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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2000)
apnl2i.2000.J—* — 1|25 ▼ “ Passover Revisited” draws a comparison between the Jew s’ escape from slavery in Egypt and women’s desire to get away from men— to a women-only space, presumably. Continuing the analogy, how would you contemporize and feminize what happened when the Jews reached the “ promised land”— that they killed or enslaved everyone who was already living there? As anyone familiar with Lesbian feminist community history knows, we did a damned good job of killing each other off or driving each other off during the alcoholic, drug- infested 7 0 s and ’80s, particularly our nearest and dearest. Do you think there’s any danger of patri archal ideology invading women-only space through the separatists’ preoccupation with defending the space? All the effort at exclud ing men doesn’t strike me as an effective escape from patriarchy— unless it’s a sacrifice one woman could make so that others benefit from the space? Huh? Well, I can’t speak for all separatists. All 1 can say is that 1 (and those Lesbians I’m close to) are not at all preoccupied with men in any regard. Au contraire. However, back in the early 70s we had a really great time keep- from your Minstrel Blood columns at In Other Words bookstore. Which organization approached you first— whom should we thank for bringing you to Portland? We can (and should) thank Wendy Cutler at PSU, who was the initiating and main dri ving force behind my visit. I would also like to express my appreciation to the various students and other PSU faculty and administration working with her. Also to our friend, Reeni Goldin, to Catherine [Sameh] at In Other Words, to Kristan [Aspen] at LCP, KBOO and everyone who makes a positive contribution to the Lesbian community, the LGBT, Queer, progressive and allied com munities as well. You were ultimately reinvited to the Philadelphia rally. How was TtCSE W O M E N N E V E R B E E N BETTER Two final questions: How is AUX DOBKIN ¿ N O FRIENDS your reception? Did you speak or your memoir coming along, and are just perform some music? you planning to record any new This is an interesting saga, which music in the future? cannot be described briefly, and Between keeping up with my two which I documented in “The monthly columns; writing articles for Philadelphia Story,” five consecutive Lesbian News and other journals; recording monthly radio commen Minstrel Blood columns running in taries; answering in-depth questions August and September 1998 Outlines. for interviews; hustling bookings to Briefly, the committee issued a make a living (provided by none of most ungracious reinvitation only the other efforts); volunteering at my after some Lesbian and transsexual (Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts) heavy hitters criticized their blatant Club; preparing lectures and con censorship. 1 did not sing, but spoke certs; practicing guitar; watching The about how wonderful being a Dyke is West Wing, The Simpsons and The (which explains why everyone wants Sopranos; revising and copying my to be one). On the March itself, about promo; updating my mailing list; a dozen Lesbians covered their faces answering e-mail; taking daily walks; with pie plates bearing my photo and touring the country; keeping in the legend "We are all Alix Dobkin.” touch with my daughter and other It’s a long and fascinating tale of loved ones; and living my wonderful how their reversal of “ inclusion” life with my wonderful pals in Oak excluded me, and how they reinvited land, C A , I have not found the time me only after getting transsexual per I should devote to completing my memoirs. (I ing men out of our spaces. (See “Further mission, as well as an account of the extraordi do manage to sneak a few memoirs in some Adventures of Lavender Jane” and “More Fur nary post-March meeting between the commit columns, allowing me to revise some of the ther Adventures...” and “Throw Out the tee and disgruntled Phila. activists who had left second draft). But thanx for asking! Pricks!” Outlines, Jan. 7 and 21, and June 17, the committee, [because they] felt left out of I lost interest in songwriting quite awhile 1998.) the March before they invited me in the first ago, so I have no new material to record. How place. ever, I did just write my first song in 10 years In its press release about your storytelling Believe it or not, this is the “short" version for my daughter’s wedding on Earth Day, an forum in Portland, the Lesbian Community of that long story. event I’m very excited and thrilled by. Project has invited “ lesbians and friends.” What do you say to people who challenge separatism because they believe feminism won’t truly suc ceed unless it allies itself with other social justice movements? Only that I agree with them. Since there are 24 hours in a day and since there are 7 days in the week, etc., etc., many of us can do more than one thing in our day, our week, our life. You see, the “separatism” I subscribe to is a consciousness and a tactic to empower women and not simply about not ever relating to men ever, which is what some sepa ratists try to do, but which I myself have never done. This is why I get so tired and frustrated with these tiresome, frustrating questions and definitions of “separatism” and in fact have not described myself as separatist for over a decade. O f course there are “separatists” who dis agree with me and my definitions and do not regard me as a separatist.(I have just used up more than my entire quota of the usage of that word.) In a 1995 interview with Michael Elkin for the Jew ish Exponent, you said: “ My ideal world is one created by lesbians.” Would you be O K with a world in which men were victimized by matriarchy? 1 am not at all interested in victimizing any one or in living with anyone who does. ■ A lex D obkin is playing in the all- day music festival Lesbopalooza on April 29 in Agate Hall at the Universi ty of Oregon in Eugene. She presents a free lecture, Talking Lesbian: Generating Lesbian C ul ture from the 1970s to the Present, at Portland State University on May 2. Her talk begins at noon in the Park way Commons adjacent to Smith Memorial Center, 1825 S.W. Broad way. On May 3, Dobkin reads from her award-winning column Minstrel Blood at In Other Words bookstore, 3734 S.E . Hawthorne Blvd. The reading starts at 7 p m . The Lesbian Community Project hosts a potluck and storytelling forum featuring Dobkin and others sharing memories of the early days of the feminist movement. This event takes place at 7:30 p.m. May 5 at Metropolitan Community Church of Portland, 2400 N .E . Broadway. Call (503) 233-3913 for more information. Dobkin performs her legendary lesbian folk music at 8 p.m. May 6 in the Multicultural Cen ter in the basement of PSU ’s Smith Memorial Cen ter. Tickets cost $5-$l0 sliding scale and are avail able at the PSU women's studies office, In Other Words and It’s My Pleasure. lift, KINGS HILL 2211 S.W. PARK PLACE #503 PO R TLAN D, O R E G O N 97205 Age of Unit: 1965 • Square feet: 1039 • Bedrooms: 2 Baths: 2 • Extras: Covered Patio • New Appliances Walk to downtown, N.W. area. Unit comes with separate storage & parking. Must see rooftop garden and sundeck. ¡ychardV guu GRI CENTURY 21 PENINSULA REALTY 503-804-9424 C«11/VM 503-286-5826 Office ffl X L=J N E W STORE . MORE SHOES. FOR MEN & WOMEN. I get so tired and frustrated with these tiresome, frustrating questions and definitions o f "separatism" and in fact have not described myself as separatist for over a decade. Men and transsexuals— both M TF and FTM — have been hot topics at recent LCP events. Do you plan to address the women-only issue directly, obliquely or not at all? Has anyone from LC P explained the group’s situa tion to you, and are you concerned that someone will raise a stink either way? I am familiar with some of the issues you refer to. If our stories mention women-only space, then it will be mentioned. I’m not con cerned about someone stinking up our story telling session, because then everyone will know who stinks. If, however, people want to talk about other concerns, I am willing to meet at a different time to discuss those concerns. C hristopher D. C uttone is an amateur In addition to your lecture and concert at P SU , and the LC P forum, you’re reading sociologist who loves to play devil's advocate. He can be reached at cmonstei@justout .com. 815 S.W . ALDER ST. 228-5844 Upstairs 225-1 241 Downstairs
