The World Beyond BetterMost > Women Today
Do you consider yourself a feminist? (A question for both women and men.)
BelAir:
--- Quote from: atz75 on March 16, 2009, 11:02:30 pm ---Hi BelAir,
I remember I enjoyed Thelma and Louise when I saw it too. I haven't seen it for years, and years and years. So, I don't remember all the details about it. But, I do remember the rape scenario and the idea of being defended and "saved" from a situation like that by a powerful female friend seemed, well, very poweful to me. And, I do understand what you mean about there just being something fun sometimes about seeing confident and bold women "kick ass" sometimes. One thing I recall about Thelma and Louise is that most or many of the scenarios they got into were pretty over-the-top or exaggerated.
And, I'll also say that for a number of years, I was a card carrying member of NOW. I'm not any longer. I simply let my membership lapse a few years back and haven't renewed. I don't feel particularly defensive about arguing for or against NOW. It's fine to me if some folks don't agree with that organization. I do feel very defensive and protective of the concept of feminism more broadly though.
Well, in a nutshell (and elaborating on my posts at the beginning of this thread where I talked a bit about what feminism means to me)... I think it's a way of proclaiming in a proud and clear way that women's rights issues and gender equality issues are really important to me and fundamental to my world view. I know there are lots of people out there who see the term "feminism" as something really negative and I just refuse to let that view of the word get to me. Also, as I mentioned in earlier posts, I think of feminism as having a centuries long history... going well beyond the 60s and 70s women's rights era (sometimes I think the term feminism is far too confined to an understanding based on that era). I embrace the term feminism as a way to honor all the women and men who have worked for so long to fight for progress in terms of women's rights and gender equality on all sorts of fronts (education, voting rights, political issues, work issues, health issues, etc.).
--- End quote ---
I liked it a lot - so I saw it 1000x!
;D
Thanks for writing more, Amanda...
So, if I am interpreting you correctly, you feel like feminism/feminist isn't something that specifically separates you from others (in contrast to my feeling about pacifist/pacifism) - but it's more like a "badge" (sorry it's the only word that jumps to mind), or a bumper sticker of support, if that makes any sense? To try to say it another way, obviously the term(s) separate you from those who disagree with you, but that separation isn't central to how you feel about feminism?
(It's interesting to me to hear your perspective, because I guess I've always felt/thought of "-ism/-ist" words as labels...)
BelAir:
Hey - the poll miraculously changed while I've been reading the thread!!!
:)
(I went with 'not exactly sure what a feminist is')
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: louisev on March 16, 2009, 09:21:58 pm ---well, unfortunately for feminism, N.O.W. is "the largest feminist organization in the USA" and gets the most press and the most attention. So when they made Thelma and Louise their official mascots, they were speaking for the largest organized body of women's rights activists in this country. And I didn't want to have anything to do with them.
--- End quote ---
To me, NOW is to feminism sort of as the Catholic church is to Christianity. It's one big organization representing a large chunk of the group, but it's not the whole group. And it's possible to be in the group -- that is, to hold the beliefs that define the group -- without belonging to any organization at all.
It's not a perfect analogy, because most Christians do belong to one church or another. Whereas I don't think most feminists belong to any feminist organization.
--- Quote from: BelAir on March 16, 2009, 10:47:27 pm ---Do you feel using/accepting/embracing the term feminist separates you from others? Who specifically? (I am curious... not trying to berate anyone...)
--- End quote ---
To me, it mainly separates me from someone who does not feel that women are entitled to the same rights as men -- i.e., sexists. It's hard to imagine there being any other options in between. I guess I subscribe to a very passive idea of feminism.
I don't think one has to be either a NOW member or even an activist to be a feminist. I don't think one has to hold one particular set of beliefs, not agree with all other feminists about everything, nor live one's life in any particular way. I do think one has to believe in equal rights very strongly, though, and to be aware enough to notice when those rights are being compromised, to stand up for them if possible when, or if, push comes to shove.
A lot of it is internal and attitudinal. A feminist, for example, might iron all of her husband's shirts because she loves her husband and wants to do him this nice favor. If she irons the shirts because she feels that's a woman's duty to her husband as king of his castle and head of the family, then she's probably not a feminist.
A couple of other clarifications: I enjoyed Thelma and Louise, too. I just saw it as entertainment, not as a triumph for women. But it was also a bit refreshing -- not the murder, but the fact that it showed women not relying on men to rescue them. It was very rare in movies in them days -- less so now -- for women in distress to not have to be saved by men.
Also, I have never belonged to NOW, but not because of some strong philosophical difference with the organization. I'm just not much of a joiner.
--- Quote from: BelAir on March 16, 2009, 11:11:02 pm ---Hey - the poll miraculously changed while I've been reading the thread!!!
--- End quote ---
The thread genie granted your wish! ;)
delalluvia:
--- Quote from: HerrKaiser on March 17, 2009, 12:13:38 am ---college students are not considered "unemployed".
Can we spell "misrepresentation"?
--- End quote ---
I think she meant the current unemployment rate.
And whether college students are considered 'unemployed' or not, the end result is the same. No money for insurance? No medical care.
delalluvia:
--- Quote ---To me, NOW is to feminism sort of as the Catholic church is to Christianity. It's one big organization representing a large chunk of the group, but it's not the whole group. And it's possible to be in the group -- that is, to hold the beliefs that define the group -- without belonging to any organization at all.
It's not a perfect analogy, because most Christians do belong to one church or another. Whereas I don't think most feminists belong to any feminist organization.
--- End quote ---
Umm, pretty good analogy. I was a card carrying member of NOW as were some of my friends, but like atz, I let my membership lapse. Too many causes, too little money to donate to all of them.
--- Quote ---Quote from: BelAir on Yesterday at 09:47:27 PM
Do you feel using/accepting/embracing the term feminist separates you from others? Who specifically? (I am curious... not trying to berate anyone...)
To me, it mainly separates me from someone who does not feel that women are entitled to the same rights as men -- i.e., sexists. It's hard to imagine there being any other options in between. I guess I subscribe to a very passive idea of feminism.
--- End quote ---
What crayons said. I don't think there is an in-between. Either a human being in their right mind and adult has the same rights as another or they don't.
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