Man Child

I would like to comment on the reading Man Child: A Black Lesbian Feminist’s Response by Audre Lorde. I think this is an inspiring reading. The writer describes how she has no specific way in raising her children, especially since she is lesbian, African American, and a feminist. She states, “The truest direction comes from inside. I give the most strength to my children by being willing to look within myself, and by being honest with them about what I find there, without expecting a response beyond their years. In a way they begin to look beyond their own fears”.  I think this takes a lot of courage to do this. She also mentioned that she wishes to show her son that she is not there to do the feelings for him. Which before this I had never took into consideration, but most men do let woman do their feelings for them. Not all men, but most.  Any man can state an opinion, but can they state their feelings? I think it is true what Audre says, “Men who are afraid to feel must keep woman around to do their feeling for him”. As I am sure there are many assumptions as to why woman stay with a man. Maybe it is biological, woman “feel” more than men, whatever the circumstance, I found it quite interesting. I feel like she has done just as good or if not a better job than that of a heterosexual couple does in raising their kids. It shows in the comment of her son Jonathan reflecting his strongest benefit of growing up with lesbian parents, he felt he knew a lot more than most other kids his age that he knew, and that he did not have a lot of hang-ups that some other boys did about men and women.