LesbianArticle on political lesbians

submitted by LesbianInExile from self.LGBDropTheT

Any thoughts on this article? I'm not particularly invested in the "born this way" view - I think there's probably a mixture of different factors at play (genes, hormones, environment, early socialisation) but the issue for me is that women who are attracted to men (even if they hate them, even if they are, in some cases, also attracted to women) are not lesbians. I have found some political lesbians to be very lesbophobic - and for groups they are involved in to not really have a good understanding of - or care about - lesbians' issues unless it's to do with men. In the end, I got fed up with hearing negative comments about lesbians which were apparently okay because the woman making them had "become" a lesbian and she wasn't saying that all lesbians were like that, just the ones who "hadn't come to lesbianism through feminism".

https://lesbianandgaynews.com/2021/06/julie-bindel-on-political-lesbianism-when-lesbians-are-bullied-into-believing-that-our-sexuality-is-written-in-the-genes-it-results-in-a-distinct-lack-of-pride/

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[–][deleted] 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The only people who can "choose" are bisexual women who can choose to only ever pursue relationships with other women, but they're still bisexual.

[–][deleted] 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I feel like Bindel is conflating "born that way" as a non-discrimination instrument, in the way that an ethnic minority may use it, with that of a temporal clause to aetiology of sexual orientation. All the while hanging the concept of sexual orientation off of recent behavior and/or sociopolitics, and not physiologically-originated desire.

She does not want to give oxygen to the idea that the nature of her desire, and the nature of desire of other women who share the label are wildly different.

[–]Elvira95Viva la figa 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Bisexual women who choose to only date women, often because they hate men

[–]reluctant_commenter 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Late to the party. There is a lot of evidence suggesting a genetic basis for sexual orientation. Many people distinguish between sexual orientation and sexual orientation identity; the former refers to what people's sexual attraction patterns ACTUALLY are and the latter refers to people's self-description of their sexual attraction patterns. There's little evidence to suggest that sexual orientation changes, but it seems pretty clear that people's identification may change over the years, e.g. a young person experiments and describes themself as possibly same-sex attracted but eventually realizes they are only opposite-sex attracted, and then "identifies" as something different.

but the issue for me is that women who are attracted to men (even if they hate them, even if they are, in some cases, also attracted to women) are not lesbians. I have found some political lesbians to be very lesbophobic - and for groups they are involved in to not really have a good understanding of - or care about - lesbians' issues unless it's to do with men. In the end, I got fed up with hearing negative comments about lesbians which were apparently okay because the woman making them had "become" a lesbian and she wasn't saying that all lesbians were like that, just the ones who "hadn't come to lesbianism through feminism".

Couldn't agree more. I am deeply suspicious of Julie Bindel and other "political lesbians" who claim to speak for gay women and yet who hold such homophobic beliefs. "Lesbian and Gay News" seems to welcome such "political lesbians" and I think that's a major red flag.

Ok what the actual fuck lol. This article is ridiculous! She writes:

That is what I mean when I say I am a political lesbian.

I made a conscious and happy choice to be a lesbian and reckon that when we have less anti-lesbian bigotry, more women will be free to do so. But when I use the word ‘choice’, I don’t mean in the same manner that you choose your pasta. Rather, I am suggesting that if we were not under such extreme pressure to be straight, and if we did not fear the inevitable prejudice and bigotry, we might be more open to falling for someone of the same sex.

So many things wrong with this. "Just open your mind and you'll feel same-sex attraction!"

Political lesbianism is not about straight women claiming to be lesbians to make a point.

It is by definition. "You can choose to be a lesbian and change your sexual orientation" that is how SHE HERSELF has written about it before, literally a few sentences earlier, and on other occasions!

The very title is both laughable and anti-scientific:

"When lesbians are bullied into believing that our sexuality is written in the genes it results in a distinct lack of pride"

I believe in the scientific method, not pseudoscience, and simultaneously, I am fully capable of feeling pride in accepting my sexual orientation. I am sorry that this woman seems to feel so threatened by research. Regardless, she has no business speaking for homosexual women.

Thanks for posting this, I might make another discussion post about this sort of content in LGN more broadly. I have seen multiple articles from them that are like this.