that’s where the money is) and a 4 page
pullout for the Lesbians to read (because
men don’t care). Now tell me—who’s the
separatist?
I don’t know about you, but I’m insulted
by that. And I would be if I were a Gay
man as well. Doesn’t this guy realize that
it’s Misogyny that makes Gay men as hated
as they are? Strait America’s perception of
Gay men is that they aren’t real men
because they don’t fuck women. And in
this either/or society of ours, if you’re not a
real man you’re a woman. And that’s the
worst thing to be.
One more example: a Queer newspaper
that attempts to present a balanced content
for our varied Queer communities invari
ably gets labeled (by Gay men) things like
“The Lesbian Home Journal.” The name
doesn’t bother me—I think it’s kinda
funny. But the intent behind it is to insult.
And when that happens we get defensive
and say We’re balanced, not slanted toward
women.
Friends, the real problem is not a slant
toward women, but the perception that
women, Lesbians, anything that is not male
is not worth the effort, not interesting, not
valuable, i.e., inferior. It’s no wonder our
community is so fragmented. We’re too
damn busy perpetuating the same myths,
the same bullshit that Strait Society does.
Unfortunately this crap is not limited to
women. Race, class, anything that isn’t the
status quo are considered beneath our con
sideration.
But that’s several more columns. For
now I think I’ll go read some early feminist
theory again.
Change Begins
at Home
Dear Editor:
As I passed the Christians during the
Gay Pride March and they looked at me
with their solemn condemning faces I real
ized that many of us in the gay community
view ourselves and others in a similar
manner. I thank those Christians for show
ing me exactly where our work lies, as
they reflected so perfectly the self-hatred
and homophobia I see in the gay commu
nity.
Of the 3000 who marched I wonder
how many can honestly say they viewed
everyone at the march with total accep
tance. Was there anyone there who didn't
feel uncomfortable at the sight of a leather-
man or a bull dyke or a drag queen?
Certainly not me. How can we demand to
be unconditionally accepted by others
when we have difficulty accepting our
selves?
The gay political focus is on changing
the outside world, which merely reflects
our own homophobia. However, I don't
believe we'll ever fix "them" and, as long
as we keep our focus on trying to change
the opinions and feelings of others, we'll
never help ourselves. Blaming others for
their lack of love and sensitivity doesn't
equal helping ourselves. Blaming them for
our own alienation will never result in gain
ing their love and acceptance.
We don't need to change the outside
world—we need to change ourselves.
Crystal Turner
i ' AJPWtfVM I VVPV
Senator Sam Nunn
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Nunn:
I have recently received a letter from you
in response to my request for you to support
the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act].
I appreciate your vote in support of the bill,
however I am concerned about what
appears to be your support for the
Armstrong amendment.
The language used to describe this
amendment is very offensive. I strongly
object to grouping homosexuals, bisexuals,
and transvestites with pedophiliacs and
"those with other sexual behavior disor
ders." As a government official, you should
¥. • r r
be aware of language which continues to
support the wrong attitude that homosexu
ality is "sick" or immoral. I expect you as
my elected official to help change language
which is offensive such as in the Armstrong
amendment. We are not demanding rights
as disabled people, far from it We refuse to
be considered sick or disabled. We do
demand rights as citizens granted to all
other citizens in this country.
I request that you make a statement
which makes clear your support of the
ADA but that you object to the language in
the Armstrong amendment. I urge you to
support human rights for all citizens includ
ing lesbians and gays or you will lose my
vote in your next election.
Sincerely,
Ann Leverette
Different
Strokes
Editor:
It seems I am responding to something
rather minor, but "Room with a View" is
one of my favorite movies and I don’t like
seeing it misrepresented, [ref: our calendar
photo in issue 11]
"Steamy"? Sure. "Suppressed"?
Definitely. "Homoeroticism"? Where? The
bathing scene? Maybe I'm naive. I just
thought they were having fun. There's a
vague (very vague) possibility of a sexual
relationship between the female romance
novelist, Eleanor Lavish and cousin
Charlotte. Even so, I wouldn't consider this
steamy.
I think the story is as much about sup
pression of spirit and emotion as it is about
suppression of sexuality. In a world of
starched conventions, George encourages
Lucy to live her life with the same passion
she brings to her piano playing. Eroticism
does have a place in this film and sup
pressed sexuality can certainly be consid
ered a central theme, but it is a heterosexual
relationship that takes the focus here.
Maybe you've got this confused with
"Maurice"?
Alan Sugar
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Southern Voice/August 2,1990
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