From: Conor Daly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> On Fri, Apr 06, 2001 at 10:53:59AM -0500 or so it is rumoured hereabouts,
> Julie thought:
> > Ah, well that explains it. I always use "separatist" like "lesbian"
> > just magically goes in front of it. Never encountered a het
> > separatist ...
>
> Julie,
>
> you also said in an earlier post:
>
> > I think lesbian separatism is only noticible because men believe they
have
> > the right to women's energy.
>
> Could you explain lesbian seperatism for me please? I've only come across
> it recently (from you in fact) and I currently understand it in the form
>
> "We can live quite happily (in fact more happily) *without* men."
>
> Is this only without men sexually or is it more like "seperate from a
> male-dominated world"?
Well, not being a separatist, I'm really the wrong person to ask.
However, you being a male just aren't likely to get an answer from a
sep ;-)
Separatism is more than lesbianism, which I think answers the "only
without men sexually". Different women practice it to varying degrees.
Some won't even speak to a man, much less allow men into their
space. They may consider any woman who's ever had sex with a
man to be "the enemy", even if she's no longer associating in any
manner with men. Others limit their separatism to their private lives.
Also it can be for a variety of reasons -- not wanting to have to deal
with male intrusions, wanting to be able to focus on women's issues,
or just on some woman/women they know. There isn't a single
answer.
> I'm interested by the "right to women's energy" remark above also. Is
> this the "Type this up for me there's a dear" kind of attitude which
> escalates into "You only exist for me to have sex on and to bear my
> children"?
My experience is that it's just pervasive. Everything from "Could
you type this for me" to "Now that you women worked so hard to
set up domestic violence shelter's for yourselves, how about you
help us set up ones for ourselves?". I notice it in my life when I
find myself asking the question "And why does he expect me to
do this?!?" and I don't have a good answer.
> Regarding ESR, Well, he _did_ call it "sex"tips didn't he? He makes
> fairly reasonable points IMO, he does talk about mutuality, sensitivity,
> respect etc.
I think his thing only makes "fairly reasonable points" if you view
women as sex objects to be conned into going to bed with you ...
I mean, if you have to change who you are to get a date, I think
the basic issue of trust has already flown straight out the window.
-- Julie.
_______________________________________________
issues mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.linux.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/issues
