The Sex War
SIR,--Who would have thought that my little burst of grapeshot would call up such a prolonged fusillade of heavy artillery from Randolph S. Churchill! May I now use a little more ammunition against his jealously held positions?
Firstly, the only opinion I share with Lilian Knapp is this: a woman is a person, and one whose opinions are worthy of consideration for that reason. Randolph Churchill clearly believes that women are, by reason of their sex, incapable holding views worthy of male attention. His phrase about women venturing into 'fields which are alien to them' makes this abundantly clear. There are no fields alien to women that are not equally alien to men. Randolph S. Churchill may certainly con- tinue to attack opinions lie despises—but it is ab- surd to attack the holders of such opinions on the grounds of gender alone.
Secondly. Randolph S. Churchill says he admires and loves women who are beautiful and good listeners. Cannot he see what an impertinence this is? If he said he loved people for these reasons, fair enough. But 1 am sure he does not seek males who look like Adonis, who sit with beautiful hands folded while he uses them as sounding-boards for his pontilIcations. If he can recognise the mind behind an ugly man's face, can accept argument from them, why can't he accept the mind behind a woman's face. accept argument from her? Randolph S. Churchill seems to belong to Islam in this belief of his—that women are lesser creations
than Randolph S. Churchill sees my objection
tT to being labelled always as Miss or Mrs. as a re- pudiation of my husband's name. But this is ab- surd! The mere fact that I—like the vast majority of women—am prepared to accept a new name upon marriage makes it clear that I don't repudiate it. But I do refuse to state always what my marital status is. When it is relevant, as for example on an income tax form, I will state it. Otherwise, why should I? It just doesn't matter.
Apropos of names and labels in general, it seems to me that Randolph S. Churchill suffers from an extraordinary fascination with them. He takes a pathetic pride in the fact that his own name appears in works of reference. (The absence of mine from the London telephone directory is easily explained; I don't live in London. Randolph S. Churchill really should have read the address to which he " referred.) He also refers to the time when Lady Summerskill was 'only Dr. Summerskill.' Does he really believe that a doctorate is of less value than an empty title like 'Lady'? Another example of his attitude to women? I think so—a woman doctor Isn't a 'real' doctor, I suppose. His funther refer- ence to this lady—that she was an 'extreme femin- ist—though very handsome'—again shows his in- fantile obsession with the accident of female Physical appearance. What in the name of com- mon sense have Dr. Summerskill's looks got to do with anything?
I will not argue on Randolph S. Churchill's fourth point—that I don't know my history. I had Indeed forgotten that Elizabeth I was a dictator. Then, the only way she could be one was to deny some aspect of her femininity and call herself a prince rather than a queen. Now, Randolph S. Churchill suggests that only women who deny their femininity can live full intellectual and professional lives, My argument is that it is no denial of woman- hood to live such lives, any more than it is a denial of masculinity to treat women as intellectual equals --which we are.
0, Randolph S. Churchill's last paragraph makes me suspect he is preteasing (an invention of my infant daughter, offered to• this living language for con- sideration along with frivial) when he drags his coat In this way. He can't really want my photograph and pen-palship. If he does—well, I'm willing to write letters to him, when time permits. But I'm damned if I'll send him a photograph—as I must continue to say, physical appearance doesn't matter. No doubt he will interpret this refusal as an indica- Iaon of my lack of physical beauty. He could be right—but if I have my way, he'll never know.
CLAIRE RAYNER
7 Pasture Road, North Wembley, Middlesex
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