I totally agree and I don't think anyone has requested that ecofem
become women only. But it is interesting how tense and angry even
"enlightened" men become when the need for a space without men is
mentioned. "Don't lump me in with them!" they scream... "I'm enlightened
- you can't leave me out!"
> ----------
> Sent: September 03, 1998 4:52 PM
> To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT
> Subject: Womens space -a necessity for change and development
>
> Isn't it strange how many men take offense and cannot seem to accept
> the
> need of women for women only space. This need exists and has existed
> for
> centuries.
> Thank God that the internet and the intrusive males on it cannot
> infiltrate
> the physical
> "women only" discussion groups I participate in with others of my
> gender where,
> contrary to male fantasy and belief, we do not spend our time "male
> bashing"
> and reviling patriarchy but rather in trying to find ways of making
> things
> better for women and in sharing experience and strategies and
> networking.
> If a male were to be in the same room when we have these discussions
> and
> meetings,
> the atmosphere would be spoiled and the women in the group would be
> less
> likely to be as
> open on certain issues. As someone once said "sisters are doing it for
> themselves".
> Yes, we do definitely need our male free space at times.
>
> Marguerite
> ======================================================================
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> (.\_/.)
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> /=
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> U )
> | |} Pity the human race its illusion of permanence (|
> |)/
> \_/^\_/
> w'-'w
> ======================================================================
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>
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fri Sep 4 08:10:08 1998
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 10:10:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Bertina Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: women only
In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Amen! ;p A joke,
Bertina
PS didnt you know men are A**holes?
On Thu, 3 Sep 1998, Lori Anne Parker wrote:
> Hi -
>
> As I was reading Candi's message I was thinking about the way myself and Lydia
> (sp?) and others have written similar postings in the past few weeks regarding
> the need for women-only space and our explanations of the ways various
> "attributes" for lack of a better term -- such as whiteness and maleness give
> one privileges for which one can either choose or not choose to be
> accountable. I really like the way you (Candi) put it -- having certain
> distance from the particular struggle at hand. i.e. the distance I have as a
> white woman -- great example the one about hearing racist comments and having
> that choice to be silently complicit or speak up.
>
> Anyway, what I am finding really really disheartening is the way that like so
> many other places in patriarchal culture women who are trying to explain the
> reasons behind desires for women-only space are being accused of
> "male-bashing." So here we are on an Ecofeminist list having to deal with a
> really virulent and unhelpful kind of backlash that is no different really than
> all the shit we have to deal with "out there." I'm not saying that all of us
> on this list need to have the same definitions of feminism, etc or so called
> "strategies," etc. BUT it is ironic that on this list the discussion has been
> twisted so that it's the women being blamed for the continual reign of
> patriarchy. (The response to Jake's question - "...as long as they keep up
> reverse discrimination and hatred of men and denying the feminine face of
> creation.") Women to blame for patriarchy -- yeah right, that's a good one.
>
> Also, I am increasingly becoming frustrated at the fact that I feel like I am
> being preached to on this list. Preached in the sense of religion being thrown
> at me. And to top it off a posting yesterday trying to convince all of us out
> there that it is good and proper to be obedient to men. Just really wierd on
> this list in particular.
>
> A few thoughts -
>
> Lori Anne
>
>
>
>
