This will be an interesting in-person conversation some day. :)
I completely agree that essentialism was central to '70s (and '80s) feminism. It also notably infected GLBT communities: Witness lesbian reactions to female bisexuals of the time. (Amanda Udis-Kessler wrote a paper about that which appeared in my book: "Bisexuality in an Essentialist World: Toward an Understanding of Biphobia".) What I see now is support of anti-egalitarian segregation: Services pointlessly offered only to women, for example. Or (more often) women-only groups because of the prejudice that men will ruin the atmosphere with their poisonous presence, and that women are so weak that they'll be overwhelmed.
But I don't sense that it's essentialism that spurs such behavior. Rather, it's -- as you called it -- protectionism. Underneath it, though, is a belief in the *essential* infantilism and weakness of women/blacks/gays/whatever.
I believe another reason for modern feminist bigotry is *payback*. They kept us out of the golf club/executive office/politics? We'll keep them out of the medical center/safe house/phone tree. It's natural, but unfortunate. (See also Israel.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-02-06 11:41 pm (UTC)I completely agree that essentialism was central to '70s (and '80s) feminism. It also notably infected GLBT communities: Witness lesbian reactions to female bisexuals of the time. (Amanda Udis-Kessler wrote a paper about that which appeared in my book: "Bisexuality in an Essentialist World: Toward an Understanding of Biphobia".)
What I see now is support of anti-egalitarian segregation: Services pointlessly offered only to women, for example. Or (more often) women-only groups because of the prejudice that men will ruin the atmosphere with their poisonous presence, and that women are so weak that they'll be overwhelmed.
But I don't sense that it's essentialism that spurs such behavior. Rather, it's -- as you called it -- protectionism. Underneath it, though, is a belief in the *essential* infantilism and weakness of women/blacks/gays/whatever.
I believe another reason for modern feminist bigotry is *payback*. They kept us out of the golf club/executive office/politics? We'll keep them out of the medical center/safe house/phone tree. It's natural, but unfortunate. (See also Israel.)