What does Feminism mean to you?

[Erin C]

Many of you have expressed discomfort with the label feminist because of its weighted history. So, please share what it means to you!

I understand that this could be a one sentence answer to a full blown doctoral thesis. Just tell me what's on your mind. I'm going to work on my answer to this and get back to you.

- Erin

[Emily]

I feel that label of feminist conjours ideas of hard line unfeminine people sadly to most. but to me its about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to achieve and try anything want irrespective of their gender.

Some people have teased me endlessly about being a housewife saying it is weak and we fought for change. I disagree we fought for options and choice. It is my choice to be a housewife and I have many options to choose from. Thats what feminism is, choice based on opportunity not gender.

[linda hatfield-southern]

when i was in 5th grade, i along with two other girls petitioned our prinicpal to allow girls to be crossing guards. i have always labeled myself a feminist. when i married i hypenated my last name despite people telling me that if i really loved him, i would take his name. i was floored! i am the only person in my family to hypenate and i LOVE IT! feminism is what christ preached.

[Alex]

What Aphie said.

I can't believe that in 2008 people still get spooked by this pretty much fictional "militant bra-burning lesbian man-hating feminist" label. Who have you met, ever, who fitted that description? Or is it just a boogeyman dreamed up to discredit a lot of smart and powerful women who saw that the world was not set up to enable women to succeed, and agitated for it to change?

Truthfully, in male-dominated environments, the only feminist they're usually comfortable with is one that is willing to endorse the idea that sexism is a thing of the past and that nothing needs to be done that would threaten them in order to create equal opportunities for women.

My wife has encountered sexism in her career again, and again, and again. I am shocked at what she has to go through now, in 2008, to prove that yes, women can do math (duh!).

[linda hatfield-southern]

i agree.. its seems that ms magazine while it has some really good stuff it seems that to be a good feminist, you have to be a lesbian. that it seems that the magazine caters to the pc women who are lesbian.

[Emily HW]

Well, I will say I know a few militant bra-burning lesbian man-hating feminists, but you kinda have to hang out in lesbian circles for that. :-) And, Linda, I've never noticed that about Ms, and I'm an avid reader. They do push that women should have the choice in their sexual orientation, though, and maybe that is the vibe that you are catching?

But, yes, I agree. I'm going into a math/programming field, and I have received a lot of skepticism from people for it. My research paper this semester (which is going to follow me in my portfolio if I do end up getting my teaching license someday) is on how middle schools can encourage females to pursue career paths in math and computers. If it hadn't been that my parents told me that I could be ANYTHING, if they hadn't taught me that I shouldn't worry about what the boys thought of me like all the other girls, if they hadn't encouraged me in what I'm good at, I would not be pursuing this today because there were a hell of a lot more people trying to push me in other directions.

[Aphie]

The most militant gender-separatist I ever met was a middle-aged bellydance, ex-highschool teacher, Emily! ;)

I seriously thought that they were a myth before that.

[Emily HW]

Oh, I know plenty of militant gender-separatists; I was just commenting on the word "lesbian." :-)

[Aphie]

Oh, sorry - she was that too! ;D
(Srsly, the woman was a walking stereotype)

[Alex]

OK, I guess they do exist, and I'm just not hanging with the right people! :-)

[Aphie]

She's pretty unusual, even by my lights, Alex. ;)
I still maintain that the idea there's a massive 'underground' of women like her is a myth - there can be Only One!

[Emily HW]

And, just to catch myself here, not a choice in their sexual orientation, but the choice to FOLLOW their sexual orientation, as there is a big difference in the two. :-)

[Pat]

If traditional men from traditional culture are the only ones who used to be in a position to know what goes on behind closed doors of boardrooms across the world, or in the locker rooms of men's sports clubs, feminist housewives must be the only ones who knows what goes on in their own unique environment.

Too often they are trying to bridge the two cultures where women at home are considered to be useless and unproductive to society, and insignifant to the world, and being the broad observers of a society that often appears to have gone mad with its daily revelation of events, publicized, and opinionated, that rarely give rise to legitimate solutions. It must be a pageant for the ages.

Most assuredly, modern contemporaries have much to share with their Victorian sisters in that regard. In a world that often behaves as if women at home have no brain, the world is not often receptive to women with one trying to be heard, or offer to society a common sense approach to business, government, or society, much less trying to enter it as a live working adult.

In short, women at home, feminist or not, are often made by society to feel as non-citizens, or indeed, non-entities with respect to social and political aspects of society. The presumption is that "it takes a village," but only if that village is connected, all its members are working, and as long as it has appropriate supervision.

It is in that lack of supervision fear that poses the greatest threat to society from feminists at home. Because of their own unique and subjective view, the world is much afraid that popular movements can, or would be begun, from their influence, and ruin the planning and strategies of recognized businesses, churches, organizations and groups to disrupt what they perceive as the organized world.

But feminist housewives are people, too, and most are citizens with boardroom attributes as easily and as significantly as any persons who are sitting in boardrooms, or on Capitol Hill.

Without the social support that boardroom bullies or those on Capitol Hill have, feminist women, unless they ignore the signs of how well society flourishes or not, must congregate into a force to properly petition the government to represent themselves in society, or they will be trampled along with their citizenship rights - just as any slave society ever has been.