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unholy alliances
Nov. 8th, 2008 03:52 pmInteresting article by Julie Bindel in today's Guardian (which I'll link when I get out of the rain away from Surbiton and into civilisation) about her struggles with the Trans community as a Lesbian.
Initially my PC self balked; the slightly prudish and Daily Mail-esque comments about "'odd' sexual practices" not sure I agree on and showing a united front in these 'unholy alliances' as she called them is an important strategy. But as I read on I remembered I've had similar interactions with people from trans and bi communities, politically we get lumped together, but Lesbian and Gay (already has some differences but a lot of similarities) differ a lot from bisexual and hell of a lot from the trans community as far as I can see.
And the argument with me has come when people from those communities expect Lesbian and Gays to fight for their rights (even the ones that differ a lot from ours) without the right of comment, criticism, or even being asked if I want to fight for them. Sorry must've missed that meeting...
I too have been told I cannot criticise or comment on Trans people unless I am one, but I'm supposed to fight for their rights also, quietly, without a peep. Hmm. That does not sound like a democratic political process to me. And told by bi men that I should support their criticisms of the gay community apparently not supporting bisexuals (which may be true or not, but that community has it's own battles to fight) and their politically deluded and totally bi-specific 'bi manifesto', and then shouted me down when I said maybe they should progress it themselves and stop expecting other communities to fight all their battles for them. It's not like bisexuals are somehow powerless?
It reminds me if the storm over Prop 8. My FL was filled with churlish slightly PC grumblings from people saying don't blame one community or another - strange I didn't see blame but disapointment from people. And I can see why. There have been many unholy alliances which are necessary in a political sense - but sadly that sense of unity dissapates when you leave the protest.
It'd be nice if people remembered who their friends were, but they don't and people go back to their usual sense of warped self-entitlement in their little holes and separate. I wish that unity could last, those who have been discriminated learn not to discriminate, but as we've seen from history - it doesn't happen. In our own community and others.
So I just sigh and it probably makes me feel less warm and cuddly and less likely to fight for anyone's rights except my own. Sad but true. Again that will also fade, but I don't understand why anyone thinks they have an automatic right to take my or others rights away when it doesn't affect them; and comment on my community, then ironically expect me to fight for theirs without comment.
Something is seriously fucked in that logic.
Initially my PC self balked; the slightly prudish and Daily Mail-esque comments about "'odd' sexual practices" not sure I agree on and showing a united front in these 'unholy alliances' as she called them is an important strategy. But as I read on I remembered I've had similar interactions with people from trans and bi communities, politically we get lumped together, but Lesbian and Gay (already has some differences but a lot of similarities) differ a lot from bisexual and hell of a lot from the trans community as far as I can see.
And the argument with me has come when people from those communities expect Lesbian and Gays to fight for their rights (even the ones that differ a lot from ours) without the right of comment, criticism, or even being asked if I want to fight for them. Sorry must've missed that meeting...
I too have been told I cannot criticise or comment on Trans people unless I am one, but I'm supposed to fight for their rights also, quietly, without a peep. Hmm. That does not sound like a democratic political process to me. And told by bi men that I should support their criticisms of the gay community apparently not supporting bisexuals (which may be true or not, but that community has it's own battles to fight) and their politically deluded and totally bi-specific 'bi manifesto', and then shouted me down when I said maybe they should progress it themselves and stop expecting other communities to fight all their battles for them. It's not like bisexuals are somehow powerless?
It reminds me if the storm over Prop 8. My FL was filled with churlish slightly PC grumblings from people saying don't blame one community or another - strange I didn't see blame but disapointment from people. And I can see why. There have been many unholy alliances which are necessary in a political sense - but sadly that sense of unity dissapates when you leave the protest.
It'd be nice if people remembered who their friends were, but they don't and people go back to their usual sense of warped self-entitlement in their little holes and separate. I wish that unity could last, those who have been discriminated learn not to discriminate, but as we've seen from history - it doesn't happen. In our own community and others.
So I just sigh and it probably makes me feel less warm and cuddly and less likely to fight for anyone's rights except my own. Sad but true. Again that will also fade, but I don't understand why anyone thinks they have an automatic right to take my or others rights away when it doesn't affect them; and comment on my community, then ironically expect me to fight for theirs without comment.
Something is seriously fucked in that logic.