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Statement (continued from page 2)
growing number of setbacks for women? Or is the feminist movement failing to discuss its own serious mistakes?
-Does dependence on government and corporate funding and foundation grants increase or decrease the effectiveness of feminist groups? Does it distort their politics and activities?
-What is to be done about government and corporate spying and intervention in the feminist movement?
These questions are not personal but political. They are at the heart of our survival as a movement. We will not be silenced.
Gilda Abramowitz, New York City Dee Alpert, NYC
R. L. Annchild, NYC Marion Banzhaf, Washington, DC Ben Baron, Bronx, NY Jane Darry, Philadelphia Rosalyn Baxandall, NYC Frances M. Deal, Brooklyn, NY Harriet Bernstein, Philadelphia Louise Dillonte, San Francisco Nancy Borman, NYC
Gayle M. Brauner, LaGrande, Ore. Lynne Carlo, NYC
Eileen Casey, Brooklyn, NY Susan P. Chizeck, Princeton, NJ Cindy Cister, NYC
Heather Cottin, Bayville, NY Coca Crystal, NYC
Agnes Cunningham, NYC
Janet Kruzik, Jackson Heights, NY Lavonne Lela, Rochester Barbara Leon, Gardiner, NY Sherry Lipsky, Philadelphia Pamela Lloyd, NYC Rita Loughlin, NYC Kathleen Maynard, Gainesville, Fla. Charlotte J McEwen, Ollawa Aurora Levins Morales, Berkeley, Cal. Janet Mulkeen, NYC, Amina Munoz, NYC Donna O'Sullivan, Prince Albert, Sask. Marge Piercy, Wellfleet, Mass. Sharon Presley, Astoria, NY Colette Price, NYC
Lynn Randall, Atlanta
Bethany R. Redlin, Lambert, Mont. Judy Reichler, Callicoon Center, NY Vickie Richman, Brooklyn, NY
Ann C Davidson, Philadelphia Charlotte Denett, NYC Carole DeSarain, NYC Hodre W Edwards, Oakland, Calif. Dorothy Engelman, NYC Nancy 5 Erickson, Brooklyn Lisa Forman, Warrington, Pa Harriet Fraad, New Haven, Conn Carol Gardina Freeman, Jacksonville Ihzabeth Griggs, NYC
Sara Grusky, Washington, DC Stephanie Haftel, Rochester, NY Carol Hanisch, New Paltz, NY Carole Heath, Rochester Judith Lewis Herman, Cambridge Nellie Hester, NYC
Jan Hillegas, Jackson, Miss. Susan-[ eigh Jeanchild, W. Palmi Beach Patricia Korbet, NYC
Marlene Rupp, Gainesville, Fla Susan B. Sands, NYC Kathie Sarachild, NYC
Kathryn Scarbrough, Rochester Gay Schierholz, Carson City. Nev Victoria Schultz, NYC Judy Seigel, NYC Ingrid Shaw, Gainesville
Marilyn Skerbeck, Washington, DC Deborah Smith, Bronx Susan J. Smith, Washington, DC Mind B. Snoparsky, Houston Deborah Thomas, San Francisco Page Thompson, San Francisco Tish Webster, NYC
Nancy A. Whitacre. Lancaster, Pa Nancy Wolf, Prince Albert, Sask Ellen 1. Wooters, Philadelphia Jean Yanarella, Beacon, NY
Note: Copies of the two articles reviewing Steinem's CIA associations, which were in the original edition of Feminist Revolution, are available for $1 from Redstockings, P.O. Box 1284, New York, NY 10009; Redstockings' information packet on the censorship of the book's Random edition is $1. Copies of the September 6, 1975 Majority Report, containing Steinem's statement and annotations to it, are $.75 each from Majority Report, 49 Perry Street, New York, NY 10014. Copies of the Voice article and letters of response are $.50, cash or stamps, from the Statement Group, c/o Nancy Erickson, 619 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215.
Women Against Pornography March (continued from page 6)
anti-pornography crusade might lead to further attacks on lesbians.
Charlotte Bunch, a leading member of the National Gay Task Force and an editor of the quarterly magazine Quest, pointed out that pornography actually hurts lesbians. "I am tired," she said, "of having lesbian literature and publications threatened by phony accusations of pornography." Teresa Hommel, a lesbian feminist lawyer, pointed out that many previous rightwing crusades against "filth" had actually been disguised attacks on women's and lesbians' rights. This anti-pornography drive, Hommel and several other speakers stressed, is different. It is organized and led by feminists who see an attack on pornography as part of women's fight to control their sexuality against sexist violence, and for lesbian and gay rights and the right to abortion.
Other speeches at the rally explicitly linked the spread of pornography with the rising incidence of assaults on women and children. Dorchen Leidholdt, a WAP founder, noted the group's origin among activists with previous experience in combatting rape and woman battering.
Writer and poet Robin Morgan noted, "Pornography is the theory; rape, battery and mutilation are the practice."
Gloria Steinem, editor of Ms. magazine, said, "We here today know what pornography is. It's what makes us afraid...makes our palms sweat...it's instruction to boys and men...a fix on dominance."
Several speakers addressed the censorship issue. WAP is still under attack from both liberals and the pornography industry who accuse the group of attempting to sabotage First Amendment rights to free speech. Former congresswoman Bella Abzug asked, "Don't we have any rights under the First Amendment?" "Yes!" yelled the crowd.
Pornography is a "powerful industry-an industry which callously exploits images and ideas harmful to both women and men," Abzug went on. As "an incitation to violence," she noted, pornography does not deserve protection.
Abzug and black civil rights worker Amina AbdurRahman were the two speakers who drew the clearest parallels between the anti-pornography movement and other progressive movements. Abzug noted that the WAP march was an important part of "the larger struggle...for economic and political freedom." She continued, "We object to the violence of poverty, we object to the violence of discrimination against minorities, we object to violence against women."
Abdur-Rahman, the only black to speak, addressed the accusations of racism which have been levelled against anti-pornography groups such as WAP. She said she had joined WAP as a black woman, "a group that lives in double jeopardy" from both sexism and racism. "The porn merchants have been downright democratic," she said. "They've defamed and libelled and threatened all of us."
Most speakers emphasized the need for consciousness-raising among men around the issue of por nography and violence to women. Lynn Campbell, a founder of WAP, suggested that women press for a new presidential commission to study the issue of pornography. The last such commission, in 1970, concluded by a narrow majority that pornography was socially harmless. Campbell also suggested an
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organized campaign against supermarkets which carry pornographic magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse and Oui.
WAP spokeswoman Dolores Alexander said that the group is still considering future strategy. "What we really want to do is hit the pornography industry," she said, "but that's hard because we're women, we don't buy it.” Alexander believes that the group may go on to mount a special campaign against Playboy, the most "respectable" of the pornographic magazines. Alexander noted that Playboy is making strenuous efforts to buy off the opposition from the women's movement by offering grants to women's organizations and causes.
Excerpted from
The Guardian October 31, 1979
Page 12/What She Wants/November, 1979