"I'm Julie Bindel and I want to recruit you!"

[blahflowers]

And now, something that might amuse auntysarah: Julie Bindel on her sexual liberation.

At 15 then, having only ever had one, non-serious, boyfriend, I came out as a lesbian. Three years later, I moved to Leeds... [and] finally met the R[adical] F[eminist]s. The RFs told me that, to them, lesbianism was a choice that women could make, and not a "condition" we are born with. "All women can be lesbians" was the mantra. I loved the sense that I had chosen my sexuality and rather than being ashamed or apologetic about it, as many women were, I could be proud, and see it as a privilege.

I wonder if Julie is now going to consult her girlfriend about the possibility of legal action against herself for implying that she chose to be a lesbian? Sadly there is no comments feature on the Guardian page in order to ask this important question.

EDIT: Interesting, people could start commenting after midday. I wonder why there was a delay in allowing this to happen?

Comments

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

"So, Ms Bindel, you have, as a matter of public record, stated several times that your lesbianism is a conscious choice made on the basis of your political beliefs?"

"Yes, your honour."

"And is it not the case that a substantial part of your case against Ms Brown for libel rests on her describing her knowledge of the existence of rumours that you may be a political lesbian?"

"Yes, your honour. Also, she is mean to me."

"And are you aware that, in order to prove libel, the remarks in question must be defamatory?"

"Yes, your honour."

"Ms Bindel, I understand your girlfriend is a lawyer of some repute, so I imagine she will have no trouble explaining to you who will be paying Ms Brown's legal bill, and just how much shit you have dropped yourself in right now."

[blahflowers.livejournal.com]

LOL!

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

"Political lesbian" isn't synonymous with "lesbian by choice." "Political lesbian" has historically implied "fake lesbian," i.e., "lesbian who isn't actually attracted to women at all but merely calls herself a lesbian anyway."

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

Indeed not, but if she's stating (as she has several times) that she "chose" to become a lesbian because it aligned with her views of feminism, then reporting on rumours that she's a political lesbian is hardly defamatory, as she's seeding them herself.