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Taylor & Francis, Ltd., Agenda Feminist Media are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity
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lesbian movement
Racism is rendering South Africa's lesbian movement ineffective and
> irrelevant, believes NOMFUNDO LUPHONDWANA. She explores the
IN BRIEF
overemphasis on sexual orientation, leadership by default, tokenism and
relations among black lesbians
Race relations between black and white implications) and what campaigns will be
lesbians are generally highly strained and embarked upon (a clearly political issue)
loaded with mutual prejudices and invariably come down to the issue of who
stereotypes - with both parties being guilty, makes decisions. Holland-Muter (1995:60)
though not to the same extent. From my alludes to the 'unspoken assumption' that,
experience, it is generally white lesbians for instance, meetings will be conducted in
who tend to be racist towards black lesbians English and they will happen in city
(for the simple fact that one needs power to centres. There is a tendency and habit
enforce and perpetuate racism), with the among white lesbians to 'expect black
72 AGENDA
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RACE RELATIONS IN THE LESBIAN MOVEMENT I N BRIE F
people to enter our world and work with us resources that results in many lesbian
on our terms' - black people must organisations being led by whites. Naturally,
challenge this and ensure that it comes to this scenario disempowers black lesbians
an immediate end. There is much truth in and discourages them from taking positions
Holland-Muter's (1995:55) claim that: of leadership.
White women have also been criticised Leaders who lead by default tend to be
for their lack of understanding and unaccountable to the organisation. In
failure to address the charges of racism reality, these leaders tend to give the
with some of these issues, most organisation and its membership a favour.
organisations have opted to be what they Further, this makes it extremely difficult for
call 'social' organisations (as if political and many black lesbians, some of whom are
economic issues are not inherently social). not confident and eloquent English
This approach invariably means that issues speakers, to challenge even a most obvious
like where meetings are held and what racist remark or comment. Thus, even
campaigns are to be embarked upon, are lesbian women themselves are guilty of
already decided by the powers that be. oppressing and subordinating other women.
While Holland-Muter (1995:57) argues that Lesbian
Leadership by default
this is 'a result of differing structural
The kind of leadership found within lesbian women
positions', I add that it is also a result of
organisations is almost exclusively white
deep-rooted racism. themselves
and middle class. A coincidence? No!
Perhaps both black and white lesbians
Experience has taught me that leadership are guilty of
need an open forum-cum-conference where
in lesbian organisations does not come
both parties can embark on what Holland- oppressing
about because people have great
Muter (1995:60) calls 'inward navel-gazing'
leadership skills. In fact, the contrary is and
as a first step to confronting and dealing
more true. Most white lesbian leadership
with racism. subordinating
develops by default: access to resources
like cars, fax machines, phones, Black tokenism other women
computers, printers and so on. When a It is interesting to note that there is usually
campaign is embarked upon, it is usually a token black subordinate 'leadership' that
white lesbians who take the lead for the develops around the white 'main' leaders.
simple political reason that they have easy These are usually one or two black lesbians
access to resources that will enable the whose main mandate is to 'translate' what
campaign to come to some fruition - like the white leaders have dictated and then
typing information leaflets on their report back on what the 'feeling' is within
computers, printing them out, faxing them the black camp. A result has been a 'black
off and/or distributing them effectively from on black' fight and bad blood.
club to club in their cars. To illustrate tokenism, let me give you
Most politically aware South Africans a typical scenario in a typical meeting:
know that this situation did not come about A subject is raised which may not be
because whites worked harder than black supported by many white lesbians, like
people. These are some of the perks that attending a meeting in Soweto. White
came with the apartheid package: job lesbians will dominate the discussion by
reservation, better education, access to being very vocal and opinionated. One or
better and well-equipped schools and two black lesbians will attempt to discredit
universities, etc. It is such access to the arguments, only to be overshadowed by
AGENDA 73
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IN BRIEF RACE RELATIONS IN THE LESBIAN MOVEMENT
* * ** * ______ ..:....
* *. *.">-*
* -. :2:
%:K.< _
0 -
o /2
*
.IiW
The black
disciple m
cannot
an eloquent mother-tongue English speaker these white leaders surround themselves
effectively - who is not necessarily using good with one or two black disciples - who are
chair or counterarguments but is just an eloquent mere puppets. It becomes obvious that the
English speaker - whereupon the black black lesbian 'leader' is a token when the
facilitate a lesbians surrender. But look carefully and white counterparts leave or abandon the
meeting or critically and you will notice the unspoken organisation for whatever reason. Suddenly,
disgruntlement and the silence of black there is a vacuum. The black disciple, who
take minutes lesbians, even after there is 'agreement' on is supposed to be a de facto leader, cannot
the subject. This usually goes unnoticed by effectively chair or facilitate a meeting or
white lesbians who perhaps assume that take minutes. It is also no coincidence that
silence means consent. Most importantly, the white lesbians who have some of these
they do not notice because they do not skills leave without sharing them.
understand and do not know many black
lesbians beyond bumping into them at a Liberal versus pragmatic
club or engaging with them at approach
organisational meetings. With the sort of leadership already outlined,
This is the unfortunate nature of forging it is no surprise that a liberal approach is
a movement based only or mainly on usually preferred. This manifests itself in
sexual orientation, at the expense of the emphasis on individualism over and
political, social and economic factors above communalism. I suppose this is also
impacting on the organisational a matter of different cultural backgrounds
membership at large. A consciousness of and way of life of black and white lesbians.
these is achievable with effort, dedication To illustrate the point, let's use a sensitive
and commitment to that cause! subject like 'coming out'. White lesbians
Instead, in a meek attempt to depict are usually worried about their nuclear
themselves as politically correct, some of family's response. For black lesbians
74 AGENDA
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RACE RELATIONS IN THE LESBIAN MOVEMENT I N BRIE F
(specifically Africans), the matter is much structures and campaigns from which they
more complex: they have to worry about may not necessarily derive any benefit?
the responses of the nuclear family, Like Holland-Muter (1995.56), 1
extended family and the community at disagree with the belief or:
large. In an African culture, you are a child assumption that once we are in the
not only of your mother and father, but of same political organisation ... our
your relatives and the community. common political affiliation will
In this context, many African lesbians compensate for our differences and the
cannot afford to put their individual needs inequalities between us.
over those of the broader community of I find it mindboggling how many human
which they are an integral part. Thus, rights activists have made such
during pride parades, slogans such as 'yes oversimplistic and, indeed, very
mum I am' are viewed, and rightly so, as embarrassing statements. It is these kinds
disrespectful to elders - an abomination in of assumptions that result in the
African society. Even an event like a pride unsustainability of lesbian organisations.
parade is met with mixed and unfavourable The challenge is how to constructively deal
feelings within the African communities, for African
with our diverse needs, approaches and
reasons such as: lesbians
political analyses. The role of liberalism in
* While drag queens and exhibitionists the gay and lesbian movement is still 'a
cannot
may be part of a gay and lesbian culture curious one', to use Themba Sono's (1993)
worldwide, most black parents feel that words. I conclude by echoing Steve Biko's afford to put
this is a western import. Hence when (1978:63) statement that:
their
most Africans refer to gays and lesbians
the biggest mistake that the black
as 'unAfrican', they are, in fact, referring
world ever made was to assume that individual
to such stereotypes of gays as 'boys whoever opposed apartheid was an ally.
who want to wear bras' and lesbians as
needs over
'girls who want to be boys'. Relations among black lesbians those of the
* Lesbians and gays always parade for Lest I be accused of being unobjective, let
their rights. In recent South African me acknowledge that relations among broader
history, lesbians and gays have not black lesbians themselves leave much to be community
taken a public stand on issues such as desired. It is true that:
crime and violence that affect the ... the most potent weapon in the hands
broader community. When they do, it is of the oppressor is the mind of the
only in so far as it affects them, not the oppressed (Biko, 1978:68).
community at large. We could accept the definition of black,
These are some of the issues that white as defined by the black consciousness
lesbians (and gays) are oblivious to - movement (Biko, 1978:49), to entail the
issues which grow into a racial cancer. following two essential ingredients:
I feel that it is understandable for white Being black is not a matter of
lesbians to have a suburban focus and pigmentation - being black is a reflection
manner of dealing with things as this is part of a mental attitude.
of their background. For me, the critical Merely by describing yourself as black
issue is what are black lesbians doing for you have started on a road towards
themselves to challenge homophobia and emancipation, you have committed
conscientise the majority of people in our yourself to fight against all forces that
townships? Are black lesbians quite content seek to use your blackness as a stamp
and happy to be perpetually co-opted into that marks you out as subservient.
AGENDA 75
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I N BRIE F RACE RELATIONS IN THE LESBIAN MOVEMENT
.. the tendency to act like Dr Jekyll and needs. I do not lump black lesbians together
Mr Hyde. One moment we are bowed as one homogeneous blob. While I
scraping slaves ... The next thing we are acknowledge that there are as many black
engaged in unbelievable acts of violence experiences as there are black people, there
... more irrationally against ourselves. are issues that unify us as black people: our
Klaaste proposes that we resolve our experience of racism, our suffering during
lesbians, we need to look beyond our noses Indian or African classification). These, of
Sexuality course, vary in degree and extent, but we do
and start contributing to what I call broader
history is as community issues. If I had all the answers, I share many common experiences.
Black South
African lesbians are
suffering the same m
76 AGENDA
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RACE RELATIONS IN THE LESBIAN MOVEMEN1 I N BRIE F
... lacking utterly in originality and moral of reconstruction and development, what
courage, the majority has always placed is the critical and practical contribution of
its destiny in the hands of others. the gay and lesbian movement, beyond
I would like to believe that this is not the calls for equality? Proactive
altogether true of black lesbians, who will involvement will make the lesbian
be the majority in the lesbian movement in movement politically relevant, not
AGENDA 77
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IN BR 1fF RACE RELATIONS IN THE LESBIAN MOVEMENT
encouraged among
various women from
various backgrounds.
In this regard, Agenda
must be commended
for consistently
tackling and dealing
with what are
considered
controversial subjects.
REFERENCES
Biko S (1978) 1 write what I
like, United States:
Heinemann.
Clarke JH (1990) Malcolm
X: the Man and His
Times, Trenton, New ILn
Debates on
Goldman E (1969)
racism and Anarchism and other essays, New York:
Dover Publications.
difference, Holland-Muter S (1995) 'Opening Pandora's
78 AGENDA
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