Jim Andris, Facebook

WORKING TOGETHER

The question of separatism is an important one for the St. Louis gay community. Should gay men and gay women work together or work separately? There are many good arguments in favor of a separatist position. Gay men, having been raised as men in our society, have the same sexism as do straight men; indeed, there are a number of gay men who want nothing at all to do with women. So gay men very often just want to become like nice middle class straight people, with no concern for equal rights for women. There is no reason why gay women should have to deal with gay male sexism, and they therefore go the separatist route. In addition, gay women are more often discriminated against as women than as gays, so their primary struggle is a feminist one rather than a gay one.

And yet, there is the old political maxim that strength lies in unity and numbers. It is to the advantage of straight white male society to keep the various oppressed minorities separate and at odds with one another. In reality, our struggles should not be separate, for we should all be fighting for a society in which all peoples are treated as human beings, and all have the same rights, opportunities, and responsibilities. Gays and women in particular have the same enemy: white male chauvinism. Both groups are fighting to end sexrole stereotyping, to destroy external societal myths of masculinity and femininity, and to create a world in which each individual, female or male, has the right to decide her or his own sexuality and lifestyle.

In order to be successful, we must have this unity, but it will not come by just talking about it. There must be work on both sides. Gay men must examine their own sexism, be prepared to deal with it and exorcise it; they must also look at the future and decide whether they want to become one with the oppressor or create a new, free society. Gay women must examine their anti-male beliefs, and learn to judge a male as an individual rather than by stereotypes. Only when this is done on both sides will gay women and gay men be able to work together for a genuine remaking of society. We must start now, and MLSC is one place to begin. The future comes all too quickly and only by working together can we hope to make it our own.

Marvin Kabakoff