Feminist Separatism
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Feminist separatism or separatist feminism is the theory that
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
opposition to
patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...
can be achieved through women's
sex segregation Sex segregation, sex separation, sex partition, gender segregation, gender separation, or gender partition is the physical, legal, or cultural separation of people according to their gender or Sex, biological sex at any age. Sex segregation ca ...
from men.Christine Skelton, Becky Francis, ''Feminism and the Schooling Scandal'', Taylor & Francis, 2009 ,
p. 104
Much of the theorizing is based in lesbian feminism. Author Marilyn Frye describes feminist separatism as "separation of various sorts or modes from men and from institutions, relationships, roles and activities that are male-defined, male-dominated, and operating for the benefit of males and the maintenance of male privilege – this separation being initiated or maintained, at will, ''by women''."


Background

Cultural critic Alice Echols describes the emergence of a lesbian separatist movement as a response to homophobic sentiments expressed by feminist organizations like the National Organization for Women. Echols argues that "...the introduction of (homo)sex troubled many heterosexual feminists who had found in the women's movement a welcome respite from sexuality." Echols considered separatism as a lesbian strategy to untie lesbianism from sex so heterosexual women in the feminist movement felt more comfortable. Cell 16, which was founded in 1968 by Roxanne Dunbar, has been cited as the first organization to advance the concept of separatist feminism.Echols, Alice. ''Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America, 1967-75'', University of Minnesota Press, 1990, , p. 164. Cultural historian Alice Echols credits Cell 16's work for "helping establishing the theoretical foundation for lesbian separatism."Echols, Alice. ''Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America, 1967–75'', University of Minnesota Press, 1990, , p. 164. Echols cites Cell 16 as an example of heterosexual feminist separatism, as the group never advocated
lesbianism A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homo ...
as a political strategy. In ''No More Fun and Games'', the organization's radical feminist periodical, members Roxanne Dunbar and Lisa Leghorn advised women to "separate from men who are not consciously working for female liberation."Dunbar, Leghorn. "The Man's Problem", from ''No More Fun and Games'', Nov 1969, quoted in Echols, p. 165. Instead, they advised periods of celibacy, rather than lesbian relationships, which they considered to be "nothing more than a personal solution".


Meaning and purpose

Proponents of feminist separatism have varied opinions on the meaning of feminist and lesbian separatism; major debates include the degree to which women should separate from men, whether it is a strict ideology or a strategy, and how it works to benefit women.


General feminist separatism

In a tract on socialist feminism published in 1972, the Hyde Park Chapter of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union differentiated between separatism as an "ideological position" and as a "tactical position". Chicago Women's Liberation Union, Hyde Park Chapter. ''Socialist Feminism: A Strategy for the Women's Movement'', 1972 (booklet). In the same document, they further distinguished between separatism as "personal practice" and as "political position". In lesbian feminist Marilyn Frye's (1978) essay ''Notes on Separatism and Power'' she posits female separatism as a strategy practiced by all women, at some point, and present in many feminist projects (one might cite women's refuges, electoral quotas or Women's Studies programmes). She argues that it is only when women practice it self-consciously as separation from men, that it is treated with controversy (or as she suggests, hysteria). Male separatism on the other hand (one might consider gentleman's clubs, labor unions, sports teams, the military, and more arguably decision-making positions in general) is seen as quite a normal, even expedient phenomenon, while it is mostly not practiced self-consciously. Some feminist separatists believe that men cannot make positive contributions to the feminist movement and that even well-intentioned men replicate the dynamics of
patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...
.


Lesbian separatism

Charlotte Bunch Charlotte Anne Bunch (born October 13, 1944) is an American feminist author and organizer in women's rights and human rights movements. Bunch is currently the founding director and senior scholar at the Center for Women's Global Leadership at ...
, an early member of The Furies Collective, viewed separatism as a strategy, a "first step" period, or temporary withdrawal from mainstream activism to accomplish specific goals or enhance personal growth. In addition to advocating withdrawal from working, personal or casual relationships with men, ''The Furies'' recommended that lesbian separatists relate "only (with) women who cut their ties to male privilege"Bunch, Charlotte/The Furies Collective, "Lesbians in Revolt", in ''The Furies: Lesbian/Feminist Monthly'', vol. 1, January 1972, pp.8–9 and suggest that "as long as women still benefit from heterosexuality, receive its privileges and security, they will at some point have to betray their sisters, especially Lesbian sisters who do not receive those benefits." This was part of a larger idea that Bunch articulated in ''Learning from Lesbian Separatism'' (1976), that "in a male-supremacist society, heterosexuality is a political institution," and the practice of separatism is a way to escape its domination. Separatism has been considered by lesbians as both a temporary strategy and as a lifelong practice. Lambda Award-winning author Elana Dykewomon spent the majority of her adult life in female-only communities, some of which she helped organize. In her 1988 book, ''Lesbian Ethics: Toward New Value'', lesbian philosopher Sarah Lucia Hoagland alludes to lesbian separatism's potential to encourage lesbians to develop healthy community ethics based on shared values. Hoagland articulates a distinction (originally noted by lesbian separatist author and anthologist, Julia Penelope) between a ''lesbian subculture'' and a ''lesbian community''; membership in the subculture being "defined in negative terms by an external, hostile culture", and membership in the community being based on "the values we believe we can enact here". Bette Tallen believes that lesbian separatism, unlike some other
separatist Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, regional, governmental, or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seekin ...
movements, is "not about the establishment of an independent state, it is about the development of an autonomous self-identity and the creation of a strong solid lesbian community". Lesbian historian Lillian Faderman describes the separatist impulses of lesbian feminism which created culture and cultural artifacts as "giving love between women greater visibility" in broader culture.Faderman, Lillian. ''Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers'', Columbia University Press, , p220 Faderman also believes that lesbian feminists who acted to create separatist institutions did so to "bring their ideals about integrity, nurturing the needy,
self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
and equality of labor and rewards into all aspects of institution-building and economics".


Lesbian separatism and radical lesbianism

Separatist lesbianism is a type of feminist separatism specific to
lesbians A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homo ...
. Many lesbian separatists bought land so they could live separately from men and heterosexual women. Radical lesbianism and other similar movements represent a rupture with the broader feminist movements. They offer an attempt by some feminists and lesbians to try to reconcile what they see as inherent conflicts with the stated goals of feminism. Many of these conflicts and ruptures are a result of issues arising from broader and nationally specifically cultural narratives around women. Some of them are created independently in response to these needs, while others draw inspiration from radical movements in other countries. This results in no single history of radical lesbianism, but of separate national struggles. Internationally, radical lesbians often took advantage of convergent international spaces to create their own events to increase the visibility of lesbianism. Examples of this include the 1994 lesbian march in New York on the 25th anniversary of Stonewall. Another example was at the 1995 Beijing hosted World Women's Conference. A third example took place during the 1997 Amsterdam hosted Gay Games. In the United States, the movement started in 1970, when seven women (including lesbian activist Del Martin) confronted the North Conference of
Homophile Terms used to describe homosexuality have gone through many changes since the emergence of the first terms in the mid-19th century. In English, some terms in widespread use have been '' sodomite'', '' Sapphic'', '' Uranian or Urning'', '' homop ...
Organizations about the relevance of the gay rights movement to the women within it. The delegates passed a resolution in favor of women's liberation, but Del Martin felt they had not done enough, and wrote "If That's All There Is", an influential 1970 essay in which she decried gay rights organizations as sexist. The Furies formed a commune in 1971 open to lesbians only, where they put out a monthly newspaper called ''The Furies''. The Furies consisted of twelve women, aged eighteen to twenty-eight, all feminists, all lesbians, all white, with three children among them.Dudley Clendinen, Adam Nagourne
Out for Good: The Struggle to Build a Gay Rights Movement in America
Simon & Schuster, 2001 , p. 104
These activities continued into the early part of the decade. Other well known lesbian separatists groups include The Gutter Dykes, The Gorgons, and The Radicalesbians. In a United States context, the practice of lesbian separatism sometimes incorporates concepts related to queer nationalism and political lesbianism. Some individuals who identify as lesbian separatists are also associated with the practice of Dianic paganism. In Francophone countries, the term radical lesbian movement is used instead of lesbian separatism. It is roughly analogous to
English-language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...
lesbian separatism. Inspired by the writings of philosopher Monique Wittig,Turcotte, Louise. (foreword) ''The Straight Mind and Other Essays'', Monique Wittig, Beacon Press, 1992, , p ix the movement originated in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in the early 1980s, spreading soon after to the
Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...
of
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
. Wittig, referencing the ideas of Simone de Beauvoir, challenges concepts of biological determinism, arguing that those in power construct sex difference and race difference for the purpose of masking conflicts of interest and maintaining domination. She and her allies saw heterosociality as well as heterosexuality as aspects of hetero-power, strongly to be resisted. Latin American radical lesbianism developed during the 1970s, and like other parts of the movement, resulted from specific national conditions. Radical lesbianism began to develop in Mexico in 1977, led by the group Mujeres guerreras que abren caminos y esparcen flores (Oikabeth). Radical lesbianism arose in Chile in 1984 in response to national conditions resulting from the dictatorship. Costa Rica developed a radical lesbianism movement in 1986. During the 1980s and 1990s, life for lesbians in Latin America was difficult because of lesbophobic repression across the region. Consequently, the communities in Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Argentina and Brazil began working more closely together on shared goals.


Culture and community

Lesbian and feminist separatism have inspired the creation of art and culture reflective of its visions of female-centered societies. An important and sustaining aspect of lesbian separatism was the building of alternative community through "creating organizations, institutions and social spaces ... women's bookstores, restaurants, publishing collectives, and softball leagues fostered a flourishing lesbian culture."


Writing

During the second-wave of feminism, women created a network of publications, presses, magazines, and periodicals, known as the women in print movement. Some designated their periodicals and books "for women only", or "for lesbians only".


Fiction

One historical example is Charlotte Perkins Gilman's feminist novel '' Herland'' (1915)''.'' Contemporary examples include
Joanna Russ Joanna Russ (February 22, 1937 – April 29, 2011) was an American writer, academic and feminist. She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feminist literary criticism such as '' How to Suppress Women's Writing'', as ...
's '' The Female Man'' (1975) and Nicola Griffith's ''
Ammonite Ammonoids are extinct, (typically) coiled-shelled cephalopods comprising the subclass Ammonoidea. They are more closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish (which comprise the clade Coleoidea) than they are to nautiluses (family N ...
'' (1993). ''The'' ''Wanderground'' (Persephone Press, 1978), is a separatist utopian novel written from author Sally Miller Gearhart's personal experience in rural lesbian-separatist collectives.


Non-fiction

''Wild Mares: My Lesbian Back-to-the-Land Life'' (University of Minnesota Press, 2018) documents author Dianna Hunter's experiences in a lesbian separatist collective. ''Lesbian Nation: The Feminist Solution'' (Simon & Schuster, 1973) is a collection of essays written by Jill Johnston, that were originally printed in ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', where Johnston discusses elements of breaking off from the male-dominated institutions. ''For Lesbians Only: A Separatist Anthology'' (Onlywomen Press, 1988), edited by Julia Penelope and Sarah Lucia Hoagland, is a collection of writings on lesbian separatism.


Periodicals

Notable US lesbian separatist periodicals include '' Common Lives/Lesbian Lives'' (Iowa, 1980–1996), '' Lesbian Connection'' (Michigan, 1974–present), '' Sinister Wisdom'' (California, 1976–present), '' Lesbian Tide'' (California, 1971–1980), '' WomanSpirit'' (Oregon, 1974–1984) ''Conditions'' (New York, 1976–1990), and '' Azalea: A Magazine by Third World Lesbians'' (New York, 1971–1980). Other examples are the
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
lesbian magazine ''Gossip: A Journal of Lesbian Feminist Ethics'', '' Lesbian Feminist Circle'', a lesbian only journal collectively produced in
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand, the
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n periodical ''Sage: The Separatist Age,'' '' Amazones d'Hier, Lesbiennes d'Aujourd'hui'', produced for lesbians only in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Quebec, and the ''Killer Dyke'' a magazine by the "Flippies" (Feminist Lesbian Intergalactic Party), based in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. ''The Furies'' was an American newspaper by The Furies Collective which intended to give a voice to lesbian separatism, and ran from January 1972 until mid-1973.


Music

The early 1970s was an active period in womyn's music, a genre mostly originated and supported by lesbian separatists. Maxine Feldman's '' Angry Atthis'' and Alix Dobkin's '' Lavender Jane Loves Women'' were two early examples of this phenomenon. The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, or "Michfest", was a yearly music festival that took place every summer until 2015. Michfest was established in 1976 and was active supporter in the need for women to be separated at times from the "politics, institution, and culture of men. Michfest offered women not only the chance to 'live' feminism, but, as the quotes above testify, also acted as a way of educating women about feminist forms, in ways that can challenge the vilification of 'radical lesbian separatism'." Despite this claim to creating a community centered on women's liberation, Michfest implemented policies excluding attendees if they did not live up to their definition of a "
womyn-born womyn Womyn-born womyn (WBW) is a term developed during second-wave feminism to designate women who were sex assignment, assigned female at birth, were raised as girls, and identify as woman, women (or womyn, a deliberately Satiric misspelling, alte ...
." As a protest and alternative gathering, trans-inclusive activists founded Camp Trans. Olivia Records was a separatist business in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
that produced women's music and concerts. Olivia Records was founded in 1973 by Jennifer Woodhul, Lee Schwing, Ginny Berson, and Helaine Harris and was originally located in Washington, D.C. Olivia Records sold nearly 2 million copies of albums with women performers and artists that were marketed to women. The record company eventually shifted from music to travel, and is now a lesbian travel company called Olivia.


Community projects

Womyn's land has been used in America to describe communities of lesbian separatists, normally living on a separate plot of land. Some lesbian lands have practiced the idea of
ecofeminism Ecofeminism integrates feminism and political ecology. Ecofeminist thinkers draw on the concept of gender to analyze relationships between humans and the natural world. The term was coined by the French writer Françoise d'Eaubonne in her 1974 ...
on these separate plots of land, which is the connection between the oppression of women and the oppression of nature by men. Access to temporary free land was often found through women's music festivals, where lesbians would network and strategized their plans for lesbian land. Lesbian separatism provided opportunities to "live their lives apart from ...mainstream society", and in the 1970s, "significant numbers of lesbian feminists moved to rural communities." One of these lesbians, Joyce Cheney, interviewed
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
feminist separatists and lesbian separatists living in
intentional community An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of group cohesiveness, social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, wh ...
,
land trust Land trusts are nonprofit organizations which own and manage land, and sometimes waters. There are three common types of land trust, distinguished from one another by the ways in which they are legally structured and by the purposes for which th ...
s and land co-ops. The result was her book, '' Lesbian Land'' (1976).Valentine, Gill. ''Contested Countryside Cultures: Otherness, Marginalisation, and Rurality'' ed.: Paul J. Cloke, Jo Little, Routledge, , pp109–110. Cheney describes the reason for many of these separatists' move to lesbian land as a "spatial strategy of distancing ... from mainstream society".


Reception

In a 1982 published conversation about black feminism and
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
activism with her sister Beverly Smith, Barbara Smith, co-author of the Combahee River Collective Statement, expresses concerns that "to the extent that lesbians of color must struggle simultaneously against the
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
of white women (as against
sexism Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
), separatism impedes the building of alliances with men of color". Smith writes that race places lesbians of color in a different relation to men as white lesbians as "white women with class privilege don't share oppression with white men. They're in a critical and antagonistic position whereas Black women and other women of color definitely share oppressed situations with men of their race". Smith makes a distinction between the
theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
of separatism and the practice of separatism, stating that it is the way separatism has been practiced which has led to "an isolated, single-issued understanding and practice of politics, which ignores the range of oppressions that women experience". In 1983,
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
Bob Black wrote: "Separatism may be absurd as a social program and riddled with inconsistencies. But semi-isolation makes it easier to indoctrinate neophytes and shut out adverse evidence and argument, an insight radical feminists share with Moonies, Hare Krishna, and other cultists". While advocating a broadly separatist policy, feminist Sonia Johnson points out that feminist separatism risks defining itself by what it separates itself from, i.e. men. Lesbian poet Jewelle Gomez refers to her intertwined history with black men and heterosexual women in her essay ''Out of the Past'' and explains that "to break away from those who've been part of our survival is a leap that many women of color could never make".Gomez, Jewelle. ''Out of the Past'', in David Deitcher's ''The Question of Equality:Lesbian and Gay Politics in America Since Stonewall'', Scribner, 1995, , pp44–45.


See also

*
Default judgment Default judgment is a binding judgment in favor of either party based on some failure to take action by the other party. Most often, it is a judgment in favor of a plaintiff when the defendant has not responded to a summons or has failed to app ...
* Gatekeeper *
Flanderization Flanderization is the process through which a fictional character's essential traits are oversimplified and exaggerated to the point where they constitute their entire personality over the course of a Serial (radio and television), serial work. ...
* Herd mentality * Lesbian erasure * '' Lysistrata'' * Political lesbianism * Radical feminism * Riot grrrl * Safe space * Single-gender world * TERF * Who Needs Feminism * YesAllWomen * Misandry


References


Further reading

* * * * * * {{Segregation by type Feminist movements and ideologies Feminist theory Independence movements Lesbianism Political lesbianism Political theories Radical feminism Sex segregation LGBTQ and society Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures Single-gender worlds Gender-related prejudices