Here's the thing. My politics are pro-black, pro-intersectionality, anti-essentialist feminism. But, I confess that I have a soft spot for old school lesbian separatist gender-essentialist intersectionality-weak feminist theory. Before I got the chance to read core black feminism, Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, Barbara Smith, etc, my introduction to feminist theory was white-dominated lesbian separatism. Sarah Hoagland. Andrea Dworkin (who wasn't exactly a lesbian, but I always thought of her as a lesbian separatist). Mary Daly. And that was the stuff that saved my life in a time when it desperately needed saving.
Courage to Live (1985 ed.): the Courage to refuse inclusion in the State of the Living Dead, to break out from the deadforms of archetypal deadtime, to take leap after leap of Living Faith; Fiercely Biophilic Courage
Surviving [derived fr. L super- beyond + vivere to live--Webster's] : the process of Spinsters living beyond, above, through, around the perpetual witchcraze of patriarchy; Metaliving, be-ing. Canny Comment:
If anyone should ask a Negro woman what is her greatest achievement, her honest answer would be: "I survived!" -- Pauli Murray, 1970Heterosexual psychodrama had been kicking my ass. I went back to school. I stopped dating altogether, I was no longer interested in it. I don't endorse separatism as a political project, but perhaps I can get behind separatism as a temporary meditative project. There is a rescuing that happens with separatist imagination. That moment when I was so filled with rage, I needed breathing room. An imaginative breadth where I could see myself in a pause. Space to not have to deal with the ongoingness, the relentlessness of the violence that I once saw as core in the engagement between men and women.
Parthenogenesis (Anne Dellenbaugh) n [derived fr. Gk parthenos virgin + Gk genesis birth--American Heritage] 1 : process of a woman creating her Self 2 : process by which a Virgin brings forth Daughters by herSelf without the interference or input of any male 3 : process by which a Spinster creates unfathered works: SPINNING. See Virgin (W-W 2)I read Mary Daly's Wickedary and it was like an awakening. A gaping hole in front of me. I hadn't imagined that anyone could break from whole epistemologies, entire vocabularies, miles and miles of crazymaking premises. That book is a work of artistry, of irony, urgency, and love.
Philosophia n : "the wisdom formulated by women; love for the wisdom of women; desire and passion for understanding: an intellectual urge toward love of live"--Emily Erwin Culpepper. See Parthenogenetic CreationMy politics are now so different from this body of work. Now I'm full of plenty of rage for white people too! Ha! There are profound differences regarding race politics, sex work, trans politics, nation... And, in any case, it's not sustainable, realistic, or even desirable to separate from whole groups of people, even if it were possible to draw boundaries through gender, or race, or other constructed populations. Which it's not. And even if it were not possible to love and have relation across those borders. Which, of course, it is. The theories I prioritize and the politics that drive me now seem so alien from and largely opposed to this particular kind of feminism that rescued me so long ago. Even as I flip through Wickedary this evening and review Daly's definition for "Ethnic," I think...noooo. Whiteness and the lessons of difference will never allow me to literally think of the population of women as a nation, an idea that seems to fit snugly in these pages.
But I can occasionally table some of these issues when I rest. These ideas don't have to be like a handbook that shapes an on the ground organizing and life practice. But they can be available when a distance is desperately called for and required. When one's mind is at the state of Enough. There's something about the militancy of it that I find comforting. That it's there if we really need it. It's a reminder that there's a way to completely shut off the volume of noise if we can no longer constantly battle it.
Third Eye : Super Sensory power of transcendent vision; Elemental capacity of Nag-Gnostics to envision Other Whys, Other ways, and Other worlds.Black feminism is written down on my body, threaded through my heart, it gives form to my relationships, it makes sense of my subjectivity. But my life was already saved by the time I got to it. And even though I can read Gyn/Ecology now and know that it will make me cringe, I will never deny the powerful imaginary that Daly's work provided. What can be done in the absence of the thing that makes one mad, that's hard to name, and seems inescapable? A breather could change everything.
I am so incredibly grateful for her work and I am so sad that she is gone. Safe travels, Crone Mary, may the Elemental Spirits carry you to the next Otherworld.
10 comments:
I feel the same way about some of the white male-men who were so important to me once upon a time, but whose ways of being didn't quite measure up to who they said they were, and once I realised white male-men aren't the holders of truth, well, bye-bye white brethren.
I struggle to accomplish a "mutual respect" approach, rather than a "replacement" one.
Someone once said to me: "Instead of thinking you are one, then two, then three [years old], what if we were one, then one and two, then one and two and three?" This view makes room for all those feelings we had when younger, as valuable or as authentic, and also acknowledges we have acquired more since then. But, as you say, it doesn't mean we can't revisit those place of value from the past, if only meditatively.
And, I'm curious to know why you don't think Andrea Dworkin was a lesbian? It's fascinating to me that you say, in your mind, she was a lesbian separatist, because in many ways she was and in many ways she wasn't. She wrote all night, alone. She lived with a sexually active gay man for thirty years.
As a celibate gayboy, I wonder about definitions of lesbianism that don't make room for celibacy. Andrea had love of and for women, and a political commitment to speak out on matters that negatively impacted women. Women, not men, were the center of her emotional life. What's not lesbian about that? I could live my whole life with a lesbian woman and that wouldn't make me less gay, would it?
I don't find much political inconsistency between, say Audre Lorde and Andrea Dworkin.
Daly did her own thing. And, as you note, we are better off for it. I totally agree with you: taking that space from men is sometimes VERY necessary. I say this as a male-privileged adult.
Why is it such as struggle to hold what was valuable about someone, and leave the rest? This is a question I ask myself, a lot!!!
Thanks for sharing what you did. I so appreciate this kind of post. I am grateful the white lesbian feminist woman who brought feminism into my life simultaneously made sure I knew all about womanism. But even if speaking only about the "feminist writers", most were women of color. So, for me, early on, "feminism" was never whites-only!! And "the second wave" is largely woman of color-centered, not white. (Some people tell me I'm ridiculous for thinking this way!) You mention so many of the "greats" of that period. It's always wonderful to see their names together.
I like this idea: "Instead of thinking you are one, then two, then three [years old], what if we were one, then one and two, then one and two and three?"
I feel like I am devoted to lots of theories and frameworks that don't necessarily mix well together, but makes sense to my multi-faceted sense of the world. I mean I was raised by Malcolm X and Mary Daly. By Ida B. Wells and Martin Buber.
It gets tricky with political community. I run with radical queer feminists, most of whom are of color. I am shy about my secret love for these particular white lesbian separatists, or even my deep appreciation for Catherine MacKinnon's unflinching ideas. I mean, my god, Audre Lorde wrote Mary an open letter calling her out for the racist lens used in Gyn/Ecology. And thank goodness that my philosopher-hero Maria Lugones helped her comrade, Sarah Hoagland, out on the ways in which Lesbian Ethics (which I love so hard) suffered from race myopia. My point is that, it's not just that I disagree with them occasionally, it's that sometimes the theories' implicit racism is actually damaging and crazymaking to what I think of as my tribe.
So, there's a tension here. A tension I'm willing to negotiate as I reference their work in silent prayers to myself when it makes sense to me.
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I get confused about Andrea Dworkin! I appreciate your request for clarification. As I was writing the post, I couldn't remember if she identified as a lesbian, but then I did a quick search and confirmed that she did. I knew that she married Stottenberg, so I just didn't understand how she identified. Wikipedia has some commentary on the nature of their relationship. I guess how she identified was never as important to me than the nature of her work which seemed to fit this particular tradition, so I interpreted her as a lesbian separatist militant, despite her personal choices.
Thank you for commenting!
Hi again.
I feel like I am devoted to lots of theories and frameworks that don't necessarily mix well together, but makes sense to my multi-faceted sense of the world.
I so hear you there. And it reminds me that theory is never reality, although it helps make sense of it... hopefully!! ;)
I was raised by Malcolm X and Mary Daly. By Ida B. Wells and Martin Buber.
That's an incredibly politically and intellectually rich parentage! For me, it was Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, and Andrea Dworkin, I guess. And I keep turning to them for counsel and advice.
It gets tricky with political community.
You can say that nine times! lol
I run with radical queer feminists, most of whom are of color.
I'm so glad you have community!!!
I am shy about my secret love for these particular white lesbian separatists, or even my deep appreciation for Catherine MacKinnon's unflinching ideas.
I offer something later, but for now I just want to say that I'd love to explore why there needs to be that shyness. I have a variation of it. It's sort of a refusal to be shy about it. But the consequence of that is that I don't have any community to run with, or even skip with!
I mean, my god, Audre Lorde wrote Mary an open letter calling her out for the racist lens used in Gyn/Ecology.
And I wish the feminist and non-feminist world would just say "Thank you, Audre!" and take note of the superbly sisterly values contained in that letter. I marvel at the tone and content of that letter. And the political import.
And thank goodness that my philosopher-hero Maria Lugones helped her comrade, Sarah Hoagland, out on the ways in which Lesbian Ethics (which I love so hard) suffered from race myopia.
I'm familiar with Lesbian Ethics but not with Maria Lugones's impact on it!! I'll have to read more about (or by) HER! And recommendations?
My point is that, it's not just that I disagree with them occasionally, it's that sometimes the theories' implicit racism is actually damaging and crazymaking to what I think of as my tribe.
Yes, I hear you. Which is why it was CRITICAL to my own spiritual, political, emotional, and intellectual development to never have white people's perspectives centered in my life. I saw them as authors/thinkers who offered me some key ingredients in that chex mix of theories and frameworks you mentioned earlier. Not as THE framework into which I had to cram other theories discovered later. This is not to say that I don't have to always be careful, watchful, for the racism implicit in white writers' work. I do. Yurugu, by Marimba Ani has been invaluable to me for centering an African philosophy, not a European one. INVALUABLE.
So, there's a tension here.
You mean the one I can cut with a knife? It is so difficult, when in community. And I find that those people I know who have wonderful, loving community always have facets of ourselves that must be repeatedly tucked under the outer layer of social-political clothing, just out of sight. [end of part one of two]
A tension I'm willing to negotiate as I reference their work in silent prayers to myself when it makes sense to me.
I could have deleted that, but I wanted that statement to appear again on the internet!! It is so beautiful to me.
Wikipedia has some commentary on the nature of their relationship.
I have known of Andrea and her work for a long, long time. She was not heterosexual or bisexual. And she was interested in women. And only in a society that insists on making sexuality about genital activity, would we bother to question "What WAS Andrea Dworkin?" She identified as a lesbian her entire political/adult life. She's written about longing and sensual contact with young women when she was also young.
As someone who is also, like her, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I think it is grossly unfair to decide who is lesbian and gay by who we most apparently are "with". For we know so many lesbian women are in heterosexual marriages. And Andrea and John spoke out about how their relationship was never, ever heterosexual.
And, I have been intimate with lesbian women. Does that mean I'm not gay? And if my soulmate turned out to be a lesbian woman, would THAT mean I'm not gay? I'd say "No" but would also want to own if that partnership led me to have heterosexual privilege. I don't think Andrea had that, because she was with an out gay man, and well, because of her politics and appearance. I don't think Andrea ever had the "safety" of heterosexuality, and if one reads her story, one can know that heterosexuality nearly killed her, as it does so many women.
I guess how she identified was never as important to me than the nature of her work which seemed to fit this particular tradition, so I interpreted her as a lesbian separatist militant, despite her personal choices.
And I agree with you completely there. Her "family" was John S., along with some family of origin and women friends. Sounds downright queer to me! But she was a militant radical lesbian feminist. And her work never moves away from that militancy or woman-centeredness. She never indulged men or took care of men emotionally. And that makes her lesbian in my book as well. For me, a defining factor in being a gay man or a heterosexual woman is the degree to which we desire and are willing to take care of men emotionally. Measured this way, she was a separatist. But she didn't identify with much of the biologically deterministic lesbian separatism that was prevalent during her time, for some profoundly important reasons, linked to here:
Biological Superiority: The World's Most Dangerous and Deadly Idea
I'd check translations before publishing comments in other languages than English, if you don't also speak/read those languages.
The last one (above) is basically pornography.
Crone Mary wouldn't like that one bit, now would she?
This blog has a tiny following, so I don't really approve comments before they come through. But I appreciate the heads up!
Sorry I'm so absent, same old stuff...
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