I felt that the Radicalesbians article did a good job of making the term lesbian something which all women can identify with, a way all women in the movement can find common ground as part of the lesbian continuum. However, it seemed to me that the movement used lesbians and their personal experience of sexuality as a political tool. I know that prior to this era of sexual liberation, it was next to impossible for lesbians to express their sexuality. The movement made it not only OK, it celebrated lesbianism because of women's' ability to reject the socially constructed sex roles which depended on male supremacy. In spite of this, I feel that a woman's sexuality, or anyone else's, is a personal and private experience constructed of the love, lust, and passion that one feels for their lover/lovers, not a political issue completely open to be analyzed, debated, and used as a gauge of feminism and rebellion against male supremacy. I suppose this is an example of the way that radical feminists made the "personal political" yet I feel that it is part of the human experience and should be kept a personal, sensual issue rather than a tool for the argument of the radical movement.
I do agree with the statements made in regards to the fact that homosexuality would be completely irrelevant if we did not live in a society marked by such rigid sex roles. It is said that sex roles dehumanize women in relation to the dominating male, yet I feel that this is an example of how this article is somewhat dated compared to the view of sex roles in today's society. The article says that the difference between lesbianism and women's heterosexuality is that in this society what it means to be a woman is getting fucked by men. I feel that feminists especially should have enough faith in the strength and assertiveness of one another to realize that we are not all seeing ourselves and our sex roles in relation to men. I am going to have to disagree with this because I enjoy sex thoroughly and I refuse to feel guilty if I want to sleep with a guy because I don't think this makes me a weak person or any less of a feminist. I'd like to know that whether I love sex with men or women is my personal choice, and something that I can enjoy (hopefully) rather than a reflection of political convictions which others may project upon my choice. I hope that I am a strong enough person to be able to transcend society's sex roles and retain my own identity, and I would hope that other women would be able to respect that.
- Carly Gieseler