i'm often disappointed by the hesitancy of many women to embrace the term "feminist." sometimes it's almost as if the term is as powerful as a scarlet letter, in effect labeling an individual undesirable in our society.
why is this the case?
why do so many strong and intelligent women shy away from this term?
having been born and bred in the US, i feel that feminism is still very misunderstood among the (north) american public-at-large. i myself will admit to only relatively recently growing into the term, due mostly to my reluctance to prematurely identify with a movement i knew so little about. (i'm still in the learning process and most of my current knowledge comes from books and friends.) i always knew that i was curious about it and wanted to learn more, and the more bell hooks i read, the more i see how clearly my personal values are naturally aligned with feminist thought.
i love that feminism is still a controversial topic today because this forces people to adopt a "come strong or not at all" attitude. i've never seen/known a half-assed feminist. the term conjures up images of radicalism, non-conformity, activism, pride, fierce independence, and of course women's historic struggles for equality, all of which i embrace whole-heartedly. what i don't embrace is the pervasive misconception that feminism is all about man-hating. (what a sexist and completely male-centered notion!) as one of the wwm contributors (da) mentioned in her intro, there are many flavors of feminism. the one constant thread is that it's a movement centered around opposing sexism in all its forms. this means recognizing and challenging the gendered conceptions and systems we've been conditioned to buy into, as well as understanding and opposing the sexism perpetuated by both males and females that we encounter on a daily basis.
i think we should compile a list of the biggest misconceptions about feminists/feminism...anyone have suggestions for this?
one of the top misconceptions has got to be that feminist women in heterosexual relationships cannot/should not enjoy being treated by men on dates. my response: as two equals, i feel that my date and myself should both demonstrate a certain level of respect and enjoy mutual admiration, which sometimes results in being treated on dates. what, are feminists supposed to avoid fun at all costs? c'mon! gimme a damn break.
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what an amazing post, simone! you highlighted many of the grievances feminists encounter on a daily basis. I remember a friend and I were discussing feminism when the book, the beauty myth, came up. I mentioned that I had never read it to which she replied, "I don’t like it because I saw an interview with the author, and she was wearing make-up." So, add that to your list of taking it too far…feminists can’t were make-up? Meh.
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