galentine:

it’s always so annoying when people claim the bechdel test is something it’s not. a lot of the time i see people say it’s the ultimate standard for feminist media or that it’s terrible and only benefits the representation of the most privileged women. then other times people squabble over whether particular instances of women talking about men can be feminist or whether something that passes the test is actually progressive for girls/women. this all really, really misses the point of it.

but even when people talk about the actual purpose of the bechdel test, i always see its lesbian origins and context ignored. but when this is pointed out (usually by lgbtq women of course), most people dismiss it and say that the comic page the test is from doesn’t even mention lesbianism. hdu say the test is lesbian, it’s supposed to be UNIVERSAL, stop perverting it, etc. but it’s straight women who have co-opted it and distorted its purpose. alison bechdel is an outspoken lesbian and her comic, dykes to watch out for, is all about american lgbtq women’s lives and culture, with a strong focus on lesbians. the broader context for that comic page is that the characters are lesbians who are constantly alienated by hetero patriarchy. it’s about lesbians who are tired of the homophobic and misogynistic societal assumption that women should always center their lives around men. it’s about lesbians who are starved for even a shadow of lesbian representation. but now that it’s part of mainstream culture, it’s largely a mess when people talk about it. dismissing its context, using it to legitimize straight feminism, and/or saying it’s useless except for the most privileged representation is homophobic and grossly inaccurate.