What Feminism is to me
I've been thinking a lot about the comment that breakit left yesterday about the paradigm shift. I think it's a really good point, so I wanted to respond in a more sustained fashion about what I believe feminism can be, and is to me. I think that will help clarify what I intend by male and/or female defined spaces, because I think that terminology is inadequate to describe what I mean.
Feminism to me is the belief that women and men are equal. That means that neither gender is less than. The problem with the three examples I presented yesterday was that they all made women less than. The rape seminars in the military make it seem like women cause the problem of rape, not that men & women in society might share equally in this problem. The law firm example shows that those men thought women were less than in the way they talked about them only as bodies, and when they turned to me and apologized, it was almost like saying "we think you're only a body, but we just didn't find it appropriate to say it to your face." As if I'm some delicate creature who doesn't know how they really see me. And in the third example, the guys insult each other by calling each other queer, and female. As if these are insults?!? Again, making women less than with speech and behavior.
Some feminists think women are better. They think that separtism and lesbianism is the answer. I have two musicians who I will quote addressing that problem. One is Ani DiFranco when she says that feminism is not a bad word. We make it seem like its discriminatory in society, but the belief that women are equal is not discriminatory. It's not intended to take away the rights of men, even if it seems that way. The other is Melissa Ferrick. She refuses to play at the Michigan Womyn's Festival. She states in every concert I've been to that men, women, straight, queer, and whatever people are welcome at her concerts. Every concert of hers I've been to (except maybe Indianapolis), there have been a sprinkling of men.
I know there is no answer to any of society's problems. But I think there might be answers in contexts. And I wonder if looking at spaces where both women & men can coexist as equals might reveal something about something. What those somethings are, well, we'll have to leave that to the universe. See what it brings back.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
Feminism to me is the belief that women and men are equal. That means that neither gender is less than. The problem with the three examples I presented yesterday was that they all made women less than. The rape seminars in the military make it seem like women cause the problem of rape, not that men & women in society might share equally in this problem. The law firm example shows that those men thought women were less than in the way they talked about them only as bodies, and when they turned to me and apologized, it was almost like saying "we think you're only a body, but we just didn't find it appropriate to say it to your face." As if I'm some delicate creature who doesn't know how they really see me. And in the third example, the guys insult each other by calling each other queer, and female. As if these are insults?!? Again, making women less than with speech and behavior.
Some feminists think women are better. They think that separtism and lesbianism is the answer. I have two musicians who I will quote addressing that problem. One is Ani DiFranco when she says that feminism is not a bad word. We make it seem like its discriminatory in society, but the belief that women are equal is not discriminatory. It's not intended to take away the rights of men, even if it seems that way. The other is Melissa Ferrick. She refuses to play at the Michigan Womyn's Festival. She states in every concert I've been to that men, women, straight, queer, and whatever people are welcome at her concerts. Every concert of hers I've been to (except maybe Indianapolis), there have been a sprinkling of men.
I know there is no answer to any of society's problems. But I think there might be answers in contexts. And I wonder if looking at spaces where both women & men can coexist as equals might reveal something about something. What those somethings are, well, we'll have to leave that to the universe. See what it brings back.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
<< Home