ry
     
    
   
   
    
     
      All
      Feminists
      Are
      Dykes
      N
      OT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      **Itseems
      to
      me
      the
      underlying
      intent
      of
      the
      above
     
     
      phrase
      (except
      the
      NOT!!!),
      is
      that
      somehow
      being
      a
     
     
      lesbian
      is
      a
      bad
      thing.
      As
      a
      dyke
      who
      is
      actively
     
     
      involved
      in
      the
      so
      called
      ‘feminist
      movement’,
      some-
     
     
      times
      I
      wish
      it
      were
      the
      case
      that
      all
      feminists
      were
     
     
      dykes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      the
      statement
      ‘‘all
      feminists
      are
      dykes’’
      is
     
     
      made,
      I
      usually
      reply
      with
      an
      answer
      like
      -
      ‘“Hey
      I
     
     
      wish...you
      gotta
      problem
      with
      that?’’
      What
      hurts,
     
     
      and
      alienates
      me
      however,
      is
      when
      |
      hear
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      isnottrue’’
      (apologist
      and
      defensive)...
      all
      the
      way
     
     
      to
      silence
      (no
      voice,
      no
      challenge,
      no
      connection).”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Margaret
      Mizuik
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      statement
      “All
      Feminists
      Are
      Dykes’
      also
      both-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ersme.
      |
      think
      this
      stereotype
      is
      completely
      unfair
      to
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Feminists
      (heterosexual
      feminists
      (lesbian)
      and
      lesbi-
     
     
      ans
      (non-feminists).
      The
      two
      don’t
      have
      to
      be
      related
     
     
      to
      one
      another,
      and
      to
      say
      you
      have
      to
      be
      one
      to
      be
     
     
      the
      other
      is
      stupid.
      Ms.
      Mizuik
      is
      right
      this
      state-
     
     
      ment
      is
      followed
      by
      defensive
      and
      apologist
      re-
     
     
      sponses.
      Really
      such
      astatement
      does
      not
      deserve
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      response
      at
      all.
      Who
      cares
      ifa
      person
      is
      a
      lesbian
      or
     
    
   
   
    
     
      heterosexual.
      Lesbianism
      is
      not
      a
      requirement
      needed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      be
      involved
      in
      the
      Feminist
      movement
      and
      because
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      you
      may
      be
      a
      lesbian
      does
      not
      mean
      you
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      involved
      in
      the
      feminist
      movement.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      why
      do
      people
      make
      such
      aconclusion.
      I
      think
      it
     
     
      stems
      from
      an
      old
      stereotype
      ‘‘feminists
      want
      to
      be
     
     
      men’’.
      Thisis
      also
      untrue,
      most
      women
      don’t
      want
     
     
      to
      be
      men,
      once
      again
      whether
      your
      a
      feminist
      or
      not
     
     
      does
      not
      make
      a
      difference.
     
    

    
     
      Ms.
      Mizuik
      says
      its
      ‘‘the
      silence
      that
      hurts
      the
      most’”’
     
     
      Well
      besides
      saying
      all
      feminists
      are
      not
      lesbians
      and
     
     
      all
      lesbians
      are
      not
      feminists,
      what
      can
      we
      do.
      When
     
     
      I
      give
      this
      reply
      I
      don’t
      say
      it
      in
      an
      apologetic
      way
      or
     
     
      a
      defensive
      way.
      Instead
      I
      shake
      my
      head
      and
      say
     
     
      ‘*What
      difference
      does
      it
      make
      what
      sex
      youchoose
      _
     
     
      to
      have
      as
      your
      partner.’’
      What
      people
      have
      to
      under-
     
     
      stand
      is
      a
      person’s
      sexual
      preference
      does
      not
      make
     
     
      the
      person
      abad
      person.
      It
      is
      just
      that
      they
      have
     
     
      found
      fulfilment
      in
      a
      partner
      of
      the
      same
      sex.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tracy
      Smith
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "The
      more
      I
      traveled
      the
      more
      I
      realized
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      fear
      makes
      strangers
      of
      people
      who
     
     
      should
      be
      friends."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --Shirely
      MacLaine
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (
     
    
   
   
    
     
      w
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      Illustration:
      Kimberley
      Whitchurch,
      Da!
      Gazette
     
    
   
   
    
     
      anes
      el
     
    
   
   
    
     
      International
      Pen
      Friends
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      Friends
      is
      a
      non-profit,
      non-sectar-
     
     
      ian
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      founded
      in
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      in
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      to
     
     
      promote
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      goodwill
      and
      friendship
      through
     
     
      letterwriting.
      With
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      in
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      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      February
      20,
      1992
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      18