Hi Ms. Maria,
Richard and Maria Pike said:
Well, Custer, I have to say I agree with your basic premise.
Cool... thank you for saying so.
Richard and Maria Pike said:
I remember back in the 1970s when black people began addressing each other with the "n" word. It was a way of disempowering that word.
So that's the rationale. I've heard that on a few rare occasions... not often... and it has always struck me as sort of curious.
Richard and Maria Pike said:
The word "slut" is just a pejorative patriarchal term for a woman who freely owns her own sexuality.
I agree.
Richard and Maria Pike said:
The way to disempower it is to ASSERT (notice that I did not say "admit"), and I mean joyously ASSERT.... that a SLUT is what you are.
I'll have to take your word for it, I guess. I definitely agree that asserting you're a "normal woman with a healthy sex drive" is way too wordy.
Richard and Maria Pike said:
I started using the word to describe myself when I first embraced the lifestyle some years ago, waiting out my divorce settlement at my little condo in Hawaii. I have not been afraid to use the "S" word in any number of situations, and have even described myself as such when in the presence of co-workers.
Awright... that's admirable. I like it.
Richard and Maria Pike said:
As some of you know, I like to go to night classes at the local junior college to meet potential lovers. I freely describe myself with the "S" word when I am in those situations.
Yes, I remember you deciding on that strategy in your thread a while back. From time to time I've wondered how it's been going (although I'll admit I haven't been preoccupied with that). I've suspected you've been handling it well.
Richard and Maria Pike said:
Take back the night, girls! Our time has come! —Maria the SLUT
I think so... although the religious right wing including the Catholic Bishops are still out there, and they're fighting as vigorously as possible to roll back women's rights. They never give up. Thus, women still have a long way to go. For instance, the percentage of progressive Democratic women in the U.S. Congress is still quite small (about 17%, I think) and increasing VERY slowly.
How many Catholic Bishops are there in the U.S. anyway, none of them female, somehow presuming to speak for all U.S. Catholic and even lots of non-Catholic women...? On the order of a few hundred...?
Returning to the subject of pejorative words... "slut," "*****," etc... being attempts by the religious-based patriarchy... most strongly represented at present by the religious right... to put down women who express their sexuality freely, thereby being, in essence, attempts to re-assert male dominion over (if not ownership of) women: a good article on the underlying right-wing religious basis of Rush Limbaugh's infamous multi-day nation-wide smearing of Sandra Fluke can be found here:
OpEdNews - Article: Why Rush Limbaugh went off on Sandra Fluke - and what the hell is up with the GOP?
The author, Ms. Ruth Lopez, makes a point I haven't seen stated this directly before. I suspect rather-strongly she has it right.
—Custer