Introduction
The film, If these walls could talk 2, is a chef-d’oeuvre narrative highlighting the evolution of challenges that have been bedeviling lesbianism from the 1960s, through the 1970s, to the 21st century. The film is divided into three sections with the first one occurring in 1961, the second one is 1972, and the last one in 2000. Every section underscores the challenges and issues that surrounded lesbianism at the time.
In the first vignette, which occurs in 1961, the representative issue is the ridicule, scorn, and illegality that surrounded lesbianism during this time. In the opening scenes, some kids scold Abbey and Edith for walking hand-in-hand across the streets, which shows that society was intolerant of such behaviors at the time. After Abby dies, Edith destroys any evidence that they lived as a couple.
She does not want Ted to realize that his aunt, Abby, lived as a lesbian and this aspect shows that lesbians had to live under the constant fear of reproach from society. In addition, Edith cannot claim part of their house as it is under Abby’s name even though she contributed equally towards the mortgage. The law at the time could not allow Abbey and Edith to register the property as spouses, and thus Edith loses her property. This aspect underscores the illegality that surrounded lesbianism in the 1960s.
Main body
The second section, which takes place in 1972, highlights the conflict that arose between feminist groups and lesbians in the early 1970s. At the time, feminist groups felt that lesbianism was not part of their agenda, which created conflict between the two groups. In addition, at the time, lesbians were against the butch and femme roles, and this aspect explains why Linda’s lesbian friends cannot stand Amy’s attire at the bar. Apparently, Linda’s lesbian friends are ironically homophobic, as they cannot stand one of their own wearing masculine clothes. As lesbians became vocal and bold to express who they were in the early 1970s, they had to deal with some sort of homophobia, which comes out clearly in the way Linda’s friends treat Amy.
In the last section, the challenges have changed and the pertinent issue is how to have babies as lesbians. Fran and Kal do not face the issues that surrounded lesbianism in the 1960s and 1970s as society has become tolerant of the issue. However, Fran and Kal are torn between choices on how to get children. The legal framework surrounding the aspect of having and raising children at the time is complex. Therefore, the two do not know whether to go for a sperm donor or sleep with their male friends. In addition, they do not know where to have the kids.
The connection between Lorber’s book and the movie is clear. In the book, Lorber recounts, “Lesbian feminism emerged out of the most radical sectors of the women’s movement in the early 1970s” (154). This assertion is in line with the events surrounding the movie’s second section, which took place in 1972 as explored earlier in this paper.
Conclusion
In her article, Lugones argues that what “is understood to be biological sex is socially constructed” (194). The said social constructions seek to control the way people should live irrespective of their feelings. For instance, if one is a lesbian, she cannot live freely due to societal contempt. This article links with the movie’s first section where Abbey and Edith cannot come out to declare their sexual orientation because it is against the social constructions on sexuality.
Works Cited
Lorber, Judith. Gender inequality: feminist theories and politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.
Lugones, María. “Heterosexualism and the Colonial /Modern Gender System.” Hypatia 22.1 (2007): 186-209. Print.