I don’t subscribe to Shakesville (or any other “big” blog, because I can’t handle the pressure of a constantly overflowing RSS reader), so I’m just now seeing this, even though it’s over a month old. It’s well worth reposting, though. Hence:
Feminism is an integral part of progressivism.
If you’re not a feminist, you’re not a progressive.
No matter how much you hate Bush.
No matter how much you hate the Iraq war.
No matter how much you hate our current torture policy.
No matter how much you want to restore habeas corpus.
No matter how much you’re totally going to vote for the Democrat in November.
If you’re not a feminist, you’re not a progressive.
You’re a fauxgressive.
End of story.
Hell yeah.
And I hate that this is even something that has to be said, but it does, and there it is. It’s part of why I have such disdain/disinterest/reluctance/irritability surrounding partisan-type politics… I just can’t get worked up about debates, or so-and-so’s campaign signs, or all the other gossip. Frankly I don’t understand how so many people can, but since a lot of ‘em are people I consider friends, I just have to shrug my shoulders and say “To each their own.” (And yet if there’s an election returns watching party in November, I’ll be there; because, I’ll be honest, to me it’s all an excuse to socialize. And it’s not that I don’t care on any level. I vote, after all.)
But if you dismiss feminism as a “special interest” (hello, Kos!), all bets are off, and it’s “fuck you” time. You are on notice, or perhaps even dead to me.
I mean believe it or not, Melissa even had to post an update, because apparently (and I wish I could say I was surprised) a lot of people had trouble getting this rather simple concept through their thick skulls. If she had a FAIL stamp, I bet the inkpad would be dry by now.
You see? This is why I just do not have the patience to be some kind of Bringer of the Progressive Message, unless it’s on a one-on-one or very small group basis.
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5 Responses to "Important announcement indeed"
I must admit, I don’t consider myself a feminist. It’s become harder and harder to say that as my friends get downright hostile, but I’ll briefly outline why:
1) Historically, and to some extent today even, feminists didn’t like lesbians. At various points in history it’s been more or less okay to be gay and feminist, but I don’t feel very embraced by the movement. I feel “tolerated,” and that doesn’t exactly make me run into a group with open arms.
2) I certainly agree with most of the positions feminists take on issues, and find them important. I consider myself strongly in favour of women’s rights, and really support and am loud about certain issues, especially treatment of women in the developing world. However, a lot of the issues aren’t at the top of my list, simply because they don’t apply to me. I support women who are looking for rights that deal with pregnancy and breastfeeding, equality in marriage, etc, but you can’t rally behind every single issue and so I tend to get more involved with things that are relevant to my life.
3) On a similar note, I think being a feminist is something that you sort of have to own. It’s active; it’s being part of a club. I don’t, for example, say that I’m an environmentalist, even though I ride the bus, try to conserve energy, and am a vegetarian for environmental/world hunger reasons. I’m just not politically active on that issue, and I don’t think it would be fair to environmentalists to say that I’m one of them. Same for feminism. I *agree* with feminists, and I *support* feminists. But I think to *be* a feminist, I’d have to be more active and get behind feminist issues vocally.
So that’s my two cents.
A lot of people lately in the blogosphere have been disowning the term ‘feminist’ for reasons similar to your #1 above. To each their own, and it’s not for me to tell anyone how they should or shouldn’t identify. But honestly? I think that’s BS. I mean it would be easy for me to say I’m not a feminist because of the way a lot of feminists treat sex workers as second (or third, fourth, fifth or not on the list at all) citizens. But to me there’s just no conflating the assholish behavior of individuals - even when A LOT of people are being assholes - with the basic fundamental concept of a movement. The analogy I always use is that there are a hell of a lot of self-identified Christians who behave like total assholes. If I were a Christian I definitely wouldn’t let their tomfoolery stop me from calling myself a Christian!
Also, I see your #3 is being a feminist activist. To me, feminism is more a state of mind and a set of basic beliefs rather than a “club.”
Can I be a feminist even if I don’t think Bush is the second incarnation of Hitler?
“just do not have the patience to be some kind of Bringer of the Progressive Message”[snip]
Who does?
That’s what friends and allies are for. If you don’t beat the drum for issue X or group Y, then beat the drum for something that moves you or give one little boom every now and then or join in with people you like and respect to help them on the other issues.
If you look around in a few years and find out you’ve become a suburbanite with Phyllis Schlafly hair and McCain is running the country and all the people you care about are being hurt, you probably did it wrong.
Just saying.
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