Dead Wild Roses

FROM: off our backs, August/September 1999, V.29; N.8 p. 7, Word Count: 2852

by Karla Mantilla

“After doing some reading in postmodern theoretical texts, several things about the theory suddenly struck me as incongruous. I have been trying to see not just what postmodern theorists say about their theory, but more importantly, how postmodern theory functions in the world–what are the effects of adopting postmodern thinking and theorizing. What became clear to me after some reading was that the overarching effect of postmodernism is to silence thinking and speaking, both personally and politically. I am aware that this is a rather outrageous statement given the attention postmodern theory pays to privileging the voices of

marginalized people, to giving voice to those previously unheard, and to investigating the silences embedded in the dominant discourse (to sling a little postmodern verbiage myself). However, in a deep reading of how postmodern theory functions…

Angry men are not women. Sad men are not women. Medically altered men are not women, and men who suffer birth defects are not women.

Feminine men are not women. Confused men are not women.

You are all men. And that’s all right.

What’s not all right is all this harassment and pressure. What’s not all right are the death threats, the elaborate descriptions of how some of you would like to torture “terfs.” This is not all right at all.

Gender theory was created by second wave feminists, the ones you like to hate on. You have turned it on its head. You have made it impossible to create coalition, trans lobbyists. Your stance allows nothing but female submission.

This is not the leftism of my childhood. I expected that the adults I knew were saving the world for me. I was wrong, but we were, at least, grounded…