I’ve been meeting feminists in some strange places lately.
At my family get together. At the underground hip hop show. In the grocery store around the corner from my house. At the local watering hole. At the farmer’s market while perusing for a ripe tomato. On OKCupid!
In short, I’m realizing more and more that feminists are…well…everywhere. And while many of today’s leading feminist voices are exploring important questions about the use of the feminist label in the midst of bizarre efforts at faking it by Sarah Palin and the like, I wonder if there is value in using the term to convey more than a political identity or to throw out a current buzzword, but also in a way that conveys the ubiquity and strength of our modern feminist movement.
Because it is a movement, and it’s growing every day. Maybe there would be a bit less confusion and taboo around the term if we all claimed the feminist label in corroboration with the other identities we occupy and hats we wear on a regular basis.
As in, I’m a feminist blogger. I’m a feminist daughter, friend, and granddaughter. I’m a feminist communications professional, a feminist media consumer, a feminist shopper, a feminist voter, and a feminist snowboarder. I’m also a feminist eater, donator, and dater. I try to bring my feminism with me wherever I go, and to whatever I do.
So what’s your feminist BLANK? Are you a feminist bookkeeper? Feminist medical professional? Feminist truck driver? Feminist soccer player? How do you bring your set of feminist values to the different identities you occupy?
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I’m a feminist fiancé. Or at least I try to be.
I am a feminist engineer!
Me Too!!!!
Me three. It’s a tough line to walk – standing up for values but still managing to keep good working relationships with coworkers.
This is a really interesting question to me because I’ve thought about how feminism informs some of my identities (feminist husband, feminist citizen, feminist son, feminist utilitarian, feminist atheist, feminist gamer) but not really at all to some of my other identities (feminist software developer, feminist vegetarian) and I’m not really sure how those interact with feminism. Thanks for the thought provoker.
I try to be a feminist computer scientist.
I’m a feminist writer. It can be hard, though, because we live in an unfeminist world and to make characters realistic, sometimes that means they have to inherit some of the not-very-feminist attitudes people have, and it can be a struggle to balance the two. I try to focus on keeping my female characters strong and individual, rather than archetypes. And making sure that none of them have the main goal of just getting a man. And I at least try to point out how messed up the sexism is and have the women be aware of their world and their attitudes and where those attitudes come from. I try to make what I write a genuine expression of life of women and girls in an unfeminist world.
Excellent post – it really makes you think!
I’m a feminist artist!
I’m a feminist painter, cartoonist, singer and wife.
I’m a feminist chemist. And a feminist guy. And a feminist gamer. And something of a feminist hermit and misanthrope. Yeah, I get the contradiction in that last bit. I like people generally more than I like I like most people specifically.
I find my faith and feminism are entirely compatible. So I am a Feminist Quaker.
I’m a feminist brother, son, and farmer.
I’m a feminist soldier!
I think calling myself a feminist is good enough but I see your point. In that case I am a feminist activist, student, and fan girl. I’m also a feminist consumer, feminist daughter, voters and reader.
I’m a feminist fangirl, and shipper.
I’m a feminist friend, son, lover, and student.
I’m a feminist comic book artist. Hey to all my other feminist artist peeps up there!
I try to create interesting male, female and anywhere inbetween characters that have goals and jobs and worries. I’m actually crafting my first gender queer character, and I’m excited to tell their story. <3
I am a feminist mathematician and a feminist atheist!
I am a feminist MOTHER! Not a mama grizzly, thankyouverymuch.
I’m a feminist Catholic.
Yeah, I know it’s weird…
I am a Feminist Police Officer
FeministyMAMA!
Feminist Thinker, Feminist Writer, Feminist Baker, Feminist Foodie, Feminist Chick-Flick lover/hater, Feminist Labor Unionist. Angry Feminist.
I’m a feminist social worker
I’m a feminist medical student (and future abortion provider)
Hurray for future feminist abortion providers!!!!!
I am a Feminist VEGETARIAN, a Feminist Blogger/writer, Feminist Artist, budding Feminist Social Activist… A feminist lover, sex educator and sexual rights and freedoms advocate. Oh, can I be a feminist yogi too?
I’m a feminist daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend, (unpublished) writer, and future (hopefully!) psychologist.
I’m a feminist Nurse!!!
Feminist Trans Woman.
I am a…
Feminist public health student (and soon to be professional)
Feminist yogini (and soon to be yoga instructor)
Feminist daughter
Feminist lover
Feminist friend
I’m a feminist LAW STUDENT
and unfortunately one of the few. I have been in MULTIPLE classes of (say 110 people) and the family law professor ask who here identifies themselves as a feminist and 5…6 people maybe raise their hand. Ridiculous.
Second in a smaller class of 22 people in a class ENTITLED “Sexual Violence” when the professor asked….maybe half the people raised their hands at that. And (favorite class of the semester) she asked every person WHY they didn’t. Then explained obviously feminism is……… and told them they are basically feminists even if they refuse for ridiculous reasons not to identify them as such.
I’m a feminist fellatrix
I love these posts because they remind me just how varied, diverse, and beautiful our movement is. And it reminds me that there are as many different ways to be a feminist as there are feminists. We all have our own way of living our truth. Do it, ladies! Hell yeah.
I’m a feminist seamstress and costume designer, feminist political junkie, feminist daughter and aunt, and future feminist nurse and midwife!
Who embraces the label and proudly displays it.
I’m a feminist writer/memoirist. I’m a feminist girlfriend/partner. I’m a feminist student. Add also: blogger, friend, daughter, adoptee, reader, personal assistant (to a feminist writer!), etc.
And props to Daedra, the future abortion provider! That’s incredible! The world needs more of you!
I’m a feminist secretary!