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

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

Hey, did I say I disapproved? I just thought it was a weird enough stance that it needed clarification -- there are no right answers on the question of abortion. I gather from your explanation below that you are in favour of medical abortion when there is a problem with the fetus, but not because the mother simply does not want the child. Well, that should offend both sides of the conventional debate. The pro-choice feminist response would be, of course, that you want to take control of a womans body away from her but give it to a doctor.

Though actually, while it was a bit facetious, I am curious as to how you think a one child policy would be enforced, taking into account both accidental and deliberate extra pregnancies.

[vegetus.livejournal.com]

Sorry it's taken awhile for me to get back to this. I hope my comments to alias_sqbr below clarified it further.

I guess my view on abortion is less "woman's control over body" and more a "best interests of potential child". I think someone who feels they cannot raise a child for whatever reason shouldn't be forced to, nor should they have to carry it to gestation if they feel they are not able to (which is part of the "control over my body" argument) because that would not be in the best interest of the child to be raised in that situation.

I don't think a one child policy can be enforced though in theory I think it's a good idea. I belive something similar to the policy that was used in Singapore a few decades ago of discouraging people from having more than two children (from memory the campaign was "One, Two and that's enough"), financial incentives not to have more than two kids and free sterilisation/contraception is the way to go.