The Gay Movement and the Misogyny Monster

As I said when I was nominated for an F-Word Blog award, I've always considered the gay movement and the women's movement to be natural allies.

Because we're both fighting for equality, and we both have the same enemies.

But also because in the dark cave of homophobia lurks the monster of misogyny.

Being called a “fag,” you see, actually has almost nothing to do with being gay.

It’s really about showing any perceived weakness or femininity – by being emotional, seeming incompetent, caring too much about clothing, liking to dance or even having an interest in literature.

The message to the most vulnerable, to the victims of today’s poisonous boy culture, is being heard loud and clear: to be something other than the narrowest, stupidest sort of guy’s guy, is to be unworthy of even being alive.

It's about the evil of trying to put gentle boys into cookie cutters...and turn them into violent men.

And the horror of self oppression....that hurts straight boys as well as gay ones.

Boys avail themselves most frequently of epithets like “fag” to “police” one another’s behavior and bring it back to being sufficiently masculine when someone steps out of line

“Boys were showing each other they were tough. They were afraid to do anything that might be called girlie .....It was just like what I would have found if I had done this research 50 years ago. They were frozen in time.”

Which clearly demonstrates that this poisonous hatred is not just a question of confused identity. But rests squarely on the patriarchal belief that women and girls are weaker and lesser humans.

Which of course is NONSENSE..... as I pointed out in this post.

And why I'm fighting with the women...to help them AND my gay brothers and sisters. And liberate us ALL.

And why I know that when women finally win their long battle for equality and respect, the bells will ring for them that day. Hallelujah.

And the next day they'll ring for us...












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P.S. Today is the final day of voting for the F-Word blog awards. You can vote for me and the others here. Just don't forget to show your support.

Because we have a world to change and we need EVERYONE...