“ I went to a conference on bisexuality about 15 years ago. A woman there said to me, "I wish you gay men would stop putting your energy into fighting homophobia and instead put your energy into eradicating misogyny. Because the problem society has with gay men isn't that they're with other men - it's that they're men who are "acting like women." If it were ok to be a woman in this culture, homophobia would just disappear." I think she's right.”
Dude, You've Got Problems
Hmmm.... her argument isn't very prismatic "fighting misogyny in stead of homophobia" and her conclusion is a bit simplistic "homophobia would disappear." But I do think that there is a very insightful observation in this quote. When we step outside of prescribed gender roles it disrupts the dominant culture. I welcome the challenge to shift. I'd argue that by emulating, celebrating and nurturing complex gender expression we will "fight" both misogyny and homophobia.
This is a very interesting idea. Before I even read your response, I had a very similar reaction. Although the singularly focused approach to fight misogyny and conclusion that this will somehow end homophobia seems a bit too simplistic, I do think that the point being made is very valid. Affirming the female in modern Western culture and celebrating it would go a long way toward mitigating oppression of most any kind. This reminds me of a book which I have been meaning to re-read by bell hooks (she chooses not to capitalize her name) titled "Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center" which had a very strong impact on me as a young man. The book helped teach me that I, as a man, could be a feminist and that it has radical and profound implications for society. Even more interesting to me though are the class arguments that are made in the book.
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