Rant: I thought straight "feminist" women were beyond this

[libnnc]

I get pissed when I hear in other threads about how gay men and lesbians "ignore" women's issues. Memo to straight women: you owe quite a bit to lesbians who worked fighting for your rights in the '60s and 70s. Just because we have our own identity and civil rights issues doesn't mean that we haven't fought or aren't thinking about your issues. We're women too.

rant off.

[MadMaddie]

1. Hey libnnc...

good rant!! I agree with you!!

[libnnc]

2. *fuming and heaving* Thanks.

I have very few nerves left and that kinda thing get on my LAST nerve.

[MadMaddie]

5. Yea... I am there with you....

It's getting to the point where I have to consciously turn off all media, to delay hearing something more outrageos than whatever previous event that has occurred!!

These women will wake up when their very rights and civil liberties of body and mind have been taken away, and when they wake up it will be too late!

[Justitia]

3. Huh? I consider y'all friends & family, for sure! -eom

[MuseRider]

4. You are right to be angry.

Among a gazillion reasons this is one of the reasons I have spent the last year working on GLBT rights.

My lesbian friends are even more rabid than I am about the rights of women. They are getting it from both sides and I hate it.

So, good rant and very true. It is difficult to understand how one group fighting for their rights can somehow not be for or work with another group fighting for rights but there it is. Makes no sense to me.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

6. I agree with you . . .

. . . and for whatever it's worth, I'm a straight, dumbass white guy!

My best friend from WAY back is a lesbian. She's fought the good fight, and somehow, manages a smile most days.

I'd take a faceful of birdshot for her . . . can't say that about very many folks.

:)

[libnnc]

7. you're not a dumbass...

thanks for understanding.

[TygrBright]

8. uh... not to contradict you...

...but the "feminists" who pull that kind of crap...

aren't.

Feminists, that is.

They're whiney overaged adolescents with a me-fixation.

There's a lot of that going around lately, don't feel bad about making the mistake. The disguises can be very convincing.

helpfully,
Bright

[libnnc]

9. LOL. I gave up.

she's convinced that not "all" gay men and lesbians give a damn and therefore we can't claim to give a damn.

[TygrBright]

10. Whoa.... I think my head just exploded with that one...

...but I'm scared to ask you to run it by me again.

worriedly,
Bright

[Meldread]

11. I don't know what thread you are talking about...

...but I know some people like that. It annoys the hell out of me too. Typically speaking, all you have to do is ask them if they are fighting just as hard for LGBT rights as their own, and then ask name the ten most recent things they've done to further the cause for LGBT people. It shuts them up.

I mean really, let's face facts, LGBT people are in a worse position than straight women are any day of the week. Straight women in America pretty much now only face social discrimination, something that can only be changed slowly over time. LGBT people face having laws passed against them, legal discrimination. Laws that attempt to make us second class citizens. Women no longer have any fear of that. Frankly, as a gay man, I'd trade places with a straight woman on the "issues" scale any day of the week.

I think it is more obvious to gays than most other minority groups that until EVERYONE is considered equal under the law NO ONE is equal.

Granted, I do know a small handful of gay men who disparagingly talk about women. Although, it doesn't take more than "Would you tell that to your mother?" to shut them up. Frankly, though, I think that comes from internalized homophobia mixed with lack of self-confidence and self-worth than actual negative feelings about women. At least in my experiences.

[ronnykmarshall]

15. Oh it was a loo-loo!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x412278#412569

[Kerrytravelers]

19. Wow! Had not seen this particular display.

:yoiks:

[davidinalameda]

20. I'm sorry I missed that thread

[xchrom]

12. straight liberals -- not all mind you --

come with their own set of baggage re: gay folk.

there was a big fight some years ago with in the feminist movement that lesbians were, in part, responsible for the ''male bashing'' image femnisim seemed to be getting.

instead of ignoring the dividing tactics -- it did lead to some bitter in fighting.
sounds like ahold over from that argument.

it is, mind you, an OLD argument.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. its also a lazy and bad argument

i have never known a lesbian to actually hate men

but i know several straight women who do hate men

[Duncan Grant]

13. This gay man doesn't ignore women's issues.

I think most GLBT people are acutely aware of women's issues. What am I to think of a culture that pathologizes men who are effeminate or transgendered? - or even men who are sexually "passive"? Doesn't sexism influence the cultural biases and social sanctions against any man who's not exclusively heterosexual? :shrug:

To be clear, it's not my intention to trivialize the role of lesbians in the women's movement by bringing up my personal observations regarding gay or trans people. I do understand that as a gay man the culture still defers to me more often than not -- I see it in every meeting I attend in my workplace. And, I also remember when the leadership of NOW said lesbians were hurting the movement. Point is - the GLBT people I know ignore very little. Especially women's issues.

Nice rant. :hi:
ed: clarity

[foreigncorrespondent]

14. Maybe we should tell them...

...that next time the abortion issue comes up we will just sit on our asses rather than do anything seem as how they are under the notion we don't give a shit.

Good rant by the way. I too am getting tired of that shit. We might not have a need for some issues concerning women (think abortion) but the way I look at it, if we allow them to discriminate against just one woman, then we are all being discriminated against. It is ashame that some of these women don't take a similar view.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. many straight women often dont want to identify as feminists

till they can manage to do that...there's not much of anyone can do

plus straight women are many more in numbers so why do they need help from lesbians/gay men ( not that i am saying the gay community shouldnt champion womens rights)

i went to the NOW rally...and i tell you the lack of straight women (esp those in 20's and early 30's ) was appaling

[NMMNG]

18. Sometimes people like to get riled up over nothing

For example, if a person makes a post and doesn't include every possible group, then that means they don't give a crap about "X". After all, you must be dilligent enough to mention everybody so nobody's feelings get hurt. :eyes: