How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"It was part of women's long revolution. When we were breaking all the old hierarchies. Finally there was that one thing we had to give up too, the only power we ever had, in return for no more power for anyone. The original production: the power to give birth." (5.95)
Luciente explains that women have to give up birth if they're going to be equal. Connie doesn't like that at all; she already lost her daughter, and she's not into the idea that women will lose their innate connection to children.
Quote #5
"Something puzzles me. It seems like everybody is careful not to say what seems really obvious to me—that Jackrabbit and Bolivar have… well, they're both men. It's homosexual. Like that might bother a woman more."
"But why?" Parra looked at her as if she were really crazy. "All coupling, all befriending goes on between biological males, biological females, or both. That's not a useful set of categories. We need to divvy up people by what they're good at and bad at, strengths and weaknesses, gifts and failings." (10.269-270)
The future has gender equality, but it also doesn't discriminate on the basis of sexuality. Parra in fact suggests that equality in terms of sexuality and gender have to go together. Once you stop worrying about whether someone's a man or a woman, why would you care which people want to sleep with each other?
Quote #6
"Birth! Birth! Birth!" Luciente seemed to sing in her ear. "That's all you can dream about! Our dignity comes from work. Everyone raises the kids, haven't you noticed? Romance, sex, birth, children—that's what you fasten on. Yet that isn't women's business anymore. It's everybody's." (12.123)
In Luciente's view, women don't so much lose romance, sex, birth, and children, as everyone else gains them. Guys can be moms too, which means that moms, and children, are more respected and valued by everyone.