"For here again we come within range of that very interesting and obscure masculine complex which has had so much influence upon the women's movement; that deep-seated desire, not so much that she shall be inferior as that he shall be superior, which plants him wherever one looks, not only in front of the arts, but barring the way to politics too, even when the risk to himself seems infinitesimal..."
-Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own, pg.57 (1929)
I came across this quote last night while rereading her essay on the struggle of women writers and I thought by substituting a few pronouns and select words the sentence would pretty well sum up at least a portion of today's struggle for LGBT rights:
In other words, these mostly white, christian people oppose anything that would place us on an even level with themselves, not necessarily because they hate us, but because they have a burning need to themselves feel superior to those around them who are different (and we seem like an easy target, just like Iraq seemed like an easy target to Bush in 2001).For here again we come within range of that very interesting and all too common conservative complex which has had so much influence upon the LGBT rights movement; that deep-seated desire, not so much that we shall be inferior as that they shall be superior, which plants them wherever one looks, not only in front of marriage and equal employment opportunities, but barring the way to basic human rights and dignity too, even when the risk to themselves seems infinitesimal...
2 comments:
You are so right on this.
With bowed head I admit to believing Uncle George and Cousin Tony about the Iraq issue .... I feel betrayed and ashamed ..... I live in the Middle East .... and the call to prayer from the Mosque across the street is ringing in my ears as I type this. Kaye
Thanks for this. I've been feeling like some sort of party pooper for pointing out that there is a middle-classing, a gentrification process happening that completely privileges the existences of those who manifest as conservative, quiet, well behaved and craving of a life that demonstrates, at whatever cost, that we're just like them. It's a killer.
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