"The term eunuchs was used by Eldridge Cleaver to describe blacks. It occurred to me that women were in a somewhat similar position. Blacks had been emancipated from slavery but never given any kind of meaningful freedom, while women were given the vote but denied sexual freedom. In the final analysis, women aren't really free until their libidos are recognized as separate entities. Some of the suffragettes understood this. They could see the connection among the vote, political power, independence and being able to express their sexuality according to their own experience, instead of in reference to a demand by somebody else. But they were regarded as crazy and were virtually crucified. Thinking about them, I suddenly realized, Christ, we've been castrated and that's what it's all about. You see, it's all very well to let a bullock out into the field when you've already cut his balls off, because you know he's not going to do anything. That's exactly what happened to women."
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People from MelbourneWomen academics from AustraliaEssayists from AustraliaNon-fiction authors from AustraliaWomen authors from Australia
Original Language: English
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On how she chose the title for The Female Eunuch, in an interview by Nat Lehrman in Playboy (January 1972)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer
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Germaine Greer
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