An Ode to the Feminist Button

I recently moved into a new apartment and have been going through all of my belongings, desperately trying to organize my very unorganized life, and found buttons. Specifically, feminist buttons — and a shit ton of them. In fact, I probably have more buttons than anything else I own.

I’ve gathered these tiny metal pins over the past 10 years at conferences, marches, fundraisers — you name it. While my button hoarding wasn’t entirely intentional, I realize now I had saved them largely because each one held a different story, with each story being equally important to my journey as a feminist. But buttons don’t just serve as memorabilia; after all, the purpose is to put them on — to literally wear your feminism, whether it be on your backpack, jacket collar or laptop carrier.

Thinking about all the times I’ve been pinned (yes, such the button slut) made me also think about feminism today and how online activism has many young feminists now using new kinds of buttons, not just tangible ones. After all, we can put buttons on our website or blog, or can express those witty one-liners you’d find on a button on our Facebook fan pages. Now don’t get me wrong, I know buttons are still out there and will likely continue to be worn and valued, but I find it interesting how technology is expanding and evolving the ways we choose to say things without actually saying them.

So with that being said, do I have other button hoarders out there? How many buttons do you have and what kind? Any favorites to share?

Pic via MPG.