Last month I had a great exchange with judy b, a well known figure in progressive circles whose opinion I very much respect. So when I wrote my lastest blog on the cultural phenomenon of slash, I sent her a copy hoping she would give me some feedback. Sure enough, she found a great article that further developed some of the points that I was trying to articulate. The article appeared in Bitch magazine and is definitely worth read. A couple of points intrigued me. The author wrote, “Slash lets women assert power over men the way the patriarchy asserts power over women. Slash lets women humanize and redraft masculinity.” In a recent correspondence with a slash writer, I asked if slash was a way for straight women to “be the boy.” The response was an overwhelming yes. Interesting I said. This is clearly going to be the end of patriarchy…

Here is the pull quote that judy b. provided:

When they’re not experimenting with the genre, slash authors—a very self-aware, self-analyzing community—are discussing gender, queerness, and feminism in all their different forms. Add this to a lively academic debate on slash, and you have a rich mélange that makes the idea of a grand unified theory of slash seem laughable. One critic may posit that slash is a space where female writers can create the “ideal” human in a misogynistic world: male body, male power, female ways of relating. Another will argue that slash provides a space for women to work out their gender issues, a place where they can dump the unwanted restrictions of “femininity.” Slash is gay. Slash isn’t gay. Slash is neither, or a little of both. Slash lets women assert power over men the way the patriarchy asserts power over women. Slash lets women humanize and redraft masculinity. Slash is about nooky. Slash isn’t about sex at all. Slash allows women ways of writing (collaborative, participatory) that subvert male ways of writing (copyrighted, absolute, and closed).

Click here to read the full article.

Apparently there is another genre that I also want to explore called hurt/comfort fiction that Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo figure prominently in. I haven’t read any yet, but will report back if there is anything of interest.

I joke about the ending of the patriarchy, but as a queer, I am cognizant of the importance that culture plays in making change for queers. Tommi Avicolli Mecca and I were exchanging emails about it just yesterday. My cultural, not political, queer buddies often do more to advance our causes then straight up political work ever does.