OP didn’t really address it in his comment. He identified that critique, but the upshot of the comment appears to come at the end of the prior paragraph:
our actual criticism seems to come down to mere insufficiency
The paragraph about the CIA is pretty meandering, but it appears to say that GS should not be criticized for directly working with the CIA to undermine leftist feminism because DP was a liberal and supported the US?
My own take on OP’s post is similar to what imogen says below. Dolly Parton was a country music singer from East TN, so she was coming out of a world where most figures are outspoken right-wing reactionaries. So having one of the most famous people in that world support LGBT+ and other working class people to some is extremely radical and brave. Like the only accepting relative in a queer and/or leftist person’s family. Gloria Steinham was ostensibly “of” the left, but worked with directly with the CIA to undermine left-wing movements and splinter the feminist movement from the workers movement and feminism is still working to overcome that devastating shift.
OP didn’t really address it in his comment. He identified that critique, but the upshot of the comment appears to come at the end of the prior paragraph:
The paragraph about the CIA is pretty meandering, but it appears to say that GS should not be criticized for directly working with the CIA to undermine leftist feminism because DP was a liberal and supported the US?
My own take on OP’s post is similar to what imogen says below. Dolly Parton was a country music singer from East TN, so she was coming out of a world where most figures are outspoken right-wing reactionaries. So having one of the most famous people in that world support LGBT+ and other working class people to some is extremely radical and brave. Like the only accepting relative in a queer and/or leftist person’s family. Gloria Steinham was ostensibly “of” the left, but worked with directly with the CIA to undermine left-wing movements and splinter the feminist movement from the workers movement and feminism is still working to overcome that devastating shift.
Fair points!