THE HETEROSEXUAL FEMALE

TRAITOR TO THE CAUSE: CAUSE: THE

Book Review: Lesbian Nation

by Jill Johnston

Is there a women alive who hasn't at one time or another felt compromised in her relationships with men? Even those of us who take pride in newfound "equality" (he does the dishes on odd-numbered days, she does them on even) sometimes have the insidious feeling that by continuing to live with a male, we are in fact allying ourselves with the enemy. After all, if your man isn't shoulder-to-shoulder with you in the picket lines, is he really for liberation? Put another way, "if they ain't for us, they're agin us!"'

Jill Johnston's Lesbian Nation will grip you by the throat of your uneasy sexual motivation and make you even more uneasy. Her arguments for lesbianism make so much sense, they can't be taken lightly. For an instance, "All the feminist issues-abortion, day care, etc.are in relation to the man. The lesbian/feminist is the women who defines herself independently...every other woman is a woman who wants a better deal from her old man." Can women claim to wield any real power if they are not autonomous? Men are the oppressive class, we are the oppressed. The woman in the conventional wife role is no different from the slave girl who became mistress to her white master. She perhaps gained certain "freedoms" for herself, but she was anathema to those fighting for emancipation. Don't women, like the blacks, need to "establish our own identity and rebuild our strength through mutual support and recognition?"

Lesbian Nation is written in a style which, like Jill Johnston herself, is unique and unabashed. She relates her life as a lesbian with sensitivity and humor, not over-sentimentality I finished the book with greatly increased respect and understanding of my lesbian sisters. Interspersed in her story are anecdotes about

such notables as Gloria, Kate and Ti-Grace. Occasionally the excerpts from her journal are tedious and repetitive, but this does not detract significantly from the impact of her message. That message is, that the choice of a mate is a political issue and if women are ever to be independent and equal, they must

first be separate in all respects.

This is one of those revolutionary works that forces the reader to question and rethink her own personal, as well as political, stance. If I love and respect myself, and accordingly, love and respect other women, isn't sexual intimacy the natural, in fact unavoidable outcome of these feelings?

up your BAKE SALE

Fund-raising seems to be a bad dream for most organizations. But for the Lesbian Mothers Union in San Francisco, it is like a dream coming true.

Annual events LMU sponsors are the Mother's Day Auction, the Toys for Tots Christmas Party and a book 'n' bake sale, all held at a local women's bar. They also sponsor women's dances periodically, as that is the easiest event to arrange and hold. For one four-hour dance they netted $500.

Another example of successful fund-raising was the Women's Music Festival in San Francisco in January: Sponsored by the S.F. Women's Centers, the Festival netted $1,100. Over 750 women attended the Festival. They had heard about it on the radio, from friends and organizations, and from posters which were plastered all over the city.

Success in fund-raising lies mainly with publicity. It's simple. If people know that some thing is happening they are more likely to attend. The case for publicity cannot be made too strongly. You may have the best

idea for fund-raising of the whole century, but if no one knows about it, it is so much water over the dam. Publicity is the most

page 6/ What She Wants/October 1974

time-consuming and the hardest work of all, but, and this cannot be over-emphasized, it is the most crucial.

Granted, to make money it takes time and work, but wouldn't it make sense to make a lot of it at one time instead of a little bit several times? Let bake sales remain the province of the PTA, and let's spend our time and effort in the community where change occurs. Nothing can change in the time you spend with your stove. Change occurs in the community, and that's where the money is, too. So why not be out there where the action can be-selling your product-and increasing community awareness of your ideas?

Nobody likes to ask for money. It is demeaning, and especially so when it's your ideas that you are seeking support for. The key to getting money is to give something people want. That could be anything from a benefit softball game to an outdoor art and craft festival. Ideas for fund-raising are abundant and the gold mine in Cleveland is waiting untouched for the creative, alert and energetic fund-raiser.

So, how to go after the pot o' gold. Since we are speaking of women's organizations,

and everybody knows we never have enough money to function optimally, it is vitally important that we focus on getting that money. First, the group should have a fund-raising committee. That committee would be charged with getting ideas and developing them for whole group participation. Then, organize the event. Next, publicize it, and don't rely on Cleveland newspapers for this.

Too many groups fail for lack of funds. It is truly shameful, since opportunities are so abundant for effective money-making.

Another aspect of importance in this discussion is the "cause factor"-people will support a cause. In your publicity be sure to mention that your event is a benefit for... For instance, Lesbian Mothers Union benefits the Lesbian Mothers Legal Defense Fund. S. F. Women's Centers publicized their event as a benefit to create a Women's Information Center.

You already have a cause, that's why your group exists in the first place. You would probably be amazed at how many people support your cause, without your even knowing it. So give them a way to publicly and financially support it, too.