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marjaerwinGender oppression, including the norms for masculinity and femininity, the cis male construction of female roles, and the medicalization of trans and intersex bodies, is very real.
But it seems the more narrowly activism focuses on gender oppression - to the exclusion of economic oppression and to the exclusion of authoritarianism - the less effectively it can oppose gender oppression. I think separatism had and still has its merits, but attacks on femininity are misguided at best. And increasing economic inequality makes it harder to pursue lifestylist strategies such as defeminization.
Twisty is not at her best here. http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2011/03/13/only-sub-human/
I think a blanket condemnation of femininity is going to be, at best, confusing. I think it is important to separate different aspects of femininity, and to consider the economics of it. I tend to think of femininity as including some combination of:
1. Signifiers of femaleness. A skirt, a lesbian pride necklace, etc.
2. Approved self-expression. Some people like lace; others don't. But these are encouraged for people who are female and discouraged for people who are male; and it can be hard to find clothes which signify femaleness which don't have little frills.
And more problematically, what Twisty interprets as symbols of female subservience, I think could apply to men as much as womyn, if economic inequalities outlast sexual ones:
3. Signifiers of costliness. High-maintainance styles, restrictive shoes, etc.
4. Signifiers of submissiveness. Restrictive styles, restrictive shoes, etc.
5. Styles which indicate availability to higher-status individuals and/or unavailability to lower-status ones.
So where do we go from here? I think we need to relate feminism to economic and moral foundations - socialism, and liberty, and I think only anarchism can provide these. In the meantime, some more linky goodness:
http://radgeek.com/
http://liberationforall.wordpress.com/
P.S. Rechelon has some seriously cool stuff here:
http://humaniterations.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/all-the-things/
Not sure where to begin... I hope he starts with everything!
But it seems the more narrowly activism focuses on gender oppression - to the exclusion of economic oppression and to the exclusion of authoritarianism - the less effectively it can oppose gender oppression. I think separatism had and still has its merits, but attacks on femininity are misguided at best. And increasing economic inequality makes it harder to pursue lifestylist strategies such as defeminization.
Twisty is not at her best here. http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2011/03/13/only-sub-human/
I think a blanket condemnation of femininity is going to be, at best, confusing. I think it is important to separate different aspects of femininity, and to consider the economics of it. I tend to think of femininity as including some combination of:
1. Signifiers of femaleness. A skirt, a lesbian pride necklace, etc.
2. Approved self-expression. Some people like lace; others don't. But these are encouraged for people who are female and discouraged for people who are male; and it can be hard to find clothes which signify femaleness which don't have little frills.
And more problematically, what Twisty interprets as symbols of female subservience, I think could apply to men as much as womyn, if economic inequalities outlast sexual ones:
3. Signifiers of costliness. High-maintainance styles, restrictive shoes, etc.
4. Signifiers of submissiveness. Restrictive styles, restrictive shoes, etc.
5. Styles which indicate availability to higher-status individuals and/or unavailability to lower-status ones.
So where do we go from here? I think we need to relate feminism to economic and moral foundations - socialism, and liberty, and I think only anarchism can provide these. In the meantime, some more linky goodness:
http://radgeek.com/
http://liberationforall.wordpress.com/
P.S. Rechelon has some seriously cool stuff here:
http://humaniterations.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/all-the-things/
Not sure where to begin... I hope he starts with everything!
