Out in Left Field - Feminist Movement and Civic Athletic Space

“OUT IN LEFT FIELD: FEMINIST MOVEMENT AND CIVIC ATHLETIC SPACE” and “FINDING THE LIMITS OF WOMEN’S AUTONOMY” ANNE ENKE PETER FLYNN Avantis: softball team that The feminist Wilder Ones modeled how to be “out lesbians” o Defied middle-class gender norms Avantis did this not to be “lesbian” but to be a better team and promote new ways for women to move in world Quote: “Back then, when you’re new in town, the first thing you do is you look for the softball teams, because that’s where you know you can find the lesbians” Secret Storm: “work group”; feminist outreach organization that hoped to catalyze activism around women’s access to public space that recognized that softball = organizing tool for socialist feminism During 1960s-70s public spaces like softball fields gave new visibility to diverse lesbian subcultures Establishment of spaces where women publicly rebelled against gender conventions and heterosexism as part of an overt, feminist politics Difference between gay women, feminists, and feminist lesbian groups presence on the fields Sexuality central to softball o Some softball groups generated lesbian styles within public parks while at the same time using the multiple meanings of athletics to create styles that “family-minded people did not have to read as lesbian o Other groups: their performance be read as lesbian Women’s activism turned ball field into a space that could be variously public, democratic, feminist, family, lesbian, and socialist The Wilder Ones: softball team that used softball as an activity through which to become out lesbians: even when they modeled themselves on established, visible lesbian subcultures, occupying ball parks as “out lesbians” gave new meanings to that civic space and generated a new politicized sex/gender community At the forefront of feminist an lesbian resistance, out lesbian teams refused the “female apologetic”: they refused to make public assertion that they were heterosexual and subordinate to men- an assertion that has so often accompanied feminist movements Secret storm had a different feminist vision than the wilder ones, they were not on the ball field to come out and elaborate feminist lesbian publicity but to radicalize working-class women and housewives to socialist feminism Civic athletic space not only led Secret Storm to take up gender equity and women’s access to public space, but also women’s use of their bodies, lesbian baiting and homophobia, and lesbian presence within their constituency “THE WOMAN-IDENTIFIED WOMAN” (1970) RADICALESBIANS PETER FLYNN Quote: “A lesbian is the rage of all women condensed to the point of explosion. She is the woman who, often beginning at an extremely early age, acts in accordance with her inner compulsion to be a more complete and freer human being than her society- perhaps then, but certainly later- cares to allow her” Women not able to accept role forced on her by society Lesbianism is a category based on a sexist society with sex roles that dehumanize women and alienate men’s emotions In a perfect not oppressive society, categories of homosexuality and heterosexuality would disappear all together Lesbian is a term that sexist men gave to women who challenge their superiority or dare to be equals Quote: “in popular thinking, there is really only one difference b/w lesbian and other women: that of sexual orientation- which is to say, when you strip off all the packaging, you must finally realize that the essence of being a “woman” is to get fucked by men” Lesbian = scare term for women who want to get out of subordinate role and be a real person, trying to frighten into less militant stance Separatism: Cannot change a system that is broken, so only option is to separate themselves completely from the system and create a new, better system without men Women that want to “change the system” are delusional, buying into the system of oppression, and doomed to self-hate “Femininity” or “being a real woman” is simply the slave status belonging to men, only way to become legitimate women in eyes of men Quote: “Our energies must flow toward our sisters, not backwards toward our oppressors” “LESBIANS IN REVOLT” CHARLOTTE BUNCH PETER FLYNN Quote: “lesbian rejects male sexual/political domination; she defies his world, his social organization, his ideology, and his definition of her as an inferior.” Lesbian is a political choice Lesbian feminism = argues liberation of women as top priority Males define lesbianism as just a sexual act = reflection of men’s view of women as sexual objects Woman-identified-woman commits herself to other women for political, emotional, physical, and economic support Lesbians must become feminists to fight oppression; feminists must become lesbians – only when to end male oppression Make the private  public: for the lesbian feminist it is not a private matter like many reformers would like to make sexuality but a political matter of oppression, domination, and power Reformists give no solutions that make actual changes to a system that systemically oppresses all women Sexism is the root of all oppression according to lesbian feminists men conquered women with the weapons they made from hunting b/c of first division of labor  first imperialism = men over women Lesbianism basic threat to male supremacy Female inferiority and need of men = lie, women don’t even need men for procreation Heterosexuality separates women from each other, to compete for men and privileges of becoming wife or lover which, in reality, offers economic and emotional security  lesbian gets none of the security or privileges because does not except what the male demands of her Economic “security” = huge part of the oppression, women work for men in order to survive (in jobs or in the home) Lesbians- form own movement to fight male supremacy Ending identification with and dependence on heterosexuality since essence, definition, and nature of heterosexuality puts men first “THE GAY MANIFESTO” THE RED BUTTERFLY (1970) CARL WITTMAN PETER FLYNN Orientation o Homosexuality: society made homosexuality taboo b/c needed people to produce and raise children, gender of the object of desire imposed socially = homosexuality is not a choice o Bisexuality: cop-out for gay movement, still puts homosexuality down o Heterosexuality: anti-homosexual, sex = aggression for male chauvinist and obligation for traditional woman, so for gay people to become “heterosexual” would “not a cure, it is a disease” Women o Lesbianism = gay women feel put down for being both gay and being a woman, different perspective than gay men, but have same enemy: big male chauvinists and big antigays, but biggest problem for working together is gay males chauvinism o Male Chauvinism: all men are chauvinists regardless of sexuality Roles o Think Straight: part of oppression is thinking straight or mimicking straight society  Marriage: straight institution with role playing, traditional = oppressive, gay people need to stop basing self-respect on mimic of straight marriage “we are just the same as you”  Gay “stereotypes”: gay activist groups deploy gays who are queens or flamboyant, however this manifesto explains they are the first martyrs and straight society is at fault Oppression o Physical attacks: attacked, beaten, castrated, used to be called lynchings, o Psychological warfare: straight propaganda – parents straight so grow up thinking alone and pervert o Self- Oppression: gay people who defend status quo o Institutional: gay relationship still illegal, forces to keep sexuality hidden Sex o Objectification: use of human body not harmful when it is reciprocal, not necessarily bad, but all liberation plays down sexual objection  something gay men choose to do vs imposed upon women by oppressors Learning how to be open and good with sexuality is part of liberation Ghetto – San Francisco Conclusion: Quote: “1. Free ourselves: come out everywhere; initiate self defense and political activity; initiate counter community institutions. 2. Turn other gay people on: talk all the time; understand, forgive, accept. 3. Free the homosexual in everyone: we’ll be getting a good bit of shit from threatened latents: be gentle and keep talking and acting free. 4. We’ve been playing an act for a long time, so we’re consummate actors. Now we can begin to be, and it’ll be a good show.” COMBAHEE RIVER COLLECTIVE STATEMENT 1977 CHARLOTTE BUNCH ANJALI BALAKRISHNA Thesis: “The most general statement of our politics at the present time would be that we are actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression, and see as our particular task the development of integrated analysis and practice based upon the fact that the major systems of oppression are interlocking.” 1. 2. 3. 4. The Genesis of Contemporary Black Feminism a. Black women are part of two oppressed groups at once b. Black women activists have combined struggles with sexuality with struggles with race c. National Black Feminist Organization: group of Black feminists in New York, from 1973 d. Wanted to create something anti-racist and anti-sexist e. Racial politics are holding most black women back What We Believe a. Black women are inherently valuable b. They are the only people who care enough about the rights of black women to do something about it c. Identity politics: Focusing on own oppression, and on their own identities because that is the most powerful d. Sexual politics are as pervasive as racial politics e. “struggle together with Black men against racism, while we also struggle with Black men about sexism” f. Want to destroy capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy, and instead put in a form of socialism that is both feminist and anti-racist g. Being a smart black women is harder than being a smart white woman, based on social norms h. They reject Lesbian separatism Problems in Organizing Black Feminists a. Hard to organize around Black Feminism b. Socially low value placed on black women, and their needs c. Structure of the lives of Black women make it hard for them to push against the system d. Black men have responded very negatively towards feminism e. Views of Collective didn’t necessarily fit in with those of other feminist groups f. Want to create a collection of Black feminist writing to unify and gather pockets of black feminists from all over the country Black Feminist Issues and Projects a. Focus on issues of race, class, and sex b. Specific issues: sterilization abuse, abortion rights, battered women, rape and health care “As feminists we don’t want to mess over people in the name of politics” “UNDERSTANDING THE GAY LATINO EXPERIENCE” EL TECLOTE (1976) GAY LATINO ALLIANCE ANJALI BALAKRISHNA 1. Part 1 a. b. c. d. 2. Part 2 a. GALA (Gay Latino Alliance): Want to create a dialogue with the rest of the community to explore the nature of oppression facing gay Latinos Heterosexual society forced young children to conform to norms about gender roles Gay women mess with the power structure because they love women and don’t submit to men “If we are to succeed in the struggle for a society free of exploitation and oppression by one people over another, we must all, gay and straight, young and old, join hands.” GALA: born Nov. 1975, have three major goals i. RAZA Consciousness: raza = race, show how people are discriminated against racially ii. Self Determination: right to shape own future/struggle against oppression based on sex/sexual orientation iii. Mutual Support: pledge support to all the other gay people “A FEM’S FEMINIST HISTORY” JOAN NESTLE ANJALI BALAKRISHNA Self-identified queer, fem, and self-taught socialist Contrasts the Lesbian bar scene of the 1950s with that of the 1970s: in the 50s, they were homes to these women at a time when they faced a lot of discrimination At a bar, Kookie’s, when feminists raided the place waving flyers and wearing flannel Women were part of the Women’s Liberation Movement  Nestle felt torn between the educated world of these feminists and the world of the women in the bars, who she knew so well Decided to go to a meeting of the WLM anyway Two butch women came to a meeting, and people didn’t like that they looked like men She did a great job writing an exam such that her professor told her she wrote like a man #rough Decided to join the emerging lesbian feminist movement With the feminists, felt self, purpose, political cohesiveness Through feminism, she was learning to value women in a way that she had not been able to before Created the Lesbian Herstory Archives: chronicled the stories of various lesbians Feminism helped her understand the complexity of same sex desire Also understood the changes between the butch-fem dynamic of the past, and the way that Lesbian relationships had changed since “the personal is political” She faced opposition from feminists because she played into the butch-fem identity divide Lesbian Herstory Archives are now in a 3-story limestone building in Park Slope, Brooklyn “REPORT ON A CONFERENCE ON FEMINISM, SEXUALITY, AND POWER: THE ELECT CLASH WITH THE PERVERSE” MARGARET HUNT ANJALI BALAKRISHNA Debate over lesbian sadomasochism/how feminists should respond to porn Conference at Mount Holyoke about “Feminism, Sexuality, and Power”  focused on issue of lesbian S/M…why? “Radical feminists” = “anti-porn people”, anti-sex group,” moral purity feminists” Doesn’t like porn that portrays women as victims in some way Didn’t like the dominant/submissive dichotomy of S and M IF someone gets off on being dominant sexually, how does this affect their behavior in the rest of their lives? Mount Holyoke conference had three goals: 1) get rid of S/M people from radical feminist movement 2) institute pornography censorship 3) stop heterosexual women from having sex with men because it’s oppressive Consent: questioning whether real consent is possible in patriarchal society, consent is central to S/M Author of this paper argues that the way that radical lesbians frame straight people is no worse than the way straight people treat lesbians/gays: “Hearing this I suddenly found myself offering up a little prayer of forgiveness for (almost) every uncharitable thought I ever had about straight women. Jeffreys is proposing to treat them as despicably as our heterosexist society has treated lesbians and gay men.” Author decided that the radical lesbian movement was not something she wanted to be a part of based on how discriminatory it was, after attending this conference FILM: THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK JACKSON BLUM Harvey Milk and San Fran mayor George Moscone assassinated in Nov 1978. Milk had only served as supervisor 11 months. Milk was born in 1930 in Long Island to Jewish parents. Ordinary kid, learned he was gay at age 14. Joined Navy after college, then worked on Wall St. Got active in NY theater in the 1960s. Protested against the war. Moved to San Fran, opened camera store in Castro District. Became active in local politics, dubbed “The Mayor of Castro St.” First ran for supervisor in 1973. Earned support from some labor unions. Ran for office and lost three times in 1973-76. Got more popular each time. New mayor, Moscone, in 1975. Showed respect for city’s many neighborhoods and cultures. New district election plan. Officials no longer elected by entire city. Castro gay life was booming. Milk began fourth campaign in 1977. Unconventional, ran out of Castro Camera. Milk finally elected to board of supervisors at age 47. Lesbians and gays now had political representation, a voice. Milk saw himself as a supervisor for all people, not just gays. Initial tension on board of supervisors when voting for a president. Milk refused to agree with the majority. Supervisor Dan White. Former firefighter. Old fashioned values. He and Milk were symbols of new district election system. Milk: important for gays, women, minorities to link together. Milk focused on issues important to lower class and senior citizens. Tackling the dog shit problem. Pooper Scooper Initiative. Milk supported new voting system that was more accessible to immigrants. Gay Rights Ordinance. Protected people from being fired for homosexuality. Dan White cast the only vote against it. Milk accepted possibility of assassination Gay Pride Parade in 1978. In 1977-78, gay rights measures were being repealed across the US. CA Prop 6 would deny gays jobs in public schools. Put Milk and the topic of homosexuality in the spotlight. 2 sets of fears: gay livelihood and loss of conservative family values. Prop 6 defeated Nov 1978. Height of Milk’s political power. Milk encouraged all gays to come out. Dan White resigned as supervisor. Changed his mind later, but it was too late and the decision was the mayor’s. Milk convinced him not to reappoint White. News of murder/suicide of 900+ people in Jonestown. Many were from San Fran. Milk and Moscone shot by White in separate incident. Citywide mourning. Jury selection process in White trial excluded gays and many minorities. White wept in his confession, gained some sympathy. Whites lawyers claimed the Twinkie Defense: White was depressed due to overconsumption of junk food. White found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. Riots followed the announcement. Verdict reinforced white middle class values. White released in 1984, after 5 years in prison and no psychiatric help. OUT FOR GOOD: THE STRUGGLE TO BUILD A GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN AMERICA (chp. 6, 8, 10-12, 16, 22-23) DUDLEY CLENDININ AND ADAM NAGOURNEY Uhhh… “‘THAT’S MY PLACE!’: NEGOTIATING RACIAL, SEXUAL, AND GENDER POLITICS IN SAN FRANCISCO’S GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE, 19751983” HORACIO N. ROQUE RAMIREZ DAVID LANGDON Summary: This essay considers the founding, the development, and the dissolution in San Francisco of the Gay Latino Alliance, one of the first organizations of its kind in the nation, and examines how its members negotiated the racial, gender, and sexual politics of the period. Like Wat’s narrative, it illustrates the specific struggles of undertaking a political activism campaign within a racial community with other, competing priorities. Specific Points: Difficulty reconciling gay and racial consciousness simultaneously Racial interactions between gay Latinos and white men: “The problem here is everybody is after the white trophy.” Latinos even treated themselves as second-class citizens Latino sense of marginalization in the gay bar scene Many San Francisco activists were inspired by the gay Latino presence in Los Angeles San Francisco presented particular problems, however: the city’s Latino presence was smaller and much more heterogeneous (divisions between Latino communities based on country of emigration proved strong) Latinos were not automatic allies in what one early GALA activist saw as a “common struggle” For GALA, which established a political presence, leaders often struggled negotiating public image between Latino and gay communities (who do we try to appeal to? Who is our battle against?) GALA challenged the white mainstream gay and lesbian community to be more accepting, but they also challenged the broad Latino community in the Mission district GALA helped to create a gay community within both subcultures FILM: UNITED IN ANGER: A HISTORY OF ACT UP JAMES HUBBARD RACHEL MILEWICZ “ACT UP...Fight back...Fight AIDS” Documentary film recording story of anti-AIDS activist group ACT UP Used footage from late 1980s-early 90s along with interviews with activists ACT UP founded March 1987 in NYC Events o March ‘87, Sept ‘89 - Wall Street protests for more access to drugs/cheaper drugs. Sell Burroughs Wellcome = pharmaceutical sponsor of AZT drug o FDA demonstrations - Oct ‘88. Shut down office for a day o Cosmo - Jan ‘88 protest of Cosmo magazine because of article saying women weren’t really at risk o Church protest - Dec ‘89. Cardinal O’Connor against safe sex ed, condoms. St Patrick’s Cathedral. Huge protest, “die-in” o NIH protest - May ‘90. Scientific studies too slow, not enough transparency o Day of Desperation - Jan ‘91. Interrupted CBS evening news, next day was huge demonstration in Grand Central Terminal Important themes/messages o Literally fighting for their lives o Sense of being ignored and neglected by government o ACT UP as a social scene, looking forward to Monday night meetings all week o Different groups come together under one cause, diversity o Creativity and militancy in protests o Not being afraid to be arrested during the protests o Women can also get AIDS, not just men o Early 90s - not enough action, more people dying, scattering ashes protests o Art of posters/signs mimicked in other activist work → use of pink triangle symbol “1,112 AND COUNTING” NEW YORK NATIVE (MARCH 1983) LARRY KRAMER JONATHAN VILLANUEVA Written by Larry Kramer, founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP in 1987 Effort to try to get people to do something about AIDS, get angry and do something It is not just promiscuous gay men that get AIDS  all it takes is “one wrong fuck” States the fact that most people who get AIDS are gay men, not straight people The medical establishment is making it difficult for people to get info and treatment about AIDS The Gay Men’s Health Crisis is the only organization educating the city about AIDS People would be responding differently if this affected straight, white, middle-class people Victims of AIDS can’t get insurance Mayor Ed Koch isn’t doing anything about AIDS, silence is killing gays Even gay doctors don’t want to help fight AIDS Silence is deadly, people should come out of the closet already Kramer loathes those who don’t want to give up careless sex, “only think with their cocks” People need to get angry for AIDS Gay people are being blamed for causing it, when in reality gay people should be seen as victims Need to recruit volunteers for civil disobedience demonstrations  beginnings of ACT UP? (idk this is just my thought) “AIDS AND REMEMBRANCE: DAYS OF 1984” PLENARY ADDRESS, YALE LGBT ALUMBI REUNION, 2009 WILLIAM B. RUBENSTEIN JONATHAN VILLANUEVA The plague years, early years of AIDS From free love, bathhouses  pleasure  to death Read Faggots and 1112 and counting  written by Larry Kramer o Get angry about AIDS and do something about it Called GRID (Gay related immune deficiency) Rubenstein learned stuff from gay bars around the city, he learned how to be gay Come out, then “come in” to rich set of gay communities Did legal work with AIDS, didn’t know the men but knew their stories  all of his clients died Friend John Wallace at Yale, most gorgeous man and great person  died from AIDS Positive side: Legal victories on behalf of men denied healthcare while dying His generation marked by loss and death, but a new generation of young gay activists will take its place “A community that does not reproduce itself biologically will not be decimated by a communal plague”  straight people will continue to give birth to gay people o Need to remember the beauty of their friends who are now gone “THIS IS ABOUT PEOPLE DYING: THE TACTICS OF EARLY ACT UP AND LESBIAN AVENGERS IN NEW YORK CITY: AN INTERVIEW WITH MAXINE WOLFE BY LARAINE SOMMELLA” WILLIAM B. RUBENSTEIN PAUL LEO “CONTESTED MEMBERSHIP: BLACK GAY IDENTITIES AND THE POLITICS OF AIDS” CATHY J. COHEN PAUL LEO Intro She opens up the article by stating that identities of difference, such as race, class, gender, and sexuality are fragmented, contested and socially constructed. Because of this, she is interested in how certain group members define and redefine themselves such that they can get “full membership” to their group. Specifically, she is concerned with “blackness” and how it is used to demarcate group membership (i.e. determine who is black and who isn’t.) Many definitions of blackness don’t center on easily identifiable, biologically rooted characteristics, but rather moralistic and character values. Often a “subgroup” will form in a minority group that gets ostracized from the group because they don’t fit into the standard definition of the group. Cohen wants to see how these groups are treated. To evaluate this, she will look at how issues of black gay male identity (a subgroup of a minority group) have shaped the black community’s response to the AIDS epidemic. Her thesis: Cohen’s central claim is this: contestations over black identity had tangible effects on how the black community responded to the AIDS epidemic. It influenced the distribution of resources and services. Those who don’t fit into the typical “black” description lose resources and support. How do we put the needs of a sub-minority group at the center of a minority group’s focus when the dominant portion of the minority group has needs of its own? While Cohen doesn’t believe that race or blackness is “real” in some genetic or biological form, she does believe that the social constructs of race and blackness have massively structured and affected our lives. Some background: “Blackness” has always been understood to be an underlying factor that unifies struggles (civil rights, electoral campaigns of black candidates, etc.) Gay black people often did not live in separate subcultures – they often lived with their families but just were careful about not “flaunting their gayness.” A number of gay “ghettos” formed in urban areas, providing a space away from local communities and families where ideas of empowerment and discussions of political strategies could be discussed. There was also the emergence of brave black gay and lesbian leaders who openly wrote and claimed their sexuality (Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, etc) The urban gay ghettos, along with some publications and movies (Tongues Untied) created an environment in which the silence that had governed many black gay lives seemed unacceptable. People began to identify as black and gay. During the AIDS crisis, there was a need to either recognize and embrace your identity or to die. A number of groups, conferences, etc sprung up to address the need of help in the black community for the AIDS crisis (GMAD – Gay Men of African Descent, National Conference on AIDS in the Black Community.) By the time openly gay men and lesbians needed to speak to the black community about the AIDS epidemic, the gay community couldn’t be silent anymore. If they were silent, lives would be lost. At the time the article was written, AIDS was the #1 killer of black men ages 25-44 and women ages 18-44. The devastation is 2 real. Even though the aforementioned communities and conventions exist, there has in general been no substantial mobilization around the AIDS crisis in African American communities. Why has there been no real response to AIDS in black communities? To many in the black community, AIDS is an individual disease, and some who get the disease just happen to be black. Some people say that black people have fewer resources to deal with the AIDS crisis. While this may be true on an individual level, many of the major cities that got hit by AIDS have black mayors who can really help out. So you have to be careful when making that statement. Some people think that black people suffer from so many diseases (sickle cell anemia, etc) that resources shouldn’t necessarily be turned over to AIDS. Homophobia in the black community, and in the important institutions of the community (the church.) The policing of black sexuality: There has always existed some sort of “indigenous policing” of black people, meaning that their “blackness” needs to be controlled. There is a stereotype that black sexuality is a deviant thing, and those who fulfilled this stereotype had their morality questioned by the leaders of the black community. In other words, black sexuality was being policed So some leaders claim that they are protecting the image of the community by policing black homosexuality. Over and over in historical analysis we see a “quiet acceptance” of gays into the black community. They can join the community, but have to be hushed about their homosexuality. This denies black gays any sense of empowerment. Her argument, laid out explicitly again: The definitions of “blackness” put forth by indigenous leaders are in direct contrast with the ideas associated with people living with AIDS. This behavior is seen as immoral and an embarrassment to the community members. The black church – a large cause of the problem Traditionally it is seen as the glue of the community Traditionally, the black church has condemned homosexuality. In the AIDS crisis, the church has not responded with compassion and empowerment. They did little at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Gay men are given love when they are sick, but their relationships are not recognized or respected. “The church will take care of you when you are sick, but they won’t talk about it and there’s no way of providing education.”