Lesbianism: an Act of Resistance Cheryl Clarke Fora woman to bea lesbian ina male-supremaci, capitalist, msg Yui racist homephobic, imperialist cltue, such as that of North [America Is an ac of vesitance. (A resistance that should be champ ‘el throughout the world by all the forces straggling for Hiseration from he same slave master No mater how a woman ives ou er es bianism-inthecloset inthe sate lepieatre, ithe bedroom ~ shes ‘bled against becoming thesleve masters concubine vi theme ‘dependent female, the female heterosexl, This ebetion is danger. ‘os business in patriarchy. Mea ata evels of pevilege, of al clases find colors have the potential to act ont lealsticaliy, moralisialy, ‘and violently when they eannot colonize women, shen they cannot ‘ireumserbe ove sexual, productive, epeoductve, creative peers tivesand energies And the lesbian thst woman 3h, as ey Gran ‘ys astakena woman lover" has suceeded inrsaling he slave tasters imperialism in tat one sphere of her life. The lesbian has decalonized her body. She has rejected ie of servitude ump ‘Western, heterosexual relationships and as accepted the potential of tunity nat lesbian relationship —rols notwithstanding Historically, this culture has come to Meni lesians ae women, whore time, engageina rangeand variety of sexualemotional rel ‘onships with women. for ose sdentily a woman aa lesbian who says she is, Lesbianism sarecogiton, anawelening 4 reawakening {Four pasion for ech woman} lhe woman) and or same woman ‘This pasion will ultimately reveree the heterosexual imperialism of male culture, Women, through the age, have fought ad ded eather than deny that passion. Inher essay, ‘The Meaning of Our Love for ‘Women I What We Hnve Constantly to Exp” Adrienne Rich tates: ‘Before any kind of feminist movement existed, of could exist, lesbians existed omen who loved women, who fused to com ply ith bebavior demanded of women, oro refused to deine {hamseves in relation to men, Those women, cut foresters, mi Hons hase names we donot know, wee tortured and burned 3 Witches, slandered in religious and later in "scientific tacts, por trayed in art and hteature as barre, amoral, destructive, deen ‘dentwomen, Fora lang time, the lesbian hasbeen a personification tf feminine ev Lesbians have been forced olive between tw cures, both male-dominated, cach of which ins denies and endangered ot fxistence Heterosesual.patrareal altare as dive lesbians Sm sore and git, offen to self -atred and suicide" ‘The evolving synthesis of lesbianism and feminism —two women: centred. and: powered ideologies. breaking that slenos and serery- The lowing analysis offered as one stall eut against that stone of silence and secrecy. Is not intended to be original otal Inclusive, Idedieate this work tall the women hidden from history ‘whose sufering and triumph have made it posible forme teal my ate out loud.® The woman sho embraces lesbianism as an sdeologca, poi, and philosophical meansof liberation of ll women fom heterosexual ‘tyranny mst alo identify with the world wide tug ofall women to end mae-supremacist tyranny at all levels. As far as 1 am con ‘ered, any woman who calls here feminit must commit herself to the liberation of all women from coerced heterosexuality a it ‘manifests sl in te family the state, and on Madison Avenue. The Iesbian feminist struggles forthe heaton of all people rom pate ‘archal domination dough heteroseism and forthe transformation fall socio-paltal structures, systems, an relationships that have ‘been degraded and corrupted under centuries of male domination However, thee is no one kind of lesbian, no one kind of lesbian behavior, and no one kind of lesbian relationship. Also there is one ind of response tothe pressures that lesbians labor under to survive 1 lesians. Not all women who are involved i sexual-emotonal ‘elatonships with women call themselves lesbians or identity with ‘ny partic lesbian commnity. May women ae oly lesbians 0 5 patcular community and pass as heterosexuals as they trafic mong enemies, (This is analogous to being black ant passing for ‘white wih only one's immediate family knowing one's tre origins) Yet, those who hide inthe closet of heterosexual presumption ate sooner o atc discovered. The nigger in-the-woodpile story reels lel. Many women are polly actve as lesians, but may fear holding hands with their lovers a they traverse heterosexual tut |Mhis response to heterosexual predominance can be likened to the reaction ofthe black stadent who sterates @ predominately white ormitory and who fears leaving the door of her room open when she “A Mic Tanna Seer rene tk ome egestas ea Hie Hel Mey Beck. Lanthcee bn Play Saat oem Caer, en Maye © Balin? TAL: ethene Press (WC :plays gospel music| There is the woman who engages in sex ‘enstional relationships with women nd labels hers bisexa. (This is comparable tothe Afro-American whose skin-cloe indicates her mined ancestry yet who calle herself ‘multe rather than black Biseusl safer Inet than lechian, fr posits the possiblity fa {clationship witha man regardless of how infrequent ono existent the female bisexuals relationships with men might be. And then there ‘sthelesbianwhoisalesbian anywhere and everywhere and whoisia direct and consan\ confrontation wih helerosexval presumption ptlege, andoppression. Her stuggle canbe compared tathat of the {Givi Rights activist ofthe 18605 who was out there on the toes for freedom, while so many of ts wiewed the atin onthe television Wherever we, a lesbians, fll along this very generalized polis! ‘continu, we mist know tha the insfittion of eterosexunlity isa Sieshard custom through which mae-supeemacs institutions ins their own perpetuity and contol over us. Women are kept mais tained and contained through error, violence, and spray of semen It is profitable for out colonizers to confine our bodies ad aenate us ‘rom aur own fe processes ait was profitable forthe Buropean to enslave th African and destroy all memory ofa prot freadom aad ‘scl-determination Alex Haley notwithstanding. And just as the foundation of Westen exptalism depended upon the North Aantic slave trade, the system of patriarchal domination is butresse by the subjugation of women through heterosexuality. So, patriarchs must sto the boy gel dyad as "natural to keep us straight an compliant Inthe same way the European had to extoll Caucasian superiority justify the Alan slave trade. Against that historic hackdrop, the ‘waa whe chooses ob alban live dangerous, ‘Asa member ofthe largest and sacond most oppressed group of people of color as. woman whore save ad ex-slae foresters sl {eve some ofthe most brutal acs, male supremacist imperialism in ‘Western history, the black esian has had to sarive aso te psyehle mutton of heterosexual superiority. The black lesbian is coerced into the experience of nsttutionl racism ke every other mse America~and must suffer as well the homophobic sexism ofthe black politcal community some of whom seem to have frgoten so soon the pain of ejection, deni snd repression sectioned by race “America. While most political black lesbians do not give a damn if ‘white America is negeophobic it becomes deeply problematic when the contemporary black poiical community. another “male dominated and mae-blentifedinsttlon} rejects us because fou ‘ominitment fo women and women’s iberation, Many blac male ‘members of that community seem sil not to understand the histor Ovmicinte 31 connection between the oppression of African peoples i North America and the universal oppresion of women. AS the women’s "igh aetvist and abolitionist, Biabeth Cady Stanton, pointed out daring the 18505, acim and sexism have been produced by the same sma vie te white Soxon man.” Gender oppression {ie the male expeitation and control of womea!s productive and reproductive encrges on the specious bats ff bologialdiferenee} originated from the first division of labor, viz that between women and en, and resid inthe accurlaton ta pete propery, piriarehal usurpation of mother right or mat lineage, and the duplicitous, male-premacist institution of hetero sexual monogamy for women ony). Sexual politics, therefore, mirror the exploitative, class-bound relaionship between the whi slave Inaster andthe African slave ~and the impact ofboth relationships {between black and while and wornan and tan) has been resal ‘beyond emancipation and sufirage. The ruling lass white man had a contuiesald medel or hia to-day treatment the Arica slave Before he learns to jusity the Africas continued enslavement and the ex-slaves continued disranehinement swith arguments of the ‘Asian's divinely ordained mental ane inal nferioty to bimoelt a ‘smokescreen for his capitalist greed) the white man learned, within the structure of heterosexual monogamy and under the sytem of atic, to relate to black people —slaveor free ~asa man elaesto | Woman, vias property, aba sexual commodity, as servant, a8 & ‘saree of free or cheup labor, and as an innately inferior being. Although counter-evolutionary, Western heterasexsaty, eich advances male-supremacy, continues tobe upheld by many black people, especially black men, asthe most desied state of affairs between men and women, This observation s borne ot onthe pages four most scholarly black publeation to our most commercial black Publications, which view the fase of black male and female relation {hips through the lens of heterosexual bas Bu hiss tobe expected, 1 historically eterosesality was one of our only means of power ‘wer our coniion as slaves and one of wa teane we hid tor Aisposa appease the white man Now, as ex'saves, black men have more latitude to oppress black ‘women, because he brothers nolenger have o compete drei with ‘he white man for contol of black omen’ bodies. Now the Black ‘man ean assume the "master role, and he ea alte to tyrennize black women, The black man may view the lesbian who cannot be ‘manipulated r seduced sexually by him ~in much the same way the ‘whit slave master once viewed the lack male slave, vz. as ome per ‘vote ericatute of manhood threatening his poston of dominance‘over the female body. This view, of courses neurotic ison inmposed om back men by the dictates of male supremacy which the black man can never fulfil because he lacks the capital means and racial pele, Historically, the myth in the Black world is that there are only two fece people in the United States, the shite man and thr Wack woman. The myth was estahlished by the Blackman in te ony period of his feusrtion when he longed toe free to have the ‘atrial and socal avantagesof his oppress, te white man. On ‘ramination of the myth this so-called reer was base the ‘Sexual prerogatives aken by the white anon the Black feral. ‘was fantased by the Black man tht she enjoyed it ‘While lesbian-feminism dows threaten the Back mans predatory control ofblack women, its goal ea political ieogy and philosophy Ismot to take the black mans or any mans poston on to. Baek lesbians who do work within "by-for about-lack- people? roupsor organizationselther pass as"seaight or relepntout esa Jam fo the so-called “private” sphere. The more male-dominated ot back nationalist bourgeois the organization oe group the more resist fant to change, end thes, the more homephobie and an-eminst tn these sectors we lar to keep alow profile In 1979, at the annual conference of a regional chapter of the Nationa Back Social Workers, the national director of hat body Ws vena standing ovation forthe following remarks Homosenualsare even accorded minonty statusnow... And white women, to. And some of you black women wi call yourselves feminists wil bestng up moetings with he same rite women ‘who will be stealing your enon the sy ‘This type of indicament of women’ revaluion and implicly of lesbian liberation is voiced throughout the bourgeois black (ae ‘movement. Bu hiss the insidious nature of male supremacy, While the black man may conser racism his primary oppression, he i hord:put to recognize that sexi is inextricably bound wp with the racism the black woman mustase, norean hese tht no omen ten for that mater) willbe liberated from the egal “master. slave relationship, viz that between menand worten, until we eel liberated from the false premite of heteoserval superiosty. This corrupted, predatory relationship hetween men and women i he foundation ofthe master-slave relationship between white and black people inthe United Sates The tactic many black men use to intinidate black women fom ‘embracing feminism iso reduce the conflicts between white women and back women toa "tug--war for the black penis. And since the black lesbian, as state previously, snot intrested in his pena she sndermines the black manis only source of power over her vi. his heterosexcaity. Black lesbians and al black women invelved in the “trl for liberation must ress this manipulation and sedation ‘The black dy, like every dyke in Ameria, s everywhere inthe ‘ome, nthe sect, on the vellare, unemployment and social secutty role, ising children, working in factories, nthe armed forces. c= television, nthe public sehoo system, inal the professions, going 0 college or graate schoo, in middie management, etal. The black ‘yke ike every other aon-vhite and working clas and poor woman in America, has not suffered the luxury, privilege or oppression of be ing dependent on men, eventhough out male counterparts have been present. ave shared or lives, work and struggle, and, in addition five undermined our "ran dignity” along the way Uke eat men in patiachy, theimperils family of man. But we could never depend fn them "to take cate of uso their resoures alone an of case, itis another "neurote Mtsion’ imposed on our fathers, brothers loves, husbands that they are supposed o "take care af ws because weare women. tanlate: "totale cae of us" equals “to contol Our brothers fathers, lovers, husbands’ only power fe thelr man hood, And unless manhood is somchow embelished by white skin and generations of private wealth it has lite eutrency in race, ‘capitalist patriarchy. The Black man, for example, is accorded native ‘te or colonial guard or vigilante status over black women in plait patriarchy. Hes an overser fr the slave master. Because of bismalenesse is given access to certain privileges. employment duction, aca, Ie insurance, a howe, some nice vines, Hels tually ‘rabid heteroveial He i, since emancipation, allowed to raise & “egimato” family allowed to have his piece of tr, vi. his wife and shuren. That is far as his dictatorship extends for if his wile feces that she warts fo leave that home for whatever reason, he ‘doesnot have the power or resources to seduce her otherwise if shes determined to throw off the benign or malicious yoke of dependency. ‘he ruling class white man onthe olher hand, ba always bad the ower fo eount women mong his poo of lve wage labor, hi means ff production, Most recently be ha allowed” women the righ to sue for divoree, to apply for AFDC, and t be nedvolonined "Tadionally poorblack men and women who banded ogether and stayed together and raised children together di not have the ary to ‘ulvate dependence among the members of thelr families. So, the black dye ike most black women, has ben eoeitioned to be sl sufficient, fe. not dependent on men. For me personally, the cond. Honing to be sel-sufficent and the predominance of female sole models in my lifeare the oot ofmy lesbianism, BeforeTbeeamee lsbin, Tften wondered why Iwas expected ove up, avoid, nd ti: lie the recognition ane encouragement fl from women in ordre pursue the tenaous busines of heterosexalty. And am not unign, ‘As political lesbians, lesbians who are resisting the prevaling culuzes attempts to keep us invisible and poweres, we must become more Wisble particularly black and othe lesbians f cla 0 ‘ur saters hidden in their various costs, Tock in prisons of et hate and ambiguity, afraid to ake the ancient act of woman-bonding beyond the sexual, the private, the personal. Lam not trying to reff leshiaismor feminism. am tryingto point out that lesbian-teminis has the poten of reversing and transforming major component in the sytem of womens oppression, viz. predatory heterosexual. I radical lesbian feminism purports an antisraist, anticlasss, an ‘Womn-hating vision of bonding as mat, reciprocal, as ently ‘egotable, a freedom from antiquated gender prescriptions and pro seriptions, then all people staging f0 transform the character of "elationships mths cuture have someting oleae rom lesbians “The woman who takes a women love lives dangerously in pat arcy. And woe beide her even mote if she choones a he lever 8 ‘Woman who ie not of her rae. The sllece among lesbian ferns ‘egnding the ie of lesbian relationships betwen black ad white ‘women in Ameria is caused by none ther than the centuries-old taboo and laws in the United States against relationships between people of color and those ofthe Cascasan ace Speaking heteoseas fly, the laws and taboos were a reflection ofthe patriarchal eave Tnasters altempis o conto his property via controling his lineage through the institation of monogamy fr women only) and justified the taboos and laws with the argument tat party ofthe Caucasian race must hy preserved as well asiteeupremacy) However, welnove that his raclt and rails laws nd taboos didnot apply to inn terms ofthe black slave woman asta his classi Irs and tshoce ‘egading the relationship between the ruling lass and the inden ‘ored servants de not apply to him in terms ofthe white woman see vant he chose to rape. The offapring of any unions between the white Fling clase save master and he black slave worn or ehite woman indentured servant cold nt legally inher their white oreling lass sites property or name, jus thle mothers condition of ert The taboo against blak and white people relating t any other level ‘han mastor save, superior inferior has been propounded in America ‘keep back women oni men and white women nemen, who skate ‘common oppression at the hands ofthe ruling lass ehite man, ams ‘onganizing against that common oppression. We, as blac lesbians must vehemently resist being hound by the white man's racist, sexist, Tbs, hich have endangered potential intimacy af any Kind between, nites and blacks, Te cannot be presumed that black lesbians involved in love, work, ‘nd social relationships with white lesbian do so ou of sal-hate and denial of oe racal-culturl heritage, dents, and oppression. Why should & woman's commitment to the strugle be questioned oF accepted on the bass of her lovers or comrade skin color? White les tans engages likewise with black lesbians or any lesbians of color anno be assured to be acting out of some perverse, guil-idden Fact desire personaly am tired of going 40 evens, conferences, workshops planning sessions that lavolve coming together of black and other lesbians of color for politcal or even soil reasons and sting to Dace lesbians rlegte feminism to white women castigate black ‘women who propose forming coalitions with predominantly white Senunist groups, minimize the sete womans oppression and exag {rater power, and then finaly jg that black lesbian'scomsmit. Inentto the iteration f back women subious because she does not fleep witha black woman. All of us have to accep or eeec ales on the bass of police not on the specions bass of skin color. ave not hack people ured betrayal rom our on people? ‘Yes, black women's experiences of misogyny are diffrent from shite omen’ However, they alladd upto how the patriarchal slave ‘ser decided to oppress, We bot fought each other for his favor, approval. and protection. Sach isthe effect ofimperialist heterosest, ptrareh. Shulamith Firestone inthe e=sy, "Racism the Sexism of {he Family of Man’ purports ths analysisof the relationship between ‘white and back women: ‘How do the women of this acal Tangle feel about eachother? ‘vide and congue’ Hot vemen have grown hostieto cachet ‘white women fling cotempt fr the slaty with no morals black ‘Wom fesling envy forthe pampered ‘powder pulls" The black ‘Woman isjclous ofthe white wonans legitimacy, privilege, and ‘Sounfort, bat she also foci deep contempt Stmarly Une white ‘Womanscontempfrthe lack womans mined wth envy for the Tack womants greater sexual cense fr har gutsiness or her freedom from Ie mastiage bind: For afterall, the black woman is fot unger the thumb of man, bt i prety much her oven boss to Comme ad goo leave the house to work (rive ats degrading work) a to be "shilesé Wht the wie woman doesnt Knows that the blsck woman not under the thumb of one man, ean sow be boas by all There ie no alternative for eter of them than the ‘hoc betwen being public or plvate property, but because eachm6 cnntciate still believes thet the theris geting any with scathing bth con be fooled into mi-channeling their frasation ota ach her tate han onto thee enemy, The Man” ‘Though he aatement of the ccs Uc ad white women have ander patirchy in America has mei, Preston analyes ony 8 Stes reltonship ue betwen the ung css white Woman od Tr orerave Back worn ecu her when the white woman ofall cases as been accorded tthe achsnanbsbnust hs mlenesy cen tegen cai pallarchy, og indentured served ts opposed fo Cesivement aco ah o public sastnce sot te 19 “Teint” ing if mand inte mip cas he Ihr olive othe usb income ee "Te beh wort, having ner talenst wor whens, hat lays ha er hetroeruaty which white men and black en fave misipulted by feece and a will arte, she,Bke all poor rorl, hn ha hr Ibo, hie he wie capa man has taken and expited at wil These cues hve allowed blak ston minal aceasta the cumbothroat black men al white vromen, So. when te tack woman and the white women fecome Tavern webring thal hier anal hoe ques tothe relatos tswell as ote people problems wih the relationship, The abo tgitat inacy beer wht and ac pope ts been nena tat by urand dimultancosly defied by twee eben feri ist dey the taboo, then we bepn to nfo the hoy ef ‘ekiondtige between black wore and white women Tn her eoay, ‘Diya o Chiao: Fm, acim, Gye phobia Rich ale for feito tend to the open oe Teonhip between black an white women inthe United Stes Reh eerie ‘Wt caratures of boas ity an ring ena sill Imprint peyeies ae where thd we eave hee peng? ‘Wn happened elven the sever howard northern wie ‘omen southern black women wh opto taught ne ‘Simi Sandel under Recontractonoy the Feces Biren, Sie by se braving the Rr Kle easment roi, td thehey ofwhike comune?” “One srs eam ih Ft Rp pina! (M6, he psu te SCENE TRARY eee "he Gace Sy ta ‘OST or Rrra lea ‘Soallof vr would do vel tostop fightingeachather foro space thebotom, beemuse there aint no more oom. We have spent so much time hating ourselves, Time to love ourselves. And that, forall lesbians, es lovers, as comrades, as freedom fighters, isthe fil ENDNOTES ‘Gea, Jy. “The Common Woma, The Wirk ofa Carman ers. Dina Press Oakland 1978 p82 “Rich, Adrenoe, On Ley Set ont Since Seca Pre 1965-1975. WW. Noon New Wek 197 p25, ‘binan, Fel aod Group Poor Black Women StadyPsprs by Por Black Women of Mount Vero New Ye nf Cas all Th Bach Woman Ant. New American Lorry. New Yr 1970p. 18 ‘uesne, Stulamith, Te Dae of Se: The Cat or Print Reon ta Books, New ee 1272p 118.