In fact, the situation is more complicated than a simple struggle of minority groups for common recognition. Both among lesbians and among feminists, there are diverse groupings, and sometimes their priorities can clash. The following is one of the different focuses between the two, seen through what the PGFS experienced.
PGFS started in 2001 with six members. Among the six, five of them were also members of the Women"s Committee. So, in the PGFS, lesbians and lesbian feminists were coexisting. "But later on, when the activities of the two groups overlapped, the women"s committee members of PGFS put their piority in being a feminist, not as a lesbian," says Shi-ro.
According to Shi-ro, this was not because the certain lesbian feminist dreaded being revealed as a lesbian. But to them, "lesbians matters" were only a small part of the wide range of issues that feminists are interested in.
Every once a year, there is a seminar where feminists gather to talk about feminism issues. PGFS was the first lesbian group to participate.
However, the results were not satisfactory. "Though we were there, there wasn"t any discussion about lesbian issues. We were treated as a special example, not as a universal women"s issue," says Shi-ro. "Many lesbian feminists feel free to say they are lesbians, but I think that it is to show they are not tied to the society"s restrains."
Here is a hopeful reply from feminists. "It is true that feminists are well accepted in the society than lesbians at the moment. But as interaction between the lesbians and feminists increase, and help one another as the Women"s Committee helped the PGFS with the lesbian festival this time, maybe a better future awaits both lesbians and feminists," says Ban-zak.
winstraight@ewha.ac.kr