Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1977)
Womens groups battle feminist stereotypes By. MARGARET HARTNETT Of the Emerald Feminism — it’s a loaded word if there ever was one. Some peo ple see red lights flashing as vi sions of hairy-legged Amazons come marching into view. Others see cold and calculating Sax’s 5th Avenue bedecked women, who, unreachable and unfeeling, de stroy scores of young executives on their way to the top. These are merely two of the images that feminists battle to destroy in the war on what a woman should be. Close inspection shows Eugene to be as near the front lines as one can get. Women here are serious about creating a sup portive women's community that reaches all ages and has as many faces as there are economic and political orientations. A few years back there was an enormous split between the University feminists and community women. There was little common ground bet ween bourgeois and socialist feminists. Radical feminism be came synonymous with Lesbian separatism and it seemed nearly impossible to call yourself a feminist and know what that meant. Time and a great deal of work, struggle, compromise and trust have healed most of the old wounds. Rather than retreating into protective circles of sisters, many women took the initiative to cross the lines, bridge the gaps and focus on their commonality. It became clear that divided, women gave strength to the patriarchal forces that would continue to de fine women's roles and to portray feminists in any derogatory man Brands Yon Know ★ HART SCHAFFNER & MARX ★ PENDLETON ★ BRITTANIA ★ LONDON FOG ★ HATHAWAY ★ ARROW ★ CHRISTIAN DIOR ★ HAGGAR ★ DAKS ★ SOCIETY BRAND ★ ZERO KING ★ LEE ★ AUSTIN REED OF REGENT STREET ★ DAMON ★ JOHNNY CARSON * BOSTONIAN ★ GLENEAGLES * ALAN PAINE ★ TEX-TAN ★ JOEL ★ CROSS CREEK ★ WALTER MORTON ★ THANE ★ HIMALAYA * COUNTESS MARA ★ LACOSTE ★ GANT ★ SWANK * TUNDRA ★ ARNOLD PALMER ★ DAY’S AND MANY MORE We won’t Steer you wrong at.. Rosenblatts VALLEY RIVER CENTER-EUGENE ner that fit their purpose. It is by no means the case that there are no more differences of opinion or orientation. The variety exists. Only now it exists in a cli mate of support and respect. The University campus is the home of many women’s groups and services. The Women’s Re source and Referral Center in Suite 1 of the EMU is a natural place to begin to find out about women's acitvities on campus. A poster on the wall of their office summarizes their role as "aiding women in their search for informa tion, skills, tools and services which will help them in gaining au tonomy in a sexist society." If one is looking for research material or a particular article in back issues of feminist publica tions, the Center for the Sociologi cal Study of Women on the sixth floor of FT_C is likely to have It The Center is a very important spot for the collection and dispersal of in formation on women, (see story page 29, section A.) Two relatively new campus or ganizations are helping to meet the needs of some of the older women students. The Center for Displaced Homemakers and the Widowed Services Program work with the special problems of older women (and men) who are no longer married to a wage earner. These groups have an office at 1609 Agate St., 686-4220. The communication system in Eugene’s women's community is really quite remarkable. If, after checking the campus groups, a person has a special interest that is not met, the chances of meeting women with similar interests in the community are quite good. For starters, Women’s Press is the “grande dame" of women's groups in Eugene. The Press col lective puts out a paper roughly every six weeks. The paper cov ers local events, as welt as cover age with a feminist analysis of na tional and international stories. Women’s Press accepts articles and graphics by women not on the staff. They usually let their reader ship know when they need to in crease the size of the collective or need help at publication time. There are two women’s collec tively owned and oriented businesses in town that also serve as funnels for information. Mother Kali’s Books on 5th Ave nue and Blair Street has the largest selection of woman oriented books in Eugene. Fiction, non-fiction, non-sexist children’s books and a fine array of left politi cal works stock their shelves. There are generally notices up at MK's about study groups forming, cultural events and meetings in the community. The next place to visit would be the calendar of events at Gertrude’s Cafe at 1160 Lincoln Street. Gertrude’s has often been the scene of women’s meetings and is always one of the best places to find out what is going on in the community. For women whose interests run along the lines of ratification of the ERA, there is a local chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW). On a national level, NOW has been concentrating its efforts on the ratification drive. Mary Simon, a spokesperson for the or ganization, said the local chapter would be looking into their role in the ERA movement this fall. The local chapter is only a year old and is working on determining their structure. They hope to continue their work in the areas of con sciousness raising groups, abor tion legislation and task groups designed by members' interests in areas such as battered wives and displaced homemakers. NOW can be contacted by calling Mary Simon at 344-8951. Working to ameliorate the posi tion of women within our present political system is a focal point of the work of the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus. Formed in 1971, the Caucus reviews candidates for election based on their posi tions on issues concerning women and actively lobbies in the Legislature on important issues. The Lane County chapter of the Caucus invites any interested women to join them at their Tues day luncheon meetings at KTs Kitchen in the Overpark down town. The luncheons are at noon and the discussions generally center around current issues af fecting women. Finally, there are Women’s Studies courses that would put a person in immediate contact with women actively involved in the feminist community, both on and off campus. The topics are varied and deal with the problems of women in our society, economic status, lesbianism, single parent hood, women's culture and so on. It is also possible to become very involved with the women’s community in Eugene and never attend a single meeting. This city is alive with cultural activities that cover all interests. The women's dance collective, Wallflower Order, performs regularly at the Community Center for the Per forming Arts. There is an abun dance of poetry readings and art displays at Gertrude's, along with films, discussions, study groups musical events 'lOtt&Mt 'TtCci&ic 'ZtteiAe FEATURING: •Complete Sheet Music Dept. •Band Instruments-Guitars •Stereo—Sony-Fisher-Superscope •Accessories & Repairs Your Complete Downtown Music Center 8th & Charnelton
