Ladies, do you consider yourselves Feminist?
I used to struggle with this label, but not so much anymore. I'm not a bra burner (that would be bad for my physical health, I LOVE a good fitting bra!) and I don't "pound the pavement" crusading for any kind of feminist causes. But I do have a strong belief that men and women (straight, gay and transgendered) are all entitled to equal treatment in society and under the law.
Some folks seem to think the label Feminist means "man hater" or "demands special treatment for women" and I can understand why they get that impression. It is very difficult to introduce new ideas to a hostile culture, and feminists throughout history have been branded as "radicals" and "troublemakers." It is a shame that women sometimes have to yell to be heard over the din of the status quo, but I am eternally grateful to those women who came before me and yelled till they were hoarse. That said, I don't think the time for yelling is quite over yet, even though we as a generation of women are reaping the benefits of the First and Second wavers and it may not feel like we have it so bad that we need to organize.
What do you think? Is it important that women self-identify as feminists, or do you think the time for that is past? Do you think women and men are inherently different and feminism is a misguided concept? Why are you or are you not a Feminist?
I am a feminist. I think it's as simple as saying that women have equal value to men. Western culture is coming to this conclusion (although there's still much to be done, particularly in the workforce)finally. Maybe due in large part to the Christian religion backing off the argument that "the woman's place is in the home". Eastern culture, though, opens up an entirely different dialogue about how society values women....
ReplyDelete