This morning,
I’m up early,
the guys are finishing,
work on the kitchen,
It’s cool out,
still damp,
but,
reprieve is coming,
in the form of three days off,
all the weather types,
are saying it will be,
cool and dry,
thank you,
Goddess:-)
I’m reading a book,
part of the package my love sent me<happy sigh>
Sportsdykes,
is an anthology of writings,
about dykes and sport.
There are fictional pieces,
about,
how hot femmes find jock butches,
that kind of stuff.
Humourous pieces about said femmes,
failure to be jocks.
It’s a terrific book,
and,
is particularly interesting to me,
right after the Olympics.
Two articles really caught my attention,
struck me as quite informative,
and,
even revelatory,
in regards to the extent of anti-lesbian sentiment,
in sport,
College, Olympic,
and,
professional.
The articles are more than,
ten years apart,
and yet,
the evolution of attitudes?
Not significant.
The ‘reasons’ for keeping,
lesbians out of sport,
or forcing them to conform,
or be closeted,
are the same,
ridiculous,
and,
unfounded ,
reasons used to instigate,
policies like,
‘Don’t ask Don’t tell’
fear and ignorance,
and,
rockin’ the boat,
of patriarchical society.
These attitudes and policies,
scare women off,
and,
often,
ruin lives.
Some women,
refuse to be in the closet,
and,
are ‘benched’ and,
even,
persecuted,
they fear ‘branding’ and losing,
their scholarships,
and,
possible livelihood,
and,
even violence.
The first article is from 1979,
the second from 1991,
have things changed that much?
Since?
I doubt it.
So why such hostility,
towards dykes in sports?
Is it because women who succeed in sports,
are succeeding in one of the last,
male dominated areas?
Maybe,
almost certainly.
In 2012 with liberated attitudes,
men don’t think that way anymore, right?
and if some do,
surely it’s because they are Neanderthals,
macho sexist pigs?
Right?
Surely not modern men of the last,
three or four generations?
Right?
and,
it goes without saying,
that no women feel that way,
right?
That women who play sports,
especially, the butch-mannish ones,
are a threat to women,
the family,
and,
indeed civilisation,
as we know it
right?
No,
educated ‘liberal’ people,
don’t think that way,
right?
You know, I think lots do,
unconsciously,
just like lots think,
that all dykes are butches,
and,
that all butches are unattractive,
or want to be men,
a lot people don’t want to even consider,
that gender roles,
are just that,
roles,
and that,
things are much more complex,
than we have been ‘taught’,
or conditioned,
to think.
A few examples come to mind,
last night,
on my face book page,
someone had shared this,
It made me chuckle,
so I shared it,
most people got,
that it was tongue and cheek,
and,
one of my guy friends,
shared it on his page.
one of his ‘friends’,
posted the following:
There will always be the kind of lesbians who are well…troll hunters. But, at least I’m seeing more and more beautiful and elegant girls who fancy the tuna.
Can you hear all the lesbians breathing a sigh of relief???
Yep,
you think this guy got the point?
this guy is in his thirties,
a graphic artist,
as far as I can tell,
doesn’t drag his knucles to the ground,
when he walks,
oh well,
not significant really,
one guy,
right?
Another example,
a close friend of mine,
guy,
smart, decently well educated, gay, ‘liberal’,
you get the picture.
We are discussing this Chinese,
woman,
athlete,
swimmer,
who swam faster in the last part of her race,
than has ever been recorded,
faster than Ryan Lochte,
had the night before,
in his gold medal performance.
The American coach immedietly,
accused her of cheating,
no way could a woman,
swim that fast,
Maybe. she did cheat, but, what about due proces, innocent until proven guilty, all that kind of stuff!!
To her credit Rebecca Soni, the American swimmer who was beat by this woman and whose coach made that statement, said, I think she swam really fast.
The point I think,
to the coach or as it turned out,
to my friend,
was that women could never beat men,
ok maybe some women,
could beat some men,
but,
not the best against the best.
Brute strengt,
don’t you know??
Not to be petty but, my friend is the kind of guy, my mother, who is five foot tall and seventy two, could take out!!!
and, yet,
he believes this shit.
I think lots of people do.
Last annecdote,
I don’t know why,
but,
this has struck me over and over again,
by it’s almost infallibility,
only my friend Francoys, the anarchist, and least sexist person I know, is an exception in the example. Of course, this isn’t scientific or possibly even relevent, but, I find it, interesting in a food for thought way.
A few years ago,
Demi Moore,
starred in a movie,
G.I. Jane
Women love this movie,
and most quote when she says to Viggo Mortensen,
‘Suck My Dick’
with gusto and even a little,
vehemence.
Mention this movie to men?
They smirk,
come on,
they say,
that’s ridiculous,
no woman could do that.
Good thing I have impeccable anger management skills and that I was taught that a lady never strikes, the weak:-)
These are the thoughts going through,
my mind this morning,
what do you think?
Am I being,
reductive?
simplistic?
sexist?
Maybe, I am but,
these questions in my opinion,
need thought and examination.
Later girls,
BB