Liza, thank you for your brilliant exoneration of women, in words and drawings. It strikes me as the ultimate cruelty that every man and woman in the world owes their life and has come from the body of a woman. Yet, these women, our mothers, are discredited, abused, and imprisoned in their own bodies. I have fought for women for years and as a speech writer and coach, I wrote a short book in 2018 called, “Make Your Voice Heard: A Woman’s Guide to Campaign Speeches, Media Interviews, Debates & Doorbelling.” (I’m Michael Buschmohle). I once gave a talk to a women’s group entitled, “How to speak so well, even men will listen.” Liza, women around the world will benefit from your heartfelt contributions to their cause. Thank you.
I keep wondering what the Taliban would do if women used artificial voice machines that sounded male--or just inhuman. Would a woman doing that still be depriving the air of "purity."
I don’t know if it remains the same but in the Greek Orthodox Church a woman was not allowed to attend church when she was menstruating- or after the birth of a child if she was still bleeding. Instead her husband brought the infant to be blessed - and to add insult to insult, a female infant was not permitted behind the altar, only the male children.
Until my sister reported this to me just after the birth of our first niece, Liz, my mindset was - okay well this is our religion, a cultural home - but afterwards it was oh hell no you don’t.
First, the drawings: At the top of the column, the running/leaping/naked woman is one of my favorites (so far.) The expressive line quality (e.g. the flowing hair); the "gesture", as my art teachers called it (the dynamic depiction of the person in movement); the non-literal way it expresses uninhibited freedom. The "What do women have in common" panels: hard-hitting; great setup and punchline. And the cartoon at the end: "Mommy, what did you do..." I laughed aloud, in the way I always do when humor illuminates truth. Now, one of the issues you mention - a real dilemma for many of us: what about the behavior of people in a culture very different from my own? And not always a culture in some geographically distant place, but sometimes right across the street? Are there basic, universal ethical and moral principles that we should all observe? Considering how bossy those of us with light-colored skin (and, often, penises) have been over the years, I'm more than a bit leery of telling someone else how they should behave; but aren't there some limits? Killing? Not just humans, but other species, too? Oppressing - that is, denying others the rights and privileges you enjoy? Robbing, even when it's "legal"? Destroying the natural environment? On and on... This is not a trivial question, and I'm suspicious of glib, short answers here: "Oh, we all know what's right and wrong..." Do we? In my ideal, fairy-tale world, nobody gets coerced or forced into "right" behavior; we all somehow come to consensus on issues great and small; but the odds of that happening anytime soon seem small. STILL: I'm not going to wring my hands and become immobilized when I see injustice, particularly when the high and mighty impose their will on the small and defenseless... Oh, goodness, here I go again: there isn't space here, and I'm just a guest at this party; I'll hush now.
We can learn and we are learning everyday from each other, learning being a respectful approach as well as a very rich one. Curiosity will take you far in any direction you choose. Life is a big full adventure not to be missed.
The fact that Women have it worse in other countries does not mean everything is fine here. It also doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t fight for gender equality here.
It is one of the ways the patriarchy tries to make us second guess ourselves - “What are you doing for women in Afghanistan? They’ve got real problems.”
You identify an important ethical issue: having someone dismiss my suffering, oppression, etc. because someone else's is (allegedly) worse is repugnant to me. Sure, if I've got the means and the wherewithal, going to Afghanistan (or Gaza or wherever) to help people in need is admirable, but I should never ignore the suffering in my midst.
I love all of this and get it. If you ever come to Seneca Falls NY, I want to come meet you. I’m a female singer, guitarist and songwriter who plays out locally and I’d love to play some songs I wrote. My most common response from males, is wow, you really can play. My thought is why would they assume I couldn’t play better than most of them
Thank you, Liza, so much for this. The women of Afghanistan are heavy on my heart and I wonder what we in the USA can do? How can we all stand by and allow this to happen? I know the UN has called it “gender apartheid”, but what are they doing about it?
Thank you for your beautiful and healing thoughts. Looking back 51 years, I was able to make a dent in lesbian visibility by appearing with my family in print, 10/73 Ms magazine. Much good has happened since with all its ups and downs, enough to get us into this new era, this new beginning of a realized equality.
That's so interesting. I recall the early Ms, was so excited. Just the fact that you and your family appeared in print was a radical act back that. Bravo. Can we believe it? It seems not so long ago...but it was. I now publish in Ms every now and then, and it is one of the highlights of my career to be acceptef by Ms. now.
Thank you Liza, It was actually quite a strange transaction with one of the editors, not saying who. But in general even with the fabulous Margaret Sloan there, the then understanding of the role of lesbians in the women's movement was shall I say, hmm, pitiful. When my then partner and I had gone across the country in '72 and met other lesbian mothers we discovered we were the only ones who were at that point not 'actively' threatened by the fathers, the state, whatever, that the basic understanding of parenting by whomever, to make a family, needed to be understood, in what we lately call normal, ways. Of course much more to this story. Got to get to an appointment :-)
Yes, I had read about the difficult relationship between the women's movement then and the lesbian community. Horrible. Thank you for reminding me of that--although thank you is not really the right word. I appreciate your honesty and the conversation.
It's hard to know where we stand on understanding these days, with so many ahistorical dykes, ahistorical everybody not knowing the roots of the present day. Back there those of us who came through especially the CR groups were very aware of what we were doing for women in general, and we had declared the freedom from men that was very natural to us anyway though in my case I didn't get it till I was 34. My daughters undoubtedly have stories about those daring times. And I'm happy to say they are strong and beautiful boomers, along with two granddaughters in their professions and very interesting lives. Sometimes you just got to do what you got to do…
I - we, all of us - owe you a debt of gratitude. The counterculture I identified with back in those days did not need to be convinced of the value of feminism; most of us (granted, a numerical minority) saw feminism as part of a larger social movement based on a radical vision of equality - among humans, of course, but with other species as well, and ultimately our whole planet. Still and all, I do remember how even some fairly progressive folks struggled with homosexuality; lesbians and gay men made many of us confront deep-seated phobias. Bless you for your bravery, you soldier, you! Lots of folks stood on your shoulders.
I appreciate you speaking out. It is outrageous to think of all the lives of Afghani and American people lost to fight the Taliban only to have them resurgent and in charge these decades later again. That was en other Vietnam in my book. Such bad decisions about sending fighting troops and then abandoning the people of that nation and, mostly, the women and girls. When will we ever learn that civil wars cannot be won by outside forces. I agree the decisions about how to help are beyond my pay grade, too. And I hope, some day, tyrants are gone from the face of this Earth, there and here and everywhere.
And God looked around and saw all that He created, and "IT WAS GOOD." Why men are trying to make it "bad," I will never know. Anyway, wonderful as per usual. I love all the drawings, but the first makes me feel really good,,,a joyous, free, image. I am going to leap through the kitchen right now. xoxoxo
Good for you. Drawing from 19 years ago says a lot about the progression, or lack of.
Profound, and made more deeply so by the drawings.
Wow! The cartoon you drew 10 years ago about what women have in common hits hard and is still true.
Liza, thank you for your brilliant exoneration of women, in words and drawings. It strikes me as the ultimate cruelty that every man and woman in the world owes their life and has come from the body of a woman. Yet, these women, our mothers, are discredited, abused, and imprisoned in their own bodies. I have fought for women for years and as a speech writer and coach, I wrote a short book in 2018 called, “Make Your Voice Heard: A Woman’s Guide to Campaign Speeches, Media Interviews, Debates & Doorbelling.” (I’m Michael Buschmohle). I once gave a talk to a women’s group entitled, “How to speak so well, even men will listen.” Liza, women around the world will benefit from your heartfelt contributions to their cause. Thank you.
Thank you, MIchael. As an ally, which you clearly are.
I keep wondering what the Taliban would do if women used artificial voice machines that sounded male--or just inhuman. Would a woman doing that still be depriving the air of "purity."
I don’t know if it remains the same but in the Greek Orthodox Church a woman was not allowed to attend church when she was menstruating- or after the birth of a child if she was still bleeding. Instead her husband brought the infant to be blessed - and to add insult to insult, a female infant was not permitted behind the altar, only the male children.
Wow.
oh wow.
Until my sister reported this to me just after the birth of our first niece, Liz, my mindset was - okay well this is our religion, a cultural home - but afterwards it was oh hell no you don’t.
First, the drawings: At the top of the column, the running/leaping/naked woman is one of my favorites (so far.) The expressive line quality (e.g. the flowing hair); the "gesture", as my art teachers called it (the dynamic depiction of the person in movement); the non-literal way it expresses uninhibited freedom. The "What do women have in common" panels: hard-hitting; great setup and punchline. And the cartoon at the end: "Mommy, what did you do..." I laughed aloud, in the way I always do when humor illuminates truth. Now, one of the issues you mention - a real dilemma for many of us: what about the behavior of people in a culture very different from my own? And not always a culture in some geographically distant place, but sometimes right across the street? Are there basic, universal ethical and moral principles that we should all observe? Considering how bossy those of us with light-colored skin (and, often, penises) have been over the years, I'm more than a bit leery of telling someone else how they should behave; but aren't there some limits? Killing? Not just humans, but other species, too? Oppressing - that is, denying others the rights and privileges you enjoy? Robbing, even when it's "legal"? Destroying the natural environment? On and on... This is not a trivial question, and I'm suspicious of glib, short answers here: "Oh, we all know what's right and wrong..." Do we? In my ideal, fairy-tale world, nobody gets coerced or forced into "right" behavior; we all somehow come to consensus on issues great and small; but the odds of that happening anytime soon seem small. STILL: I'm not going to wring my hands and become immobilized when I see injustice, particularly when the high and mighty impose their will on the small and defenseless... Oh, goodness, here I go again: there isn't space here, and I'm just a guest at this party; I'll hush now.
We can learn and we are learning everyday from each other, learning being a respectful approach as well as a very rich one. Curiosity will take you far in any direction you choose. Life is a big full adventure not to be missed.
I agree, and thank you. It's a tough line to walk but injustice is injustice, no?
Thank you!
The fact that Women have it worse in other countries does not mean everything is fine here. It also doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t fight for gender equality here.
It is one of the ways the patriarchy tries to make us second guess ourselves - “What are you doing for women in Afghanistan? They’ve got real problems.”
Excellent point.
You identify an important ethical issue: having someone dismiss my suffering, oppression, etc. because someone else's is (allegedly) worse is repugnant to me. Sure, if I've got the means and the wherewithal, going to Afghanistan (or Gaza or wherever) to help people in need is admirable, but I should never ignore the suffering in my midst.
Precisely why we need artists like you, Liza!
Thank you, D.L.
I love all of this and get it. If you ever come to Seneca Falls NY, I want to come meet you. I’m a female singer, guitarist and songwriter who plays out locally and I’d love to play some songs I wrote. My most common response from males, is wow, you really can play. My thought is why would they assume I couldn’t play better than most of them
Exactly. I feel this towards Kamala, like they are surprised she is good.
As a woman who has put up with some shit, you get it and this column is exactly on point.
Yea, sorry you had to put with shit, Patris!
Thank you, Liza, so much for this. The women of Afghanistan are heavy on my heart and I wonder what we in the USA can do? How can we all stand by and allow this to happen? I know the UN has called it “gender apartheid”, but what are they doing about it?
Thank you for your beautiful and healing thoughts. Looking back 51 years, I was able to make a dent in lesbian visibility by appearing with my family in print, 10/73 Ms magazine. Much good has happened since with all its ups and downs, enough to get us into this new era, this new beginning of a realized equality.
That's so interesting. I recall the early Ms, was so excited. Just the fact that you and your family appeared in print was a radical act back that. Bravo. Can we believe it? It seems not so long ago...but it was. I now publish in Ms every now and then, and it is one of the highlights of my career to be acceptef by Ms. now.
Thank you Liza, It was actually quite a strange transaction with one of the editors, not saying who. But in general even with the fabulous Margaret Sloan there, the then understanding of the role of lesbians in the women's movement was shall I say, hmm, pitiful. When my then partner and I had gone across the country in '72 and met other lesbian mothers we discovered we were the only ones who were at that point not 'actively' threatened by the fathers, the state, whatever, that the basic understanding of parenting by whomever, to make a family, needed to be understood, in what we lately call normal, ways. Of course much more to this story. Got to get to an appointment :-)
Yes, I had read about the difficult relationship between the women's movement then and the lesbian community. Horrible. Thank you for reminding me of that--although thank you is not really the right word. I appreciate your honesty and the conversation.
It's hard to know where we stand on understanding these days, with so many ahistorical dykes, ahistorical everybody not knowing the roots of the present day. Back there those of us who came through especially the CR groups were very aware of what we were doing for women in general, and we had declared the freedom from men that was very natural to us anyway though in my case I didn't get it till I was 34. My daughters undoubtedly have stories about those daring times. And I'm happy to say they are strong and beautiful boomers, along with two granddaughters in their professions and very interesting lives. Sometimes you just got to do what you got to do…
I - we, all of us - owe you a debt of gratitude. The counterculture I identified with back in those days did not need to be convinced of the value of feminism; most of us (granted, a numerical minority) saw feminism as part of a larger social movement based on a radical vision of equality - among humans, of course, but with other species as well, and ultimately our whole planet. Still and all, I do remember how even some fairly progressive folks struggled with homosexuality; lesbians and gay men made many of us confront deep-seated phobias. Bless you for your bravery, you soldier, you! Lots of folks stood on your shoulders.
Agreed.
Go get em.
Keeping these ideas visible, out in the public eye, is part of the process of moving minds toward action.
I appreciate you speaking out. It is outrageous to think of all the lives of Afghani and American people lost to fight the Taliban only to have them resurgent and in charge these decades later again. That was en other Vietnam in my book. Such bad decisions about sending fighting troops and then abandoning the people of that nation and, mostly, the women and girls. When will we ever learn that civil wars cannot be won by outside forces. I agree the decisions about how to help are beyond my pay grade, too. And I hope, some day, tyrants are gone from the face of this Earth, there and here and everywhere.
And God looked around and saw all that He created, and "IT WAS GOOD." Why men are trying to make it "bad," I will never know. Anyway, wonderful as per usual. I love all the drawings, but the first makes me feel really good,,,a joyous, free, image. I am going to leap through the kitchen right now. xoxoxo