#political lesbian

[subcoolture]

Men will never understand how heartbreaking it is to realize as women that we love men who can never really love us, because they are raised in a culture that makes them unable to. That culture have made them internalize such an entitlement that it doesn’t even cross their minds that they don’t empathize with women. They feel entitled to everything, even to those women’s love whose mere well-being, safety, and basic rights they don’t even care about. And it is seen as normal that we give our bodies and souls to these men. And it is not normal: it is violent.

[nansheonearth]

You know on tumblr I keep hearing that political lesbianism* is really popular and influential especially on tumblr. I've been on tumblr for years and I think I've seen like 2 total out of the thousands of radfems I've followed/interacted with. And even in old school texts or seems like a minority with many old school texts being critical of it. Are y'all seeing a lot of political lesbians? *Like women who aren't lesbian identifying as lesbian for political reasons. I know there's also lesbians who use that term and there's different meanings but I'm referring to this one in the post.

[wildviolettribade]

Philogyny

The idea of women who want to lead women centered lives is such a powerful thought. Focusing your energy on them instead of your oppressors. It’s different from man hating, which is totally fair, but it is still giving your time and energy towards them. I feel a lot of the concepts proposed by political lesbians were great, but we’re tainted by the ideologies heavy homophobia and bigotry. I feel this term and idea could replace that.

[violett-stingray]

I want to adress political lesbianism, because this was the drop that made my barrel overflow. It seems that there are too many women who call themself gender critical or radfem who claim to be lesbians, but are not exclusivly same-sex attracted or even exclusivly opposite-sex attracted, because they hate men.

Don't get me wrong I support febfems and seperatists. That's a valid choice of living. Choice is the important word, because being a homosexual women (lesbian) is not a choice. I know that because I tried to force/condition myself into bisexuality and it made me miserable. I got depressed, I got lowkey traumatized, I dissociated while being with a men, I hated it. Currently I am working on a post about my coming out story to explain why I tried self-conversions therapy (not to confuse with comphet, but I will make a post about this topic too).

The day I made my tumblr account I saw a short on youtube from a woman talking about this "choice of being lgbt" and a (political) lesbian in her case. I will not name her channel, it's really small and irrelevant. She said she choose to be a lesbian and she does not go into detail why, but that she first "conditioned" herself into bisexuality, because she thought it's logical to like someones personality and I strongly assume she "conditioned" herself into lesbianism, because she really hates men. She claims homosexual people watched same-sex porn, liked it and hear messages like "born this way" and now believe they don't have a choice. I honestly don't care if she is hetero or really bi, I only know she is not a lesbian.

Her claim is deeply homophobic and blames victims of homophobic voilence for what happened to them. The gay men who were murdered and executed in the west in the past never saw gay porn, because porn As it is today did not exist. The gay men who are murdered to this day in many parts of the world did not choose to be gay. Neither did Zahra Sediqi Hamedani, alias Sareh and Elham Chubdar who were sentenced to death in Iran for being lesbians and activists.

If homosexuality was a choice, why would anyone choose to live a life that could get them murdered, when they could just go and fuck the opposite sex? Why would anyone even have the idea of being homosexual in a time or place without media that shows homosexuality?

People who were only surrounded by heterosexuality and it was expected of them too, still happened to be gay/lesbian and faced enormous consequenses for it. That is because sexual orientation in innate and recent science suggests biological and genetic factors play a role. I could not become bisexual, because I am biologically homosexual.

This woman who is strongly against trans people, because they claim the word woman/man when they don't fit the description of those words and yet she uses a word which description she does not fit. She talks about womens rights and issues being appropriated and violated and yet she does the same to lesbians. The hypocrisy makes me mad.

It's really not that hard. If you are a exclusivly same-sex attracted female, you are a lesbian (Not using human in the definition, because other animals can be lesbian too). Being disillusioned with men, having a political opinion that centers women, liking the aesthetic, being male and having gender dysphoria or whatever dumb reason why someone might appropriat the word does not make you a lesbian. It only makes you a homophobic jerk.

Because there are so many people claiming to be lesbians, without actually being one, I would understand why someone might question my sexual orientation, considering I have been with men in the past. That's why I will share my expirience and coming out story soon. Meanwhile feel free to question or criticize me. I will happily explain why I am an actual lesbian.

[sighing-is-a-song]

Let’s all take the time to acknowledge compulsory heterosexuality is not a female homosexual experience ♥️

From the woman who coined the term herself: “I have chosen to use the term lesbian existence and lesbian continuum because the word lesbianism has a clinical and limiting ring,,,not simply the fact that a woman has had or consciously desired genital sexual experience with another woman.”

To Adrienne Rich lesbianism is not a sexuality.

[dyke-bars-never-last]

Sheila Jeffries is a political lesbian who mocks actual homosexual females for wanting to marry each other and raise kids together. Violetbain herself is openly political lesbian, so it wasn't a bad recommendation for her, but I'm wondering how much you agree with their perspective on sexuality and lesbian culture.

I view political lesbianism as neither forcing bi or het women into intimate relationship with lesbians nor bi or het women trying to take advantage from lesbians through the political discourse of feminism. I am sure that there are examples out there where the concept has been misused.

It is within lesbian feminism discourse that Sheila Jeffreys mocks actual homosexual females for wanting to marry each other and raise kids together. So instead of offering positivity to the current norms within lesbian community, the focus point of her analysis is women's liberation. She is viewing marriage in a critical lens, yes, but not threatening the legal rights of lesbians.

Some lesbian feminists have been posing questions that I see as interesting, and even troubling as times. Does a marriage contract view each lesbian as a complete being? Mainstream media mostly represents lesbianism in the form of married lesbian couples. Then perhaps, some lesbians within a small branch of feminism discourse, can prioritize their freedom of feelings and expressions over anything else...

I wouldn't say this is similar to the political struggle of anti-surrogacy, anti-porn and anti patriarchal beauty standard within lesbian community, but if individual lesbians are placed into the context of Women's liberation, perhaps, their interpersonal relationships are also political.

I always remain critical to both the mainstream and the marginalized definition of lesbianism. My view on sexuality and lesbian culture comes more out of my real life experience and of course, doesn't fully overlap that of Sheila Jeffreys or that of Violetbain.

Perhaps, on a theoretical level, my views are even more radicalized centering female separatism than that of Sheila Jeffreys or that of Violetbain. That is to say, my own relationship to feminism is perhaps more male-exclusionary and takes a more careful approach to excluding patriarchal mindset.

I believe, within a patriarchal society that inserts the concept of dominance, possession, and dependency into every aspect of women's intrapersonal thinking and interpersonal relationships, a woman-centered topic can never be discussed enough. With no perpetuation of heteronormativity or male power, a lesbian's viewpoint can never be too radical to hear.

Also, as long as lesbianism remains male-exlusionary, in the vast overlapping space among our present lesbian identity, feminism and lesbian herstory, it would be wonderful if is there's room for co-existing narratives and further discussion.

My perspective on lesbian sexuality and lesbian culture, is rather an ongoing journey of exploring, learning and relearning so I don't have a definite answer.

Thank you for bringing up the topic and your point is made sharp and clear, which I truly appreciate.

[floral-ashes]

I am told that the headlines really undersell how rad my tattoo is. I agree.

[decolonize-the-left]

This is not a drill

This is IMPORTANT especially if you live in the USA or use the internet REGULATED by the USA!!!!

Do not scroll. Signal boost. Reblog.

Reblog WITHOUT reading if you really can't right now, I promise all the links and proof are here. People NEED to know this.

( I tried to make this accessible but you can't cater to EVERYONE so please just try your best to get through this or do your own research 🙏)

TLDR: Homeland Security has been tying our social media to our IPs, licenses, posts, emails, selfies, cloud, apps, location, etc through our phones without a warrant using Babel X and will hold that information gathered for 75 years. Certain aspects of it were hushed because law enforcement will/does/has used it and it would give away confidential information about ongoing operations.

This gets renewed in September.

Between this, Agincourt (a VR simulator for cops Directly related to this project), cop city, and widespread demonization of abortions, sex workers, & queer people mixed with qanon/Trumpism, and fascism in Florida, and the return of child labor, & removed abortion rights fresh on our tails it's time for alarms to be raised and it's time for everyone to stop calling us paranoid and start showing up to protest and mutual aid groups.

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

These are the same feds who want to build cop city and recreate civilian houses en masse and use facial recognition. The same feds that want cop city to also be a training ground for police across the country. Cop city where they will build civilian neighborhoods to train in.

Widespread mass surveillance against us.

Now let's cut to some parts of the article. May 17th from Vice:

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is using an invasive, AI-powered monitoring tool to screen travelers, including U.S. citizens, refugees, and people seeking asylum, which can in some cases link their social media posts to their Social Security number and location data, according to an internal CBP document obtained by Motherboard.

Called Babel X, the system lets a user input a piece of information about a target—their name, email address, or telephone number—and receive a bevy of data in return, according to the document. Results can include their social media posts, linked IP address, employment history, and unique advertising identifiers associated with their mobile phone. The monitoring can apply to U.S. persons, including citizens and permanent residents, as well as refugees and asylum seekers, according to the document.

“Babel data will be used/captured/stored in support of CBP targeting, vetting, operations and analysis,” the document reads. Babel X will be used to “identify potential derogatory and confirmatory information” associated with travelers, persons of interest, and “persons seeking benefits.” The document then says results from Babel X will be stored in other CBP operated systems for 75 years.

"The U.S. government’s ever-expanding social media dragnet is certain to chill people from engaging in protected speech and association online. And CBP’s use of this social media surveillance technology is especially concerning in connection with existing rules requiring millions of visa applicants each year to register their social media handles with the government. As we’ve argued in a related lawsuit, the government simply has no legitimate interest in collecting and retaining such sensitive information on this immense scale,” Carrie DeCell, senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute, told Motherboard in an email.

The full list of information that Babel X may provide to CBP analysts is a target’s name, date of birth, address, usernames, email address, phone number, social media content, images, IP address, Social Security number, driver’s license number, employment history, and location data based on geolocation tags in public posts.

Bennett Cyphers, a special advisor to activist

organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Motherboard in an online chat “the data isn’t limited to public posts made under someone’s real name on Facebook or Twitter.”

The document says CBP also has access to AdID information through an add-on called Locate X, which includes smartphone location data. AdID information is data such as a device’s unique advertising ID, which can act as an useful identifier for tracking a phone and, by extension, a person’s movements. Babel Street obtains location information from a long supply chain of data. Ordinary apps installed on peoples’ smartphones provide data to a company called Gravy Analytics, which repackages that location data and sells it to law enforcement agencies via its related company Venntel. But Babel Street also repackages Venntel’s data for its own Locate X product."

The PTA obtained by Motherboard says that Locate X is covered by a separate “commercial telemetry” PTA. CBP denied Motherboard’s FOIA request for a copy of this document, claiming it “would disclose techniques and/or procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions”.

A former Babel Street employee previously told Motherboard how users of Locate X can draw a shape on a map known as a geofence, see all devices Babel Street has data on for that location, and then follow a specific device to see where else it has been.

Cyphers from the EFF added “most of the people whose location data is collected in this way likely have no idea it’s happening.”

CBP has been purchasing access to location data without a warrant, a practice that critics say violates the Fourth Amendment. Under a ruling from the Supreme Court, law enforcement agencies need court approval before accessing location data generated by a cell phone tower; those critics believe this applies to location data generated by smartphone apps too.

“Homeland Security needs to come clean to the American people about how it believes it can legally purchase and use U.S. location data without any kind of court order. Americans' privacy shouldn't depend on whether the government uses a court order or credit card,” Senator Ron Wyden told Motherboard in a statement. “DHS should stop violating Americans' rights, and Congress should pass my bipartisan legislation to prohibit the government's purchase of Americans' data." CBP has refused to tell Congress what legal authority it is following when using commercially bought smartphone location data to track Americans without a warrant.

Neither CBP or Babel Street responded to a request for comment. Motherboard visited the Babel X section of Babel Street’s website on Tuesday. On Wednesday before publication, that product page was replaced with a message that said “page not found.”

Do you know anything else about how Babel X is being used by government or private clients? Do you work for Babel Street? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, or email joseph.cox@vice.com.

Wow that sounds bad right.

Be a shame if it got worse.

.

.

It does.

The software (previously Agincourt Solutions) is sold by AI data company Babel Street, was led by Jeffrey Chapman, a former Treasury Department official,, Navy retiree & Earlier in his career a White House aide and intelligence officer at the Department of Defense, according to LinkedIn.

🙃

So what's Agincourt Solutions then right now?

SO FUCKING SUS IN RELATION TO THIS, THATS WHAT

In essence, synthetic BATTLEVR training is a mixture of all three realities – virtual, augmented and physical. It is flexible enough to allow for mission rehearsals of most types and be intuitive enough to make training effective.

Anyway the new CEO of Babel Street (Babel X) as of April is a guy named Michael Southworth and I couldn't find much more on him than that tbh, it's all very vague and missing. That's the most detail I've seen on him.

And the detail says he has a history of tech startups that scanned paperwork and sent it elsewhere, good with numbers, and has a lot of knowledge about cell networks probably.

Every inch more of this I learn as I continue to Google the names and companies popping up... It gets worse.

Monitor phone use. Quit photobombing and filming strangers and for the love of fucking God quit sending apps photos of your actual legal ID to prove your age. Just don't use that site, you'll be fine I swear. And quit posting your private info online. For activists/leftists NO personally identifiable info at least AND DEFINITELY leave your phone at home to Work™!!!

[senseori]

I am a 24 year old political lesbian. I started reading up on radical feminism about two years ago. A friend suggested this site so here I am.

[subcoolture]

The heterosexual female experience is liking a boy and realizing he is some sort of incel. That’s how tragic it is. We fall in love with our own oppressors. And it’s us who need to wake up and realize this or keep wasting our lives waiting for them to change. We only have only life. Honestly make some female friends, forget about men and just live.

[nansheonearth]

I am trying to network with other young political lesbians. Would you be able to help? I am new here. Thank you in advance!

Personally I feel that the concept of 'political lesbians', non lesbian women appropriating 'lesbian', is inherently lesbophobic. But if you want to find each other more power to you. Reblog this post.

[therandomfandomme]

TERF has become so synonymous with bad person (which is true btw, not claiming it isn't) that people stopped thinking critically about what TERF actually means. Like I just blocked a blog that had TERFs and lesbian men in their DNI. You are still vulnerable for falling into TERF thinking if you keep a strict binary thinking about sexuality and can't imagine multigender people IDing in contractionary ways or trans people having a different relationship with sexuality than you think they should have based on their gender. Just saying TERFs DNI does not make you immune for their thinking or automatically right about your opinions about trans people. Yes, TERFs are bad people, but people have to start thinking critically about what it means to be a TERF...

[frodo-a-gogo]

Let us be brutally honest with ourselves and with eachother for a moment. If he weren't obese you motherfuckers would be capable of percieving evrart claires sexy sexy moral ambiguity and complex charms

[icarus-archives]

lesbian pulp fiction from the 1950s

[crossdreamers]

Soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe expresses strong support for transgender athletes

In a recent Time cover story interview, Megan Rapinoe said  that she “absolutely” would accept a trans woman on the United States women's national soccer team.

The two-time defending soccer World Cup champion despises policies designed to keep transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams:

“We as a country are trying to legislate away people’s full humanity... It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized ...Oh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about women’s sports? That’s total bullsh-t. And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening...

“The most amazing thing about sports is that you play and you’re playing with other people, and you’re having fun and you’re being physically active. We’re putting this all through the lens of competition and winning. But we’re talking about people’s lives. That’s where we have to start.”

According to Time Rapinoe believes that questioning transgender participation in women’s sports, as Martina Navratilova and ESPN anchor Sage Steele have done, does harm that reaches far beyond the athletic field:

“I don’t want to mince words about it. Dave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether it’s verbal or otherwise, against trans people. When Martina or Sage or whoever are talking about this, people aren’t hearing it just in the context of elite sports. They’re saying, ‘The rest of my life, this is how I’m going to treat trans people.’”

Would Rapinoe embrace a transgender woman on the U.S. women’s soccer team, even if that woman took the place of someone assigned female at birth? Her answer: 

 “Absolutely. You’re taking a ‘real’ woman’s place,’ that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic. I see trans women as real women. What you’re saying automatically in the argument—you’re sort of telling on yourself already—is you don’t believe these people are women. Therefore, they’re taking the other spot. I don’t feel that way.”

Read the whole Time article here.

See also: US soccer star Megan Rapinoe is supporting trans people’s participation in sports 100% US Soccer Star: Bills to Ban Transgender Kids from Sports Try to Solve a Problem that Doesn’t Exist

[kriegerfever19]

10 lesbians + Alex Morgan is fucking hilarious it needs to be merch asap