Poll: Are you a feminist?

[sqbr]

So, I've always had a certain amount of interest in women's rights, but always felt a bit put off by feminism for reasons I couldn't articulate. I eventually decided to dig a bit and either get over it or figure out what the problem was. In the process I've become convinced of two things:
(a) I am a feminist, and feminism still has a lot of important work left to do
(b) There are a bunch of things I don't really like about the feminist movement as it actually works

And I got curious about you guys experiences and identities.


If you're not sure what the definition of "feminist" is, well... afaict there isn't a completely agreed upon one, but here's a bunch, afaict the consensus is along the lines of "Thinking society deals with gender in a way that, on balance, harms women, and that this should be corrected".

[Poll #1169959]

I'm especially interested in women who don't identify as feminist: do you have an issue with feminism, or do you think it's ok but just don't see any particular need to identify yourself that way? Other people's povs (including mens!) are also welcome, though.

And yes, vegetus, this does give you leave to rant a bit :) Though I would remind everyone to be civil, openminded, and tolerant. Keep in mind that we have some very different POVs here, any one of which will probably strike at least one person as Wrong And Dumb. Please take any narky arguments outside and try not to start any!

As for myself, well, you can see my (mixed) opinions on this lj. ithiliana's post Racism Imbroglios, White Feminist Bloggers, RWOC, and deja vu inspired me to make this poll, I particularly liked the line:

Within feminist discourse sisterhood became simultaneously an unquestioned assumption, an unexamined bond, and a mode of controlling behavior and containing difference.

Comments

[flyingblogspot.livejournal.com]

I've often wondered if the tendency to mischaracterise 'feminism' as a homogeneous movement prevents many people from identifying with it.

I've personally found reading around the history of the women's movement to be very worthwhile and inspiring - it's such an immense, diverse, loosely connected movement made out of the ideas of so many different individuals - some diametrically opposed to others. I've heard people lament the fragmentation and internal politics, but I do think there's something fundamentally awesome about women getting together to collaborate, argue and figure out what it is that they want and how to get it.

(Susan Brownmiller's 'In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution' is a fascinating read if you can get hold of it.)

Edited, having read ithiliana's post, to note that, yup, racism within feminism has long been a sadly frustrating problem. (Seems to happen to other movements too - I've seen plenty of both sexism and anti-bi discrimination in the queer movement, some aggressive anti-polyamory/alternative-marriage discrimination in the gay marriage movement and so forth, and as for the labour/socialist movement...I don't even know where to begin.)

[alias_sqbr]

I've often wondered if the tendency to mischaracterise 'feminism' as a homogeneous movement prevents many people from identifying with it.

Absolutely, I only felt comfortable applying the term to myself when I realised that it was ok to be in a feminist "denomination" of one :)

Heh. Yes, you've recommended that to me before, in a comment I happened to come across again yesterday *gets around to checking library catalogue* Yep, it's there, will have to remember to reserve it next time I stop by a library.

[flyingblogspot.livejournal.com]

Hah, I fail at remembering who I've already rec'd things to. :D

[alias_sqbr]

No, that's good, I need to be reminded at least two or three times before I remember to do anything :)

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I've often wondered if the tendency to mischaracterise 'feminism' as a homogeneous movement prevents many people from identifying with it.

Spot on. And then once its identified as a single movement, then suddenly all feminism becomes equated with radical feminism. I think that most women, and many guys, would agree with the core feminist ideas (men and women should be equal before the law, their work should be equally valued, women have the right to control their own bodies, etc) but are put off by the radical feminist idea that the idea of the 'feminine' is a patriarchal construction that should be got rid off.

(not that I'm saying the rad fems are necessarily wrong, just that its off-putting to the mainstream)

I think for many people, realising that feminism is a many-splendored thing that comes in a huge number of types and variations is the thing that allows them to self-identify as feminist. And really, feminism is a huge ongoing debate -- for a lot of the political issues I am interested in (eg censorship and civil liberties issues) there are feminist voices on both sides of the debate, so identifying as feminist doesn't tell me that much about what people believe in that context, only about why they believe it.

[alias_sqbr]

there are feminist voices on both sides of the debate, so identifying as feminist doesn't tell me that much about what people believe in that context, only about why they believe it.

And not even that, neccesarily, more the context in which that belief is held.

But yes, I agree with you re: the public perception of feminism. Of course it doesn't help that, as with any movement, some feminists want to imagine that there really is one unified movement, and so either gloss over differences or exclude anyone too divergent from their definition.