Feminist shares her past and politics

A woman from quite an eclectic background set foot on campus yesterday. Amber Hollibaugh -- a lesbian radical, ex-prostitute and incest survivor who is now an award-winning filmmaker, feminist and writer -- discussed how her unique personal history affected her political stance, emphasizing the importance of sexuality in major political movements. About 20 students and community members attended the presentation in Houston Hall. "I found it disturbing that sex is left out of the political movements we're involved in," said Hollibaugh, after she read an excerpt from her book titled My Dangerous Desires, in which she challenges her readers to speak, write and record their desires. She especially urges them to expound on the most dangerous, hidden desires, "in order for us all to survive." Hollibaugh admitted that "being a sex worker makes you vulnerable because you must negotiate sex to have a bed to sleep on and food to eat." After having been a prostitute, she no longer felt uncomfortable discussing the role of sexuality in lesbian and HIV movements. "All the movements from the '60s are not really visible anymore, except in university settings," Hollibaugh added. Today, she frequently speaks at colleges and other institutions that sponsor such events. Hollibaugh has experienced more than most people throughout her life. "Everybody in my family is either a cop or in prison and they spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I was an alien dropped in from somewhere," she said. Hollibaugh added that she has never held an interest in traditional politics. She emphasized that "no liberation movement is successful when it steps away from the core of its issues." During a question and answer period, Lydia Sausa, a fifth-year graduate student in the School of Education, stated "I think the [gay] movement has become straight." Hollibaugh said that "the emphasis on sexuality is different in class settings," noting that morals shift among the upper and middle classes. The event was sponsored by Philadelphia Lesbian Gay Academic Union in partnership with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center. "We invited her because she is also an important scholar," LGBT Center Director Bob Schoenberg said. Audience members, most of whom had read Hollibaugh's book, were intrigued by the talk. "She seems like someone who has been around for a while," College senior Tina Saha said.