fAngelique has 2 post(s)

What I took from Cohen’s description of queer politics, is that they enable the existence of a dichotomy between heterosexuals and queers. Queer politics rely heavily on their identities as homosexuals, to drive political reform. This behavior further enables the dichotomies set out between homosexual and heterosexual individuals. By shaping political reform with one sense of identity, the action to dismantle the systems of oppression and domination are discouraged. Cohen recognizes that heterosexuality is granted privilege as a result of being the normal or natural state of being. In order for queer activism to effect change, they have to completely shatter perceptions of identities. Perceptions of identities can often force individuals into broader categories. For example, if I tell a Catholic women I am a homosexual, she would likely heighten herself up on a social scale. All based on her personal beliefs in relation to an idea of normality. If we separated idea of identities, what it is to be normal or natural, and class or a space of being subjugated to marginalization, true political change can occur.

The Seneca Falls Convention opened the door to many issues surrounding women rights. Davis shows how flawed the premise of the women’s rights movement. The middle class women who wanted so much of their freedom back, failed to look to the freedoms of their working sisters. Sojourner Truth was an incredible force to the movement. She fought for what it meant to be a women in every facet of the struggles met. The most insightful part of Davis tellings of Truth, are the way she broke down the basis of christianity as means to justify women mistreatment. In chapter two the Council of Congregationalist Ministries of Massachusetts, spoke of a women not being able to talk the place of a man as a public reformer. Doing this, would be considered a great sin. Truth cleverly brought up the basic truth of reproduction, in that Jesus did in fact come from a women. Even more brilliant was Truth’s reference to Eve. I myself felt empowered as a women, knowing that I have the means to turn the world upside down. Thats what Sojourner Truth did. She empowered women to not be afraid to speak up and fight.