Common Speaking, November 1981, volume 1 number 1

vol. 1, no. 1 NOV 6

Rethinking Feminism

eakin

MORE COLLFE

1981

the newsletter of the

Alice Feul

Women's Center

PERIODICAL |



In recent years, feminist theory has been increasingly integrated
into mainstream American culture. However, hostile attitudes toward
the feminist movement and toward feminists themselves have
continued to exist, even in the Swarthmore community. Feminists are
stereotyped as hysterical man-hating fanatics, yet in reality it would
be difficult to find any feminist who fits this description. The issues which
feminism forces us to confront on both:a political and personal level
are so sensitive that many people instinctively attempt to dismiss the
women’s movement by invoking this popular stereotype. Many of
the original reasons why feminism is important and many of the
important values which feminism represents have been forgotten in
the controversy which surrounds the issue.

Most people understand why feminism was needed in the past
although there is continuing controversy about its validity in the
present. Few people would argue that society should take away
women’s suffrage or prevent women from being educated, yet in the
not-too-distant past these issues were extremely controversial. We
now look back on these days with great indulgence toward their
blindness; however, today we remain just as blind to many modern-
day inequities. Despite affirmative action, women are still
systematically excluded from powerful and influential positions. On
the average, women who work full time still only earn 59¢ for every
dollar a man makes; in fact, female college graduates statistically
earn less than males with only an eighth-grade education. Outside of
the economic sphere, our society is still plagued by the mistreatment
of women such as wife abuse, incest, and rape. The odds are
frightening; one in four women can expect to be raped and virtually
all women will be subjected to sexual harrassment. These are but a
few of the battles which have yet to be won.

Feminism is not just a movement for the liberation of women, but a
broad social movement striving for the equality of each individual.
Feminism emphasizes the importance of such values as co-operation,
tolerance, nurturance, and the freedom for each person to achieve
her or his potential. Feminists are not against men as individuals. What
they are against is the oppressive and outdated social structure which
forces both men and women into positions which are false and
antagonistic. Thus, everyone has an important role to play in the
feminist movement. It is ironic that feminism has been characterized
as anti-male, when in fact it seeks to liberate men from macho
stereotypic roles such as the need to suppress feelings, act
aggressively, and be deprived of contact with children.

Some of the most intense opposition to the women’s movement
comes from women themselves, many of whom feel that feminism
stands for things that they don't want, such as the weakening of the
family unit. But feminists are not opponents of the family: in fact,
feminism seeks to recognize the long-denied fact that women’s
traditional work is as important to society as the traditional work of
men. This does not mean, however, that individual women should be
forced into roles they have not chosen, however valuable these roles
may be. Every individual should be free to integrate achievements at
home and in the workplace in a manner that is personally satisfying,
rather than determined by society.

Mad EY /

Feminism affects everybody; it is an issue on which it is impossible
not to take a stand. Most of the hostility toward feminism comes from
misunderstanding of feminist values and from fear of change. It is our
hope that people will take the time to recognize how the women’s
movement has changed their lives and to re-think their position on
feminism.

We hope that COMMON SPEAKING will stimulate this re-thinking of
feminism. In succeeding issues, we will be printing a series of
Perspectives on Feminism; contributions are welcome from all

members of the community.

Events

Thursday, October 29: Women’s
International League for Peace
and Freedom Swarthmore
Branch October Membership
Meeting.Dupont Science Building,
8:00 p.m. Swarthmore WILPF and
Swarthmore College Young
Friends will co-sponsor “Dr. Helen
Caldicott Speaks’ —a videotape
of a speech which Dr. Caldicott
gave at. the Delaware County
Women's Conference in May,
1981. Discussion will follow.

Friday, October 30: Meg
Christian: A ConcertAt the
Scottish Rite Cathedral, 150 N.
Broad St., Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m.
Tickets available for $7 af
Giovanni's Room, 12th and Pine
streets in Philadelphia.

Saturday, October 31: Confer-
ence on Midlife and Older
Women. Martin Luther King High
School, 122 Amsterdam Ave,
New York City. Contact: Zan
Taber, NOW, 85 Fifth Ave., New
York, NY 10011. (212) 5303-
0996.

“Right to Know How To”
Conference. Sponsored by POSH
and PILCOP of Philadelphia, 8:30
a.m.-4:30 p.m. AFSCME Center,
3301 Walnut St., Philadelphia. For
information, call 735-7200.

Tuesday, November 3: Demon-
stration against Jerry Falwell,
head of the Moral Majority, Inc.
Marriott Hotel, 6:00 p.m.
Assemble on City Line near
Monument Ave. For more
information, contact Donna at
x7376.

Thursday, November 12: Swarth-
more Branch WILPF Board
Meeting. 3:30 p.m. at the home
of Adele Silverman, 1215
Wildman Arms Apts., Swarthmore.

Friday, November 13: SANE
Peace Award Dinner. Honoring
Dr. Helen Caldicott. Special
guests: Paul Warnke, chief SALT II
negotiator, Willian Wimipisinger,
Fresident of the Internatioal
Association of Machinists,
Congressmen Bob Edgar and Bill
Gray. Tickets available at
$25/person by calling SANE (564-
6244). The dinner will be held at
the Holiday Inn, City Line Avenue.








androgene contrapposto Il

once or twice we went
sunbathing, me with my

shirt off, spilling gingerale

down my neck and chesf,

and you fell asleep, hair
sprayed between your arm and cheek,
and damp;

and the wind thrashed blossoms
from the ornamental trees

and flung them curled,

moist against my legs.

that was before the man in the suit
came. the man in the suit came
across the field and stood

with ants crawling up his shiny black
shoes and the grass in shreds on the soles
and said, “| wonder

if you would put your shirt on,

there are children who walls through
here, in fact one of my sons

has seen you, so would you

put your shirt on.”

“he lies,” | said, “see here,

all these red-white marks

across my breasts?” (he looked away.)
“when | hear voices, | roll over.

| lie on my stomach.

they can look at my back all

they want. that’s all.

just my back.” and my legs

with the beautiful black-gold hair,
opaque as any good stockings.

the man in the suit goes home.
tonight I'll be his dinner quest,
sprawled and wanton on

the kitchen table

one hand between my legs,

one on a breast,

leering at his wife who

pauses, momentarily,

then puts another saucer in the sink.

later I'll hear | danced,
naked, on his front lawn.

but first you woke, cold wind

on your neck, and gathered

the textbooks, the towels,

the gingerale, brushed the grass
from the wrinkles of your elbows.
| reclaimed my teeshirt

from the sticky ground,

stuffed it past my shoulders to my shorts
and tucked it in; and you went home.

and | went to work; where

| took off my shirt again, standing

in a clay-stale studio

with terrazzo floors and five

legally but not completely

blind sculptors,

and very bright lights for hours

and they complained they couldn't
see my hips. so | unzipped my jeans
but they said, “no, it's much too cold,
it's much too chill, you mustn't,

you'll get pneumonia, we'll do your hips
next week.”

this week | am

the winged victory of samofthrace.
their putty is absurd compared

to what | see: shoulders malachite;
legs, the wings

and no armature.

“| like this more than paint,” one says,
because with sculpture | can feel

if your breasts are the right size.”

my breasts are the right size

and in the right place :

and when | check later they are

still there, when after supper and tea
the earnest photographer stops by
and after photos of my hands
requests “not cheesecake,” (blushes)
but if you'd just—”

his film is black and white and

his shutter is just as fast

as the tic above his lip.

he would prefer I'd dress before

| answer the door.

but if you could see

what happens in the mirror
when | am

bent to my own stance,

rattan round my bones,
sweat trembling down my ribs:

sandalwood, rust; copper

faced on hips the white of garlic,
lucent white

and | am the androgene contrapposto
and the smell of sawdust, twine.

© Shoshana T. Danie!







-¥

Sunday-Monday, November 45-
416: Disarmament Conference:- *
The Arms Race and Us. The Fourth
Annual Disarmament Conference
will be held at the Riverside
Church in New York City.
Following the session in N.Y.C., the
Swarthmore WILPF group will go
to Washington, D.C. on
November 17.

Sunday-Monday, November 15-
16: Women’s Pentagon Action.
Women's groups return to the
Pentagon to protest Reagan
Administration policies. Contact:
Becky Hall, Shoshana Kerewsky or
Women's Pentagon Action, 339
Lafayette St., New York, NY.
10002 (202) 483-4284, or see
the Women’s Center board.

Saturday, November 214: Artists
for Choice. A benefit for the
Reproductive Rights Organiz-
ation. Performing will be the
Avante Theatre Company, Anna
Crusis Women’s Choir, Edwina Lee
Tyler, and A Piece of the
World: Women’s Percussion and
Dance Ensemble, N.Y.C., Sonya
Sanchez: Poet, Augusta Clarke:-
Philadelphia Councilwoman,
Jean Hunt for the Reproductive
Rights Organization. $7 general,
$10 sponsor, $4 limited income.
Cavalry United Methodist Church
at 48th and Baltimore, 8:00 p.m.
Tickets in advance: Giovanni's
Room; Judson's Bookstore,
Progress Plaza, 1500 N. Broad
Street; Maplewood Cheese
Shop, Maplewood Mall,
Germantown; Christian Assoc-
iation, 34th and Locust Wall, U. of
Penn.

Sunday, November 22: Tea for
Russian Women.Swarthmore
WILPF has been asked to help
entertain three delegates to the
US*Soviet Women’s Seminar at
Bryn Mawr. Two of the visitors will
be Soviet delegates. The three
women will be visiting
Swarthmore until Wednesday,
November 25. If you would like to
help entertain them call Betty
McCorkel at 544-6769 around
dinner time.
























f

| am Black and a woman at the same time.
This fact holds endless political possibilities.

But we all know whenwe have such a choice that fighting for equality
as a Black person is much more important. Besides Black women
have always been liberated in their heads. They've never let their
men step on them and they've always had to work for a living.
Besides, equal opportunity for White women, because somehow it’s
amore socially acceptable cause, is actually making things harder for
Blacks, especialiy Black men. Anyway the civil rights movement
became unnecessary in 1968.

Black people have all that they need. Do you think it’s time that the
turned to help somebody else?

First of all, Black women do need feminism. There is sexism in the
Black community. Although it may stem from different origins, and
have different dynamics, it exists. When it is encountered it hurts. | was
at a meeting not too long along where we were discussing Ntozake
Shange’s play FOR COLORED GIRLS. Two of the men in the room said
they felt “washed out” afterseeing it. It just didn’t portray Black men in
a favorable light. They felt that somehow somebody should of put a
good word in for the men. | mean all Black men weren't that way.
One of the men then proceeded to object fo The Women’s Roomon
the grounds that. it showed all men to be whimps. | do agree that all
Black men or all men in general are not whimps but | see no
difference between the potential offensiveness of “whimpy men”
and “she’s a brick house.”

I'm sure every Black woman has heard Black men say things that
make her cringe. So how come there aren't more Black women
involved in the women’s movement? First of all there is a kind of
“experiential myopia” in the women’s movement. For instance, take
one favorite feminist scenario: Woman marries at very young age
probably before she knows what she is doing. They have kids. Wife
stays at home all day taking care of the kids. Husband dies or husband
asks for a divorce. is forced out in the job market for the first time. she's
never worked for pay in her life. This is a viable scenario for many
women. But Black women have always had to work for pay even if it
was very little. The fact that they got to work as cooks and maids for
White people has as much to do with being Black as it has to do with
being a woman. Secondly, it is hard to tell for a Black woman where
oppression is coming from. Even when women got the vote in this
country there were still Black women in this country who couldn't vote
because they were Black. When women began to enter the good
universities of this country, there were Black women who couldn't get
in because they were Black. Some of the early advances of the
feminist movement did not have effect on Black women because of
their color. Finally, there is a difference in the cause of sexism among
Black men. Some Blacks are sexist not only because of their sex but
ALSO because of White racism. Whites have always associated the
more negative aspects of “maleness” with the Black male. They were
considered to be oversexed, always after innocent White women,
shiftless and lazy. In short they were considered to be just a different
kind of ape. Black men never got to take advantage of the more
positive “traditionally male” characteristics such as being a leader,
being strong, having good judgment, being independent. They have
missed out on the more positive aspects of manhood. Black males
will have to be liberated as males first before many of them will
begin to take feminism seriousy. For this they need the support of
Black women. In short Black women have two fights to fight, each no
less important than the other.

The feminist movement has not done enough to consider the basic
differences between the experiences of women other than the White
middle class. When you are White and have enough to eat you can
worry about whether or nof your consciousness is sufficiently raised. If
you are other than White and middle class you have a lot more to





worry about before you have time to consider yourself as a woman. If
the feminist movement is to attract women from different cultures
they must help all women develop themselves as people. Some
might have more worldly needs than others. But we have to learn to
accept them all.

—Franetta McMillian

Cystitis—Women’s Health

Next to the common cold, cystitis is perhaps the most common
health problem for women at Swarthmore. Nurse practitioner
Barbara Smetana estimates that Worth Health Center treats about
twenty cases of cystitis a month. Over fifty percent of Swarthmore
women can expect to contract cystitis during their college
years; sometime in her life, nearly every women gets it.

Cystitis is a general term for inflamation of the urinary bladder. It is
much more common in women than in men because women have
a very short urethra, so that bacteria from the intestine are easily
carried into the bladder. Ordinarily, most bacteria are flushed out by
urination and don't have the opportunity to establish colonies in the
urinary tract. However, if something interferes with this natural
defense mechanism, such as an obstruction that prevents complete
emptying of the bladder, the bacteria can multiply and cause an
infection. Conditions that can set the stage for urinary tract infections
include irritation and swelling of the urethra or bladder as a result of
sexual intercourse, pregnancy, bike riding,or the use of irritants like
bubble bath, hygiene sprays, douches, or the diaphragm, and
psychological stress and fatigue. In young women, sexual activity is
the most common and most distressing precipitant of cystitis. Many
women first contract cystitis when they first become sexually active,
change sexual partners, or increase the frequency of sexual
intercourse.

Although cystitis can be treated easily and is usually not serious, its
symptoms can be both annoying and alarming, especially to a
women who has never heard of it before. Symptoms of cystitis include
intense pain on urination and a constant need to urinate, even when
the bladder is empty. Occasionally, blood may be present in the
urine, which leads many women to fear severe illness, such as cancer.
Some women suffer repeated attacks of cystitis throughout their lives.
However, at its best, cystits can be quickly treated with antibiotics or
sulfa drugs. At its worst, it can spread to the kidneys and cause
pyelonephritis, a condition seriously impairing kidney function. Thus, if
you suspect you may have cystitis, it is important that you have a urine
culture as soon as possible and receive proper treatment. If infections
become recurrent, you should probably see a urologist, who will
check for an obstruction or structural abnormality of the urethra,
possibly requiring surgery.

Of course, the best way to deal with cystitis is to exercise good
preventative measures. Drinking lots of fluids can help to prevent
bacteria from building up in the bladder. Many women find that
cranberry juice alleviates symptoms of cystitis and helps to prevent
recurrence. You should wash your vulva and bottom regularly and be
careful to wipe yourself from front to back after using the toilet, so as
not to get bacteria from the anus into the urethra. Always empty your
bladder before and after intercourse, especially if you are using the
diaphragm. Women who use the diaphragm and experience
recurrent attacks of cystitis should probably consider switching to
another contraceptive method. If you exercise proper preventative
measures, there is a good chance that cystitis will not become a life-
long problem.
pronouns ... can be fun

Trivial and unnecessary, ungrammatical, ugly, difficult, and
unpronounceable. These are the complaints raised against attempts
to demasculinize the English pronouns.

Take the “unnecessary” class first. Man includes human, they (who?)
say and him includes her. Yup, includes. We are part of a category
which names them and includes us. When man first descended from
the trees, she formed a nomadic society. Right. Why not use the
generic she and claim that it includes men? Tradition rears his ugly
head.

Trivial. This is an easy charge to counter. If it is trivial then why the hell
raise such a fuss over an attempt to change such a minor usage? If it is
trivial to you, then please accede to my request, because it certainly
isn't trivial to me.

The ugly argument is essentially one of grammatics, which use and
Official sanction could to some degree change. “When one eats alion
they get sick” is now in several dictionaries as an accepted form of the
grammar.

He or she is considered to be too long. While time is certainly of the
essence and if you're going to catch the day you'd better start soon
lest the early worm escape you, no three letters extra isn’t too much.
But better than that would be s/he. This alternative gets called
unpronounceable. Please read the following sentence aloud. Dr. &
Mrs. Blank’s et co. Ltd.,est. 1874 Frankly, | think we could handle s/he.

A friend suggests consistent use of the generic she. This, | think,
should be viewed as a temporary method , useful as a consciousness
raising device, but purely interim. | don’t think he thinks so.

And a final alternative.

“Where did that bug go?”
SMASH.
“| got co.”

Co? A new word meaning him or her and the possessive, very simply,
is co's. Co is especially useful for discreetly inquiring about a friend of
unspecified gender without forcing the interested party to make
assumptions. Objections raised to co are: It's too difficult, it could
never work, too new, take too long to learn... | lived with people
using it, and within two weeks the above dialogue about the ever-
present mosquitoes came from my mouth. It's not that tough.

But, here we come to what is practical. Professors probably won't
yet respond well to co. And using generic she in class can earn some
caustic looks and sarcasms directed at "These Modern Feminists.” S/he
is probably safest and useful and easy for now and for here. But it's still
fun to write: to study properly, a person should be seated upright at
her desk.

COMMON SPEAKING would like to hear people's responses on which
professors do what and reactions in class, and to publish letters
informing each other on specific sexist and non-sexist attitudes on

Ongoing Interests

National: The New States Rights
Anti-Abortion Constitutional
Amendment was introduced on
the House floor on October 5 by
Senator R. Hatch. , Additional
hearings were held on October
14 and 19, and more will be held
on November 4, 5, 12, and 16.
Testimony or statements can be
entered into the public record by
sending them to: Senator Hatch,
108 Russell Bldg., Washington,
D.C. 20510. The Women’s Center

should be receiving a copy of this.

bill soon for anyone interested in
reading it.

State: Everyone who got
involved in opposing the Abortion
Control Act, either by attending
the public hearings and rally in
Philadelphia, or by writing letters,
will be glad to hear that the bill
was defeated in committee by a
vote of 13-141. However, Freind
and Cunningham are now
considering various parlia-
mentary procedures which might
allow them to bring the bill to fhe
House floor despite its defeat in
committee. Alternatively, since a
vote against the bill in the House
would eliminate it from
consideration for the rest of this
legislative season, its sponsors
may choose instead to wait: and
tack it on to orher bills as an
amendment in hopes that it will
eventually be passed without
drawing attention from pro-
choice forces. Until the Abortion
Control Act has been decided
upon, the Delaware County
Chapter of NOW will be
organizing phone-banking in
opposition to passage of the Act.
Phoning will be done every
Wednesday from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
in Media. Transportation will be
provided for those who are
interested in participating. For
more information, contact Donna
at x7376 or Beth at 328-5035. A
good source of information is the
Planned Parenthood Hotline:
629-1000. It tells you what's
going on and where to find out
more about it.

Local: Metropolitan Hospital is
currently in the process of
considering whether or not to
further cut their abortion services

&

(only first trimester abortions are
now performed). On Saturday,
September 19, about 20
Swarthmore students went to a
demonstration held in front of the
hospital to voice support of pro-
choice policies. Since then, many
other students have been active
in telephoning or writing letters to
Sidney Kahn, director of the
hospital. A decision (originally
scheduled to be made several
weeks ago) has not yet been
reached and community input is
still being sought and encour-
aged by the hospital administra-
tion. Metropolitan Hospital's
number is: 328-9200.

The Women’s Center is located in
two small rooms upstairs in Bond.
The Center is staffed every
weeknight and Sunday after-

“noons. Please drop in, talk, study,

relax, and make use of our library
of books by, for, and about
women.

Sunday 1-3p.m.

Monday 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Tuesday 7:15-9:15 p.m.
Wednesday 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Thursday 2-5 p.m.

Friday 7-9 p.m.

Statement of Purpose

The Women's Center News-
letter will be published monthly to
provide information about
women’s issues on the local and
national levels and is a forum for
women on campus. We
welcome articles, suggestions, or
letters from any member of the
Swarthmore community.
Submissions for the next issue
should be sent to Ruth Sergel
through college mail by
November 30.

Staff

Shoshana Kerewsky
Jennie Allen

Ellen Dye

Lauren Gabor
Wendy Hoben
Debbie Hollander
Fran McMillian
Donna Mullarkey
Cecilia Rodriguez
Ruth Serge!

Emily Silverman
Lisa Utter

The text of this newsletter was set
in 9-point Serif and Serif Bold.