One of the commenters on my post “Phyllis Chesler punksmacks Naomi Wolf — couldn’t happen to a nicer girl” alluded to Helen Reddy’s song, “I am woman,” and I had the thought that my younger readers might not recognize the allusion so I went looking for the song on YouTube.
What a powerful experience it was to hear and see Ms. Reddy sing this galvanizing anthem of the women’s liberation movement! The song debuted in October 1972 shortly after I turned 19 when I was a sophomore at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and about eight months after I had come out as a lesbian. Believe you me, it was a time when it didn’t just appear that the world was against women, it really was. Why, back then, if a woman aspired to become governor of a state, or PRESIDENT!, people would say she ought to stay home and take care of her husband and children! Well! We answered back that we were determined to have it all — education, career, spouse and family! So we needed Helen Reddy’s song, and when we sang it, we put our hearts into it and it made our souls soar and gave us the ambition, courage and faith in our own ability to achieve our goals. It is in every way a magical song.
“Why, back then, if a woman aspired to become governor of a state, or PRESIDENT!, people would say she ought to stay home and take care of her husband and children!”
Funny, I heard that one (from fellow Law Students!) quite a bit just last November.
.-= Lyssa, Lovely Redhead´s last blog ..Is Bob Corker considering a presidential run? =-.
Cynthia, there are two American patriots whom I greatly admire who were lesbian partners: Katharine Lee Bates, author of “America the Beautiful” and her partner, Katharine Coman. I thought you might be interested in my two blog posts about these women, made over a year ago.
See “America the Beautiful, the Story of the Song” at his link:
http://saberpoint.blogspot.com/2008/07/america-beautiful-story-of-song.html
and this one “Rare Photo of Katharine Coman, Colleague of Katharine Lee Bates.” Also see the comments which are of interest.
.-= Stogie´s last blog ..Finger Biter Image Released — Do You Know This Man? =-.
Stogie, my dear,
Thanks for the heads up! I can’t get to it until tomorrow morning, but I am delighted to learn about them! I’m sure I will want to write something and I’ll be certain to thank you and link you.
Cynthia
Whoops, that last post is found at this link:
http://saberpoint.blogspot.com/2008/07/photos-of-katharine-coman-colleague-of.html
.-= Stogie´s last blog ..Finger Biter Image Released — Do You Know This Man? =-.
I don’t really identify. Dunno if it’s a generational thing, but also I’m of Irish origin, so I grew up with a “I’m Okay, You’re Not Okay” attitude about sexism.