Reading Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner. I’m still early in the book, and trying to withhold final judgement, but there have been a few points where I’m thinking “Fuck you, I’m not a weapon in your silly revolution”. Some of this may be more writing style than a criticism on the merits of her arguments, hence, the attempt to withhold final judgement until she’s had the whole book to make her case.
A more practical criticism is I’m not sure existing power structures are so far beyond hope that the solution is to get rid of them. Some, at least, I believe can be reformed while being left largely intact. Some need to go, yes, but the nuke it from orbit solution Eisner seems to advocate- I don’t think we’re at that point. Not yet at least. I haven’t seen any suggestion that she’s advocating violent revolution, which is good.
The criticism of some assimilationist trends in LGBT culture I don’t like. Should LGBT people be expected to fully assimilate into heterosexual society? Of course not. But while she doesn’t outright say so, some of her criticisms of this sound like an accusation that such LGBT people who do wish to take a more assimilationist stance are effectively traitors. Again, as with my first paragraph, some of this might be writing style or not having seen her full arguments being so early in the book, but I’m not too happy with how she’s been dismissing the desires of such people.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.