The Side Effects of Living in Sexual Silence

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg chronicles the lifelong psychological and physical

consequences of being isolated from society because one doesn’t conform to the rigid binary

rules. Jess is tortured by her parents obvious disappointment, the adolescent boys who live near

her, her bigot teacher, and even the other patients in the conversion therapy course. She learns

with time to pick her battles in order to preserve her miserable way of life until she finds a means

for escape and therefore happiness. Jess has similar long term goals to Molly from People in

Trouble, she wants to act, make changes, and be treated as an equal human being. Unlike Molly

she has no community, support, or chosen family to guide her. Feinberg describes the chaos of

emotions instilled in minorities when she talks about “choking on anger, feeling so powerless,

unable to protect myself or those I loved most, yet fighting back again and again, unwilling to

give up.” (pg.302) Both Jess and Molly, though drastically different in age and geographical

location, use the same stubborn will to live, not just survive and it helps to empathize with other

minority movements. I believe that's why Jess takes an interest in the Freedom Riders, they’re

another minority who are picking their battles and finally making some waves because they have

support. It saddened me when Jess wonders if she could ever be as brave as the people protesting

for the Civil Rights movement because she can’t even recognize how brave, strong, and

courageous she is too put up with verbal and physical abuse every day, all day, since birth.

Her parents are so obviously racist, like telling her she was speaking Martian when she

was most likely speaking in Hindi or another similar dialect, even though they have been

discriminated against, for example the mooning incident during Shabbas prayer. Her father

laissez faire attitude when is comes to discrimination reminds me so much of Peter from People

in Trouble, especially when Jess tries to discuss the Freedom Riders with her family at dinner;
“My father put down his fork. ‘That has nothing to do with us,’ he firmly closed the subject.”

(pg.318) Both Peter and Jess’ father believe that they don’t have to stand up for those in need

because they personally aren’t part of the minority, yet it’s their family wife and daughter

respectively who need their support. It’s extremely depressing to think about the fact that the

cycle of abuse which continues to hurt Jess has been ingrained in generations because according

to Jess “everyone in my family knew about shame and fear”. (pg. 311)