----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Pugliese" <debsian at pacbell.net> To: "queerleft" <queerleft at queernet.org> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 6:41 PM Subject: QLEFT: Re: parenting
> Peter Drucker? If so, I've sent to alot of folks your review
> http://www.internationalen.se/sp/rev2.htm
> of the volume, "Gay Men and the Sexual History of the Political Left, "
and
> , "The Early Homosexual Rights Movement (1864-1935), by John Lauritsen &
> David Thorstad." (Why Thorstad went from the SWP to NAMBLA ! is a mystery
to
> me, btw! David Walters and Adam Richmond and I would love to hear any
> dish...)
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "IIRE" <peter.iire at antenna.nl>
> To: <queerleft at QueerNet.ORG>
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 4:33 PM
> Subject: QLEFT: Re: parenting
>
>
> > Mitch wrote:
> >
> > >I still love my mother and my father, and they still love
> > >each other. Not only doesn't that make me a "freak of nature"; I don't
> > >think this should, or rightly can, be trivialized by using
> > >pseudo-clinical terminology like "shared DNA."
> > >
> > >(I consider such terminology dehumanizing. Perhaps we should also
> > >entertain the idea of using alternative terms for "mother" and
"father."
> > >How about "stud" and "mare," or "bull" and "cow"? Or "male zygote" and
> > >"female zygote"?)
> > >
> > >In fact, in this context, not only do I find such terminology as
"shared
> > >DNA" personally offensive [...]
> >
> > Mitch, I can understand that you're getting a bit defensive. But
> > you're caricaturing other people's positions in the most bizarre way.
> >
> > In my personal case, my mother and father are people (a) to whom I'm
> > genetically related, (b) who were responsible for bringing me up, and
> > put a lot of love into it, (c) who both had legal authority over me
> > until they got divorced, and (d) with whom I still have an
> > affectionate relationship as an adult. None of that would lead me to
> > use words like "stud," "cow" or "female zygote" about them. But for
> > me, it's (b) and (d) that are crucial in making me think of them as
> > my mother and father. If I had been brought up by my birth mother and
> > her female partner, I would presumably call them both my mothers,
> > even though neither (a) nor (c) would apply to my non-biological
> > mother. My impression is that you'd do the same, right? Which means
> > that a genetic relationship is not decisive in defining a mother,
> > right?
> >
> > When I used the phrase "shared DNA" I wasn't insulting your mother or
> > father or mine or anybody else's, I was making an analytical
> > distinction about what's crucial in MAKING someone a mother or a
> > father. I don't think analysis should lead us to deny our emotions.
> > But emotions are also products of a particular social set-up, and can
> > be used in dangerously manipulative ways, e.g. to "save the children"
> > from queers. Maybe you could think about that a little more before
> > using words like "personally offensive."
> >
> > Peter
> > ====================
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>