Enemy of the State

The article, The Woman-Identified Woman, by RADICALESBIANS was a very great piece that I believe could be correlated across academic disciplines. The article addressed the societal stigma on lesbians. Lesbians are basically enemies of the state or society because lesbians defy the normal role that society perpetuates through media, books, and various vehicles of communication. Lesbianism exists in a patriarchal society where there are clear sexual divisions and sex roles. As a result, lesbians are alienated and are lonely. A lesbian has no peace and cannot accept herself because society doesn’t accept her.A lesbian’s love and acceptance by other women is her liberation. RADICALESBIANS write this article in order to expose the fallacies in the NOW movement. The NOW movement divides women according to their sexual orientation and in return RADICALESBIANS assert that women are perpetuating male stereotypes and ideas.

 

Sex roles dehumanize women by requiring that women become the supportive caste that support the master sex, men. In a society where men do not oppress women and where humans operated on their emotions there would be no heterosexuality or homosexuality. I thought that the point that raises the idea that women are afraid of being called lesbian was clever. The authors proceed to say that

 

I also agree with the author when she said that women who are independent from men are viewed as  “invisible, pathetic, inauthentic, and unreal” (pg. 241). I thought about the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, where George Stewart wishes he had never existed. When he and the angel visited his wife she was a librarian and single. The angel called her an “old maid”. I was so upset after watching that because it subliminally suggested that her life was horrible without George and as a single woman. This movie definitely has undertones of how patriarchy permeates in society.

 

I disagree with the RADICALESBIANS on the point toward the end of the article that states that women who have husbands will never achieve liberation. I believe that marriage and heterosexual relationships give women the opportunity to influence men. I agree with the RADICALESBIANS’ argument that state that women should not be preoccupied with pleasing their husbands. I believe that it should be 50/50 exchange where women express their concerns as well and help change the men’s psyche. If women are isolated from men like the RADICALESBIANS’ argument suggests then there will be no opportunity for change. Towards the end of the article, I believe the RADICALESBIANS were saying that women should deny their heterosexuality in order to achieve self-love and acceptance as women. I think that this argument is contradictory because RADICALESBIANS said toward the beginning of the article that human should not deny their sexual feelings and orientation. Overall, I believe the basic principle of women thinking with their own minds and ideas will help them achieve liberation. It is important even dealing with race that the oppressed avoid perpetuating the thoughts of the oppressors.