Reclaiming Lesbian Pride

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Heart

But it's not just butches that have issues with the definitions and expectations put upon women by patriarchy. It's all sorts of women - queer, straight, trans, butch, femme, andro, etc. One of my main points here is that woman itself is transgressive in the context of patriarchy.

So, feminism sets out to reclaim the meaning of "woman" and empower what it means to be a woman.

Gender theory sets out to deconstruct the concept of binary gender altogether.

Both movements have made contributions and both have blind spots.

It's no secret that I am inclined towards the re-defining/reclaiming camp.
One of the concerns I have with the gender theory camp (I am simplifying for the sake of discussion), is that deconstructing the gender binaries of man/woman has not changed or prevented the over-valuing of male/masculine gender constructs/identities, and the under-valuing of female/feminine ones. Sexism/misogyny is still rampant and unexamined, and the lack of feminist analysis makes that dangerous, (which was one of my main concerns about Butch Voices).

Heart

No, not just butches have issues with the definitions and expectations put upon women by patriarchy- I was implying that at all. I was simply responding as a butch that embraces both female and woman.

We both have some of the same problems with gender theory and binary deconstruction (which I don't see as really happening at all) as changing much in terms of the over-valuing of male/masculine gender constructs/identities, and the under-valuing of female/feminine ones.

In fact, I see the danger you point to as ever rising with a wall of denial never seen before within the queer communities and literature. I don't feel that we are "seeing the forest for the trees" to put it simply. I have also felt a need to distance personally with much of the B-F/Trans, etc. communities I have had years of association with.