emily

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By emily • 15 years ago

It’s Time to Come Together

It’s been written about over and over again-the divide that remains between older and younger feminists. And I think this struggle is being nowhere more clearly pronounced than in the controversy over Ms.’s new cover featuring Barack Obama. Though I can’t speak for all college age feminists, I feel like there is a general consensus that we love Barack Obama. A lot. It’s hard to imagine that after watching his twenty-minute speech given to the Planned Parenthood convention just under a year ago, any feminist could walk away and not be inspired and comforted by the knowledge that soon our country will be led by a pro-choice, pro-woman president. Even typing those words is emotional for someone who, at 18, does not even really remember the Clinton years-only the George Bush ones. And just because we are in awe of and in love with our soon to be president does not mean we have completely lost our feminist lens. Yes, we realize that he has not appointed a proportionately equal number of women to his cabinet. Yes, we realize he won’t just come out and say he supports gay marriage. Yes, he has his faults.

But to hear the criticism given by the women whom young feminists are taught to look up to and admire of the man that is giving women of my generation hope for the first time in a very long time, is kind of hard to swallow. Ms. has been ...

By emily • 15 years ago

Rape Awareness Month…AKA the month from hell for victims….

Maybe I am alone in this thought—maybe it is just the me who is in the process of recovery that feels this way, but I really hope not.

It’s rape awareness month here on my college campus. A year ago, I would have thought “Awesome! Rape is bad! Let’s prevent it! Signs with statistics are a great way to raise awareness. Lets plaster them everywhere!”

But, see, I learned better. I know a sickeningly large number of women don’t need a sign to remember that rape exists. My disgust with my campus’s approach to this entire thing has been growing steadily over the last few weeks–first with the huge bulletin board directly across from the elevator with the word “RAPE” in enormous ...

Maybe I am alone in this thought—maybe it is just the me who is in the process of recovery that feels this way, but I really hope not.

It’s rape awareness month here on my college campus. A ...

By emily • 15 years ago

Those Little Anti-Feminist Moments

We all have them. Those little moments we find ourselves enjoying trashy movies, TV, or magazines that offend our feminist beliefs, but satisfy our desire for some mind numbing entertainment. I usually try to catch these moments, acknowledge them, and then usually continue whatever I was doing.

Well this weekend I had one of those moments that is really kind of bumming me out. I was driving home from a wedding with a friend and the song “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” came on. I remember being six years old and screaming this at the top of my lungs, and as we drove down a country road, I stuck my head out the window and howled the words at the ...

By emily • 15 years ago

Maybe you didn’t know this, but no one gets raped anymore, and certainly, no one ever gets pregnant from rape.

I’ve been fuming about one conversation for the last three months.

I was sitting in history class, already pissed because my teacher decided we were going to cover the ENTIRE feminist movement in a half hour. Oh, and of course, we didn’t actually learn about feminism, we just listened to him rant with Anti-Choice BULLSHIT. But one thing…one thing I just can’t get past. As the lone (I know…right?) pro-choicer in the room, I was doing my best speak for the majority of Americans who believe that abortion should be legal and accessible. I was doing my best to stay away from the typical defenses, but when my teacher said “Well, every pregnancy is the consequence of an action someone choses ...

I’ve been fuming about one conversation for the last three months.

I was sitting in history class, already pissed because my teacher decided we were going to cover the ENTIRE feminist movement in a half hour. Oh, and ...