Off my breast

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Off My Breast is the WSW readers' forum offering you the opportunity to postulate/recapitulate/ventilate your reactions, ideas or views to express your dreams or your screams. Give us 250 angry, vindictive, sarcastic, obscene, humorous or violent words to print. Be thoughtful. Be outraged. Be outrageous. We'll publish any prison pen letter you have the tits to compose. Don't worry about spelling or grammar, just GET IT OFF!

Hello! I am a student at Ohio University. During Spring Quarter I attended an all day Gay workshop, which was excellent. I gained much from the workshop in terms of my own personal awareness. I'd like to share with you some of my impressions and realizations as well as what I've discovered about myself.

I wasn't really active in the Women's Community in Athens because I was still in the process of exploring my identity trying to look at the whole picture of people's liberation and how I could fit in. Quite recently, I've found a few answers within myself as well as a few questions, perhaps as a result of the Workshop. I've decided to channel my energy into fighting women's oppression. I now believe basically, I am a feminist and want to work on helping to change people's consciousness, for I think that is where the key lies. I think that if there were more male 'feminists', everything would be cool. You see, I am not into putting down men for their conditioned views of women and their misconceptions. They most often are trapped by their own ignorance! I want to help raise their consciousness to one of acceptance of the equal capabilities of women. The way I can do this is by challenging discrimination!

However, women's consciousness must also be raised. In these times we are fortunate enough to be aware of the prevailing unintelligent attitudes . so what can we do? First, I feel that there must be a basic unity underlying all actions if we are able to be aneffective example. For we all come together for a common purpose to dispel inequality! Who do you see when you watch other women? Basically we must feel a connection with all women regardless of how unaware they may be of their plight. Thus, unity and support is what is needed in order to deal with the disproportionate amount of justice.

our

We must certainly be aware that in any women's group, each person comes from a different consciousness. But the uniqueness of each individual need not interfere with the common purpose, which often happens. The next question I ask myself is

what can actively be done to raise people's consciousness?

The Gay Workshop in Athens was one good way to gain strength within one's self as well as to raise awareness within the community. And we really must be proud of our accomplishments! As you know, it ain't easy. But it's important that we don't expect miracles. Unfortunately, Anita Bryant is not alone.

People change slowly, especially, when they're not aware of how they honestly feel as opposed to those responses they have learned. It takes time.

Ultimately, I've come to discover that I want to

M

stand up for what I believe in! If some people (like parents and peers) do not acknowledge this right, it's their problem. For I will always help to rectify happiness, by the striving for individual freedom!

Contributed by Laurie Singer

continued from page 4 FEMINIST AT WHOSE EXPENSE? ticisms. If she/they persist with no clear explanation, the criticism should be publicly discussed among feminists. Staying at home is a one-person boycott which is ineffective and allows feminists to continue to make strictly individual financial decisions, often at other women's unhappy expense. Literally.

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is a "psychiatric imperialism" that affects all thingspsychiatry in our culture "can only spot pathology all things, civilization, people

are neurotic."

Not only does our culture dislike women, she elaborated, but "We don't like children in this culture, we don't like old people in this culture we don't like ourselves in this culture."

•

Perhaps the most fascinating topic Chesler touched upon was her explanation of religion as an agent of patriarchy. Indeed, "the first major impact men have had on women was the takeover of religion,'' she said, and asked her audience to consider how different religious history would have been if the Virgin Mary had given birth to a daughter instead of a son. Women have been taught to "flee to the great male image. because the image of women (in patriarchy) :esented is so poor."

"Women have been taught to treat men as if they are god on earth," she declared. But we must realize, "That we are all human beings-none of us is a god, by dint or virtue of biology, to the rest of us.' One of the reasons women, over the last ten years, have gotten depressed and suicidal is because "god is dead." For Phyllis Chesler, "Feminism is the declaration that god on earth is dead!"

Patriarchy holds up the image of the Virgin Mary as an ideal role for women. "Patriarchy...means that there are good women and good wives, living on pedestals in nice neighborhoods." There is a price for failing to be the Virgin Mary, however, and this price is paid in rape, welfare, and oppression of the not-so-nice-women.

What all women need is an escape route · "An underground railway to freedom." But the womens' Movement, "This new baby" as Chesler describes it, "cannot provide stations we have no money and no power." She cautioned that "holding hands and crying on each other's shoulders is not sisterhood." Chesler may also have been anticipating a reaction not a man when she declared, "I'm a feminist hater." She made some wry comments about what she called "male separatism", stating that males were separatist males have always separated them. selves, in the Pentagon, the army, the government, and I'm very against male separatism."

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Unfortunately, Dr. Chesler was not the most organized speaker she jumped from topic to topic and at times seemed to be attempting to cover every feminist concern from Susan B. Anthony to the present. Her speech, sponsored by the Women's City Club, was a bit radical for some institute participants, some of whom appeared to quite deliberately walk out after some of her more "Unladylike''points. But then, Dr. Chesler doesn't hide behind the facade of being a "Lady"-she's a woman.

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