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

[evil-megz.livejournal.com]

This is pretty much exactly what I'd been going to comment with.

I don't support feminism since I am treated equal to men in all rational ways. I am different to the average man, though, and so may be treated differently because of this, but this usually works to my advantage as it means not doing things I find hard (such as carrying heavy objects) and instead doing things I am better suited to... and this isn't restrictive on my lifestyle since if I chose to buff up so I could carry heavy objects etc nobody would stop me.

I'm aware that women with different lives to me may be disadvantaged compared to men in their society, but I see this more as an individual human rights issue than a need-for-feminism issue.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It really saddens me when I see chivalry taken as chauvinism.

[alias_sqbr]

*cough*

I do tend to see chivalry as an idea as stemming from chauvanism, but I'm careful not to be critical of individual well meaning chivralrous guys. (Chauvanistically chivalrous guys I criticise, but the chivalry itself still isn't the issue)

It's like, if a guy offers to pay for me (for no reason other than me being a girl) I politely decline, and am fine with it.

If a guy insists on paying, even though he's poorer than me, and gets really angry at me for saying no, then I get annoyed.

If said guy later complains for making him pay for his own dinner when he couldn't afford it, I think he's an idiot :)

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I don't support feminism since I am treated equal to men in all rational ways

Surely, presuming that equality was actually complete (which a lot of feminists would argue with, of course), that just means you only support all the things feminism has achieved already?

[alias_sqbr]

*notes that you argue with evil_megs and vegetus, but not grey_reviews*

Clearly you are unwilling to challenge the dominance of a fellow member of...the Daviarchy!