Searching around in my brain for something to write about, sifting through the falling leaves and mush on the ground. I find We Have Brains, a collab for feminists, and realize I have written nothing about feminism. Their current question is about sexuality and feminism: Given the shifts in society since the 1970's, does the phrase "lesbian feminist" even mean the same thing it did then - namely, a radical, separatist form of feminism? And where is the true intersection between queer and feminist? I think we can all agree that it's quite common to be one without the other. But. Aren't there also some inevitable areas of mutual concern? What does it mean to be queer and a feminist? To be straight and a feminist? So here goes.
It never occured to me that a lesbian feminist might mean a lesbian separatist feminist. It seems to me that most lesbian feminists are concerned with the same issues that straight feminists are concerned with, including abortion rights; and that most straight feminists are also concerned with gay rights. The issues of feminism are issues of human rights and civil rights, basic principles of justice (which is why, yes, men can certainly be feminists as well).
I find our notions of sexuality to be mostly restricting and full of unnecessary labeling. How many people still don't even believe there's such a thing as being bisexual? How many of those people even regard themselves as feminists? Surprisingly many. But what do all these labels mean anyway? If I'm a woman who's only had sex with men but finds other women just as sexually attractive, am I bi or am I straight? If I had sex with men in the past but have only had sex with women for the past 10 years, am I bisexual or am I a lesbian? Does it matter and should anybody give a flying fuck?
I think people of all genders, sexualities, races and religions should be proud to call themselves a feminist. If you're a woman, are you glad you have the vote? Thank feminism. Glad it's not legal for your co-worker to get paid more because he's a man (even if it still happens)? Thank feminism. Glad you don't have to stay home all day doing the housework and having babies? Thank feminism. Glad you have any sort of access to birth control pills? Thank feminism.
