encontrando seu próprio lesbianismo separatista

Finding Your Inner Lesbian Separatist

Deep inside each woman is a little voice crying out. It is our own, inner lesbian separatist. That’s right, you too can be a lesbian who, in profound enlightenment, can live independently of males. With a dedications and the few simple tips provided in this self-help essay, you will emerge into your new, enlightened, dyke identity.

You may be asking yourself, “why would I want to be a lesbian separatist?” perhaps you’ve notice that women make less money than men, to this very day, even when a woman is compared to a man in the same job with the same amount of education. Or perhaps you have become aware that every few minutes, a woman is sexually assaulted. Perhaps you’ve noticed that nine out of ten people who suffer from debilitating eating disorders are female. You may be tired by now of the portrayal of women as helpless creatures, always mutilating and torturing themselves to look good for men. Or you may be tired of seeing real women do those things. Are you sickened by the fact that women get breast enlargements to look good for men despite the risks involved? Are you sickened knowing that women all over the world are being raped and beaten by men as you read this? Are you tired of the rude stares or comments about your looks from complete strangers? Are you horrified by the fact that your friend is in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship with a man but won’t get out of it because society has made it impossible for her to imagine living without a man? Then you can benefit from being a lesbian separatist. You can take yourself out of the patriarchal, cruel world and surround yourself with your sisters.

This is not a step by step process. Your lesbian separatist identity is discovered through enlightenment and a series of epiphanies or revelations. It starts with you being sick and tired of the sexist, racist, classist, and homophobic society you live in; a society created by males, with laws made by males, a government and education system run by white males. Starting to get the picture? If you don’t like this society, if you think it’s sick and wrong, then you can’t like the males who are the leaders of it. And I don’t mean the president—every president or vice president of a company, every manager, every cop, every reporter, every teacher who is male is a part of that system that is pushing women down. Every man is responsible for the oppression against women. And how many of them do you see fessing up? Sure some men may say “I think it’s awful women are oppressed,” but what do they do about it? do they donate money or food to women’s shelters? Do they educate other men when they hear a sexist joke? Do they fight for equality in the work place? Do they wonder if teachers are giving due attention to girls in the class. Or do they tell sexist jokes? Do they believe and support oppressive images such as the idea of welfare queens and the evil prostitute? Would they ignore a woman’s screams for help as she was being raped or beaten? Would they care if their wives felt they weren’t treated the same as men at work? Ninety percent of “sympathetic” men are just trying to score brownie points with women. They are just as oppressive as sexist as the man who tries to feel women up at the grocery store or opposes having women in the army. The only difference is that they are actively lying and trying to cover up their true nature.

Are you thoroughly disgusted by men? Good, now, to discover your lesbian separatist you must educate yourself. Evidence of enlightenment leading to lesbianism abounds in our history. Early in America’s history, women who were allowed access to universities often formed what were called “Boston marriages” in which tow women lived together, apart form men. At one point in china, during a period of economic stability., women who could get jobs educated themselves and resisted marriage. They lived together in large groups of women instead. In the 20s, in Harlem, black women who were economically stable enlightened themselves through music and sexual freedom. Lesbianism was common. Virginia Woolfe, Stein and others were educated women who separated themselves from men—to live with and love women. Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and other famouse blues singers knew the pleasures and advantages of being with women. Royalty like queen crhistiana prefered women to any king or prince. Nuns, of course, were groups of enlightened women who separated themselves from men. Many people have hear dabout how Native Americans accepted and even honored their women who chose to live with women. Today as well, women two-spirits are alive and strong (contrary to popular belief, Native Americans are not extinct). It has been found in contemporary studies that lesbians tend to complete a higher level of education. Lesbians are enlightened, therefore your route to lesbianism is to become enlightened.

Take philosophy, sociology, women’s studies, American Indian studies, black studies, Chicano studies, and other such classes. These are the ones that will enlighten you. philosophy is only good in a small amount. The philosophy commonly taught is the philosophy crated and defined by white, upper-class men It also is usually taught by white, upper-class, men. Sociology and anthropology can be white male dominated as well. Women’s studies can be whtie, uppr-class oreiented. Seaerch out classes that teach diversity in gender, sexulity, race, religion, culture, class, and so on. take American Indian classes about the role of women. Take women’s studies about race and class. Tanek another womeen’s studies abou lesbians. You get the idea.

Read books—lots of books—books on judaism, buddhimsm, taoism. Books on thje history of Native Americans, Blacks in America and the women’s movements. Books by lesbians, natives, Chicanos and anyone else who isn’t white, male, Christian, rich straight or temporarily able.

Turn off the TV. TV is a major source of sexist, homophobic, and oppressive propaganda. At most you can watch one or two hours of TV a week (I still watch x-files and Startrek a couple of times a month. I guess I’m addicted). Also, when you read papers and magazines—don’t believe everything you read. Be critical. Try to pick out untruths or stereotypes. Analyze articles and pictures: do they reflect the oppressive ideas of our dominant culture? Are there pictures of women on their knees? Do any of the women wear such heavy eye makeup to like they have black eyes, as if they had been beaten (a very popular look right now)? What are the pictures saying? Are there pictures of underage children wearing adult clothes and advertising adult products? Have you ever notices the disgusting trend of advertisers portraying children as sexual objects?

Involve yourself in the arts, whatever arts you can afford. A pen and paper is all you need to draw. You can join a choir, learn to paint, crate fimo beads, or anything. Art is a part of enlightenment. And write. Write poetry or prose. Write a diary or journal. Write anything, write about yourself and your world. Write about the pizza you had for lunch. Write about the meaning of life. Don’t try to write the way you’re “supposed” to, just write. That’s part of discovering yourself.

Get active. Get involved with politics in your area. Join groups for community service and activism. Volunteer at planned parenthood, women’s shelters, and AIDS awareness groups. Go to rallies, join in marches, communicate with politicians. Vote and put political signs in your yard. Be an environmentalist. Work to save forests and keep incinerators and dangerous factories out of working class neighborhoods. Fight to remove sexist, racist, classist, heterosexist/homophobic elements from your community. Fight to save Native American artifacts that have been dug up by white people and return them to the native. Fight to improve schools in the city. There’s a lot you could do.

All of the elements described above will help you to discover yourself and your world. Ultimately, chances are that you will find your inner lesbian separatist.