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Lesbians and Identity Politics
There are so many ways this story could have been presented, and yet it prioritized the stories of white women whose feelings have been hurt by cultural shifts within queer spaces ["Who Crushed the Lesbian Bars?" WW, Nov. 30, 2016]. If these shifts were unwarranted and not in demand, there wouldn't be such a plethora of successful, packed and popular parties to attend.
To somehow present that there are no spaces for lesbians to find other lesbians at a bar, instead of choosing to present the many popular events that are abundantly diverse and inclusive, is a huge disappointment to my community. These shifts and changes are very positive. I stood in a line around the block for two hours to get into Lez Do It on Pride weekend last June, and to hear a queer black woman rapper perform.
I know plenty of women who identify as lesbian who attend these nights, and they find dates. Nothing about these events says that lesbians are unwelcome or can't attend.
This story chose to highlight white fragility. It conveys that people who want inclusive spaces are becoming overly reactive to lesbian-only events and crazy about their "identity politics," yet women who don't feel comfortable in these inclusive and popular spaces are totally justified.
The fact that you prioritized white women who want exclusive spaces, instead of people who represent diversity and inclusiveness, is extremely gross, inherently racist, and pathetic.
—Clara Parnell
As a lesbian/queer who has been throwing successful queer parties in Portland for five years, I would have loved to weigh in on this article. I don't appreciate the narrow slant suggesting that people use the term "queer" instead of "lesbian" because they are afraid of offending people within the queer community.
The reason I've identified my parties Sugar Town and Queer Country Junction as "queer" and not "lesbian" is not because I'm afraid of offending. It's because I want to be inclusive of my entire community. Inclusivity is where the current generation has differed from previous generations. I want my LGBTQ community to be a true community, rather than a bunch of letters bunched together, because we've traditionally been viewed by mainstream society as deviants.
—DJ Action Slacks
Corrections
An item in last week's Murmurs incorrectly stated that City Auditor Mary Hull Caballero wants the City Council to give up its authority to set her budget. The charter change, if approved, would mean her office wouldn't go through budget exercises set by the mayor.
The item also stated that Hull Caballero sought to hire lawyers for her office; her proposal is to seek outside legal advice. Moreover, it stated imprecisely that she didn't want the next mayor to set the Independent Police Review's budget. Her proposal actually seeks budget independence from the police commissioner, who is typically the mayor. WW regrets the errors.
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