apnl2i.2000.J—* — 1|25
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“ 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.
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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