Know the history from having lived it. Indulge my memories. I moved to SF in the late seventies from Ann Arbor, hotbed of lesbian separatism. (Should have stayed separate. Men/gay men have never become dependable allies.) There was a *special reading room* at the Univ of Mich library for books on "homosexuality." I had to send away to England for a copy of The Well of Loneliness. Back then we were united as "homosexuals" - male and female, gays and lesbians. Bisexuals were on the fringe. There were male "transvestites" in gay bars and at PRIDEs. Lesbians were feminists and gay men were not really. Women's Studies was created and included lesbians. Judith Butler had not written incomprehensible "gender" gibberish, nor fantasized "gender studies." "Queer" was a pejorative and "straights" were not claiming they were "queer." People were not identifying as "non-binary" since Orwellian genderspeak did not even exist to claim such an identity. No one was "transgender" since that also did not exist. Renee Richards was called a "transexual." SF PRIDE in the early days began with "dykes on bikes" leading. I did once ride in SF Pride on my 650cc Honda with my gay pal as my passenger. We were young, it was indeed "pride," so liberating joining as "homosexuals" coming out of the closet. I never liked the "dykes on bikes" thing ("male energy") and thought the bikes should have been bicycles. I was a marathon runner. Men/gays did not create groups like "men against rape" while women/lesbians joined in the fight against AIDS. "It was hard to be a lesbian [last century!]...years ago ; now [women and lesbians need to find "new pride" and value themselves as women - adult human females.
I too was in Ann Arbor, 1965-1971, and recall very well the lesbian separatists. I remember they kept creating schisms and purges until all that was left was one couple, and then they broke up. I moved to East Lansing and continued to be active there in the women's movement, then during the Eighties was in Portland. I worked with a Gay Lib activist group that consisted almost entirely of gay men who let us participate begrudgingly. I volunteered during the HIV crisis.
I haven't been part of the activist community for decades, but see the need to become active again, even though I don't want to anymore. Feminists and lesbians have become fair game again for denigration and blaming by people across the political spectrum.
I felt sad last month on parade day. It used to be our parade.
It’s not just lesbian erasure - it’s female erasure and it’s a sad commentary on how society fails to value women. Thank you for the article - I am glad that you will be at the park to remind those women there that they are valued as women and don’t need to give into the pressure to mar their bodies for the sake of escaping themselves.
Sad to hear it; my group has been planning around the NYC spinoff (https://www.nycdykemarch.com/) for a while, since it welcomes "any person who identifies as a d*ke" regardless of "gender expression or identity, sex assigned at birth, [or] sexual orientation." We are not having any of that. It happens tonight at 5 our time.
There uh, I'm not admitting to anything but they might have to deal with extra pro-lesbian messaging that'll really get the men's stolen panties in a twist.
It was hard to be a lesbian 20 years ago; now it’s impossible. Judith Butler thinks lesbians who want access to penis free spaces should just stay home. It’s awful. Our poor young women.
Those of us with disabilities have heard this language of exclusion before. *Women* have heard it before. I do think that Butler actively so doesn't want to be female that she thinks a woman can just identify out of her sex. I think this is pathological on her part, and I'm surprised that she at her age hasn't yet learned otherwise.
It's important to me as a woman who doesn't have a history of sleeping with women, to support lesbians. There but for randomness go I----we are all women, and what hurts them hurts me. Have gay men backed me up and made me feel safe? Mostly no. Have lesbians? Yes.
To whom you are attracted sexually is purely subjective and therefore cannot reasonably be contested by an outside observer.
Where you decide to live your life on a spectrum of superficial, stereotypical male to female attributes (and we all do) is also purely subjective and similarly cannot be questioned.
However, your biological sex reflects an objective reality which cannot be changed by your subjective personal view and futile attempts to do so can result in serious health impacts to you as well as harms to members of the sex you are impersonating (primarily women).
Others who are grounded in objective reality should never be forced to accept your subjective version of your actual biological sex.
Finally, it's past time for the LGB community to separate themselves from the trans activists who are trying to take away the rights of women to fairness in sports and to privacy and safety in their restrooms, locker rooms and prisons. They also advocate for the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
Their actions are evil and the
understandable negative reaction to the harm they are causing is spilling over to innocent people who are just going about their business, marrying and leading their lives.
I looked for the Dyke March in the press and all I found was trans March promotion for the following day. Sad there are few to none Female only spaces as part of festivities.
Gays and Lesbians owe a huge debt to a very visible Lesbian who challenged DOMA and won - Edith Windsor, which helped enormously to pave the way for all of us who are married.
I’d be happy to reserve the entire city of SF as a woman-only space in thanks.
Know the history from having lived it. Indulge my memories. I moved to SF in the late seventies from Ann Arbor, hotbed of lesbian separatism. (Should have stayed separate. Men/gay men have never become dependable allies.) There was a *special reading room* at the Univ of Mich library for books on "homosexuality." I had to send away to England for a copy of The Well of Loneliness. Back then we were united as "homosexuals" - male and female, gays and lesbians. Bisexuals were on the fringe. There were male "transvestites" in gay bars and at PRIDEs. Lesbians were feminists and gay men were not really. Women's Studies was created and included lesbians. Judith Butler had not written incomprehensible "gender" gibberish, nor fantasized "gender studies." "Queer" was a pejorative and "straights" were not claiming they were "queer." People were not identifying as "non-binary" since Orwellian genderspeak did not even exist to claim such an identity. No one was "transgender" since that also did not exist. Renee Richards was called a "transexual." SF PRIDE in the early days began with "dykes on bikes" leading. I did once ride in SF Pride on my 650cc Honda with my gay pal as my passenger. We were young, it was indeed "pride," so liberating joining as "homosexuals" coming out of the closet. I never liked the "dykes on bikes" thing ("male energy") and thought the bikes should have been bicycles. I was a marathon runner. Men/gays did not create groups like "men against rape" while women/lesbians joined in the fight against AIDS. "It was hard to be a lesbian [last century!]...years ago ; now [women and lesbians need to find "new pride" and value themselves as women - adult human females.
I too was in Ann Arbor, 1965-1971, and recall very well the lesbian separatists. I remember they kept creating schisms and purges until all that was left was one couple, and then they broke up. I moved to East Lansing and continued to be active there in the women's movement, then during the Eighties was in Portland. I worked with a Gay Lib activist group that consisted almost entirely of gay men who let us participate begrudgingly. I volunteered during the HIV crisis.
I haven't been part of the activist community for decades, but see the need to become active again, even though I don't want to anymore. Feminists and lesbians have become fair game again for denigration and blaming by people across the political spectrum.
I felt sad last month on parade day. It used to be our parade.
It’s not just lesbian erasure - it’s female erasure and it’s a sad commentary on how society fails to value women. Thank you for the article - I am glad that you will be at the park to remind those women there that they are valued as women and don’t need to give into the pressure to mar their bodies for the sake of escaping themselves.
Rubs hands together....👀
Sad to hear it; my group has been planning around the NYC spinoff (https://www.nycdykemarch.com/) for a while, since it welcomes "any person who identifies as a d*ke" regardless of "gender expression or identity, sex assigned at birth, [or] sexual orientation." We are not having any of that. It happens tonight at 5 our time.
There uh, I'm not admitting to anything but they might have to deal with extra pro-lesbian messaging that'll really get the men's stolen panties in a twist.
It was hard to be a lesbian 20 years ago; now it’s impossible. Judith Butler thinks lesbians who want access to penis free spaces should just stay home. It’s awful. Our poor young women.
Those of us with disabilities have heard this language of exclusion before. *Women* have heard it before. I do think that Butler actively so doesn't want to be female that she thinks a woman can just identify out of her sex. I think this is pathological on her part, and I'm surprised that she at her age hasn't yet learned otherwise.
It's important to me as a woman who doesn't have a history of sleeping with women, to support lesbians. There but for randomness go I----we are all women, and what hurts them hurts me. Have gay men backed me up and made me feel safe? Mostly no. Have lesbians? Yes.
Same.
Preach!
The lesbian feminists who started the SF DM are now in their seventies.
To whom you are attracted sexually is purely subjective and therefore cannot reasonably be contested by an outside observer.
Where you decide to live your life on a spectrum of superficial, stereotypical male to female attributes (and we all do) is also purely subjective and similarly cannot be questioned.
However, your biological sex reflects an objective reality which cannot be changed by your subjective personal view and futile attempts to do so can result in serious health impacts to you as well as harms to members of the sex you are impersonating (primarily women).
Others who are grounded in objective reality should never be forced to accept your subjective version of your actual biological sex.
Finally, it's past time for the LGB community to separate themselves from the trans activists who are trying to take away the rights of women to fairness in sports and to privacy and safety in their restrooms, locker rooms and prisons. They also advocate for the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
Their actions are evil and the
understandable negative reaction to the harm they are causing is spilling over to innocent people who are just going about their business, marrying and leading their lives.
I looked for the Dyke March in the press and all I found was trans March promotion for the following day. Sad there are few to none Female only spaces as part of festivities.
Gays and Lesbians owe a huge debt to a very visible Lesbian who challenged DOMA and won - Edith Windsor, which helped enormously to pave the way for all of us who are married.
I’d be happy to reserve the entire city of SF as a woman-only space in thanks.