University of Virginia Library

Partnership of Equals

It should be evident by now that my theme
is "Let's realistically evaluate the partnership
possibilities with women. Let us understand the
healthy and progressive sense of well being
which comes from complementary relationships
worked out in real life experiences. Let us
understand the retarding and self-destructive
aspects of unchallenged fantasies built upon
unconscious threat and fear." I definitely believe
that men can lead productive lives without
women - and vice versa: what we are arguing
for is an environment considered most preferable
- not perfect! Bringing undergraduate
women to U.Va. must not be likened to asking
the girls to join us in the men's locker room!
We can appreciate the best aspects of femininity
when women are not available 100% of the
time and the right to solitude is respected.

As I consider the future of relations between
the sexes in this country, I can only
conclude that we had best face up and fully
acknowledge the situation as a partnership of
different, but complementary, equals. The concept
of a relationship built upon the archaic
attitude that one member is inherently superior
and the other inherently inferior should pass
into an appropriate limbo. U.Va. can help the
majority of its male undergraduates search
more effectively for realistic and acceptable
masculine self concepts by providing for the
admission of women students to the College of
Arts and Sciences. The students will take it
from there.