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today, a thought on what feminism actually is.

i read a piece this week that was talking about attacks on gay rights by evangelical churches, and the damage being done to 'anti-oppression movements'.

shock! the article included feminism in that moniker. and i like that a lot. as a thing. as a definition.

i am constantly, furiously surprised at the people i know who refuse to be classified as feminist. people who believe completely in women being humans deserving of respect and rights and protection and blah blah. people who are women and love women. but they're not feminists. cause. you know... AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

but wait. let's replace all the femaleness above with gayness. because those same people? those people who believe, too, completely in LGBT being humans deserving of respect and rights and protection and blah blah and so on? those people don't have a problem being vocally pro-LGBT. those people would be oh so thrilled to go and support the local pride parade. or. let's say anti-racism... AND SO ON!!!

so why is it that those people would shudder and shy away from a feminist parade? why are they so scared to join us in title as well as in principle?

why, when what we are are fighters against oppression?

for me. feminism is not: anti-men, anti-sex, anti-mother, anti-wife, anti-religion...

it is anti-oppression. for me and mine. but for everyone else too. human dignity. and all that.

so. think on that, non-feminist friends of mine. please. i beg you.



this week's reading. this tugged very much at my heart. because i want very very much to be a mother. i know this. and in this i am a little unlucky, but mostly i am lucky. people who are all MODERN WOMEN RA! tend to question my desire for children and a family... my desire to play the role of housewife and mother...  they give me a tough time about it. but mostly in jest. or at least in love. they might think it is counter to other things i represent, but they don't think i'm outright bonkers. it's the norm, afterall. isn't it?

but for the women out there who don't want to have kids. i feel very much sorry for them. NOT because i think 'oh, poor things! how can they not?! motherhood is a wonderful gift hoooray!'. no. but because so few people believe them. so few people, men and women alike, are able-or-willing to accept the possibility that a woman could, truly, understand herself and her body and TRULY not want to make a baby. and therefore not wanting a baby becomes a fight. a revolution. a stance that you cannot back down from no matter what...

blah blah. i could go on on this, but i've already talked a lot this post, and really the piece wraps it up pretty brilliantly. so. read.

*melissa doesn't want a baby.


***** this week! feminist of the week goes to.....  alan reed! for sending me an awesome article related to last week's theme, and for being openly feminist even on the internets! congratulations, and thank you!*****

{photo borrowed from feministezine}