If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and read the Apostate’s most recent posts. The woman is on a roll.
Because most countries in the world are not such melting-pots as America is (and don’t have America’s slave-owning past), most people don’t have the sensitivity to race issues that we have here. Most of the world is comfortably mildly racist and there are few challenges to that even from liberal intelligentsia because most countries aren’t racially diverse (but they’re all sexist, almost without notable exception). Racist jokes are par for the course. People who look different are funny. They talk funny, they look funny, they have funny customs, they do weird unhygienic things in the bedroom and bathroom. They are Other, thus fair game.
Not saying this is right, just human. But American liberals are some of the least racist people I’ve ever met in my entire life.
Sexism, though. Where do you go to get away from that? I’ve been an expat from my native land, yet felt like my race has always allowed me safe spaces. I had a whole country to return to. Within my adopted homes, I’ve either had a ghetto, or I’ve had a liberal diverse area to romp in. Neither have caused me much racial discomfort. I’ve been able to ignore racial prejudice against me because there have been other options. There are many parts of the world where there is no racism. I don’t have a “race” category on this blog. For the most part, I can be unracialized, which is (I firmly believe) a good thing.
But there is no getting away from sexism. It’s to be found in even the most liberal men. It’s legal. It’s culturally widespread. It’s also universal. Where there are women in this world, there is discrimination and contempt and oppression and fear of rape.
Is this guy for real? If I hadn’t seen him at WAM with my own two eyes, I would imagine his blog to be one riotous fucking parody. The fact that he is, in fact, real and instead of offing himself for being such a miserable masochistic idiot, he publicly self-flagellates and keeps ejaculating all over the feminist blogosphere, is downright creepy. I’m officially creeped out. But hey, what’s one more freak in the online feminism circus?
Heart
Just from reading your commentary it is clear that you are not a woman of color. There is no place a woman of color can go to escape from racism. To accept it as part of the “human experience” is to say that we deserve to be treated as less than.
As a WOC I have yet to come across a place where I am not negotiating sexism and racism. It is a dual headed monster that is omnipresent.
Renee, I’m not sure if you are saying it’s clear that I am not a woman of color (you are right, I’m not) or that the Apostate is not a woman of color (she is). Her posts are worth a read. She makes the important point that race relations in the United States are unique, and that the experiences of American-born women of color are going to be different in certain ways from the experiences of women of color who are immigrants to the U.S., that this is going to affect how women respond to the Amanda Marcotte/Seal Press thing. But I’d ask you: when you are with friends, in social situations in your own community with those situated as you are, do you feel any relief from racism then?
Jeyoani says don’t post this yet, she wants to think about it more, so I am editing it out, sorry for any confusion! — Heart
I’m being a little facetious, yes, about people being mildly racist. I definitely found an element of humor in the Saudi racism I experienced in the Middle East (which is diverse, yes, but not by any means a “melting pot” like America). By “mildly racist” I mean, they’re not lynching brown people. But yeah, Europe for Arabs/South Asians is not as hospitable as America is.
Most of the world — I’ve traveled and lived “abroad” most of my life — doesn’t strike me as all that diverse. Maybe I’m wrong on that count.
(I’m not American, by the way.)
My thoughts on race weren’t meant to speak for anyone but me. Racism doesn’t get to me like sexism does — that was my main point.
Editing my response to Jeyoani since she wants to think more about it before she posts.
I’d agree that each country has its own unique oppressive constructs, but that sexism is indeed universal. As long as women are willing to live in close quarters with the oppressors and enslavers, you’ll have this situation.
As a major in political science, as one who had been intimate with other cultures, including being married in two,
and one with a daughter who is multi-racial,
let me first of all say, this whole concept of ONLY America being racist,
IS BULL.
Racism is a World-Wide problem, its not just an American Characteristic NOR is America, the ONLY nation that has an .imperialist or racist OR past of SLAVERY.
To claim that is pure propaganda nonsense. Historical EVIDENCE shows otherwise.
Anyone who’s ever studied Ethnic relations can vouch for this fact. So, IF we are Every going to End racism we must do so in telling the Truth,
as it is, Not by some leftist inspired anti-WESTERN imperialist teaching, and the claim that the US holds some special monopoly of Racism, is just that…the anti-western philosophy that was born during the days of Marx [maybe even before], AND then spurred by the days of the Cold War [STalin-Nationalism].
The Middle East has racism, Europe has racism, Russia has racism, and YES, many Governments Sanction Racism and Ethnic Hatred via the justifications of
e.g., RELIGION [OH THATS A BIG ONE, I LOVE TO GET STARTED ON THAT ONE...JUST ASK ANY WHO PAY THE SPECIAL 'TAX', AND ITS NOT JUST BEING NON-RELIGIOUS],
or how about Anti-Semitism, which IS RACISM,
or how about the Ethnic hatred of peoples of ethnicity due to historical Injustices, etc.
Slavery as well, is NOT just in the History of the USA, and in FACT, is ALIVE AND WELL TODAY, justified by many countries using the SAME LOGIC, Americans did during the slave days.
Trafficking of Workers, [especially those uh, maids and domestic workers, hit any Nerves people], in many countries who are the Biggest in their screaming against Anti-Imperialism, is BASED ON RACIAL HATRED as well as Economic Oppression and Justifications of their Entitlement under GOD to oppress others, etc.]
AND DARE I SAY IT,
Racism is not just a WHITE THING EITHER.
Get in a group of for example, several Latino/Hispanic/Chicano workers from various parts of the Southern Hemisphere and just See how much Racism there is, between the ethnic groups,
or go to Africa, and see how much racism and ethnic hatred is among ethnic groups and tribes. Or Asia,
the Human Right Violation reports ALONE of racial hatred between Chinese and Malaysians, or Japanese and Chinese or Indonesians, etc, etc, etc.,
should be enough to convince even the most brainwashed, that racism is not just White nor is it just American.
NONE btw, Justifies ANY racism, nor is it to discredit, or minimize the harm caused by racism. Racism sadly, exists,
but we don’t END it or Change it by demoting it to some exclusive fault of one group or that group.
There was ethnic hatred in Africa before and during the slave trade [Ever read Ngugi?], and its just Amazing,
how soon we forget, that it wasn’t the Puritans or the Pilgrims who started slavery [though if you listen to enough of the propaganda you'd think so] but it was going on, with the Spaniards AND Italians, in Europe, long before America…
how Soon we forget THAT fact. Just ask Any Native American Indian, who the first Slave traffickers were to this nation, it Wasn’t the Mayflower, thats for Damn sure. Or has the Columbus Day protests escaped you.
And NOR is slavery/and racial oppression only an European trait either, lets not forget the history of the Ottoman Empire [its just simply Amazing at the Stupidity of Americans/Westerners on That aspect of history, you want to talk about Slavery and Racism, Rape, forced conversions and the enslavement of entire nations], that was Way before Europe and the slave trade–WAY BEFORE, and had a LOT to do with the slave trade in AFRICA…[though its not political correct to state so, but it IS historical FACT].
[read history prior to 12th century, you'd be Amazed at the Slavery and RACISM and RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY OF NOT JUST ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY-WHITE PEOPLE],
so Question is then, What is the root of racism and what propels it? Religion I would boldly dare say, is probably one of the main contributors and if that offends, Too bad.
Second, the origin of the nation-state, even before then, in the days of Empire, going back to Greece/Rome.
Its about Power, Assimilation and Forced Assimilation through centuries of conquests [religious, land, monarchs, etc], wars, and yes, Rape,
why mention rape, because the women were the targets to ethnically cleanse nations and tribes long before America even existed. Why Racism and Sexism, are not only linked, they feed off each other and Need each other, to thrive.
You can’t get rid of one WITHOUT getting rid of the other, to fight Racism yet tolerate Sexism [including your own brothers] you actually are contributing to racism including racism against yourself, because in All race and ethnic wars, the Women are the ones who are targeted to be raped, killed, as well as children, to depopulate populations, so forth,
and you can’t get rid of Sexism without getting rid of Racism, because the ones who are priviledged [sic] or of the ethnicity or race in power will make allowances for their brothers who oppress other races.
This is why Nationalism is the biggest threat to women rising above oppression, INCLUDING religious Nationalism. But the same can be said of Internationalism too, because in internationalism, often times, to arrive at a type of peace, one race/ethnicity or religion is often forced to either assimilate OR be exterminated, for a false sense of peace and progress for the majority OR there is allowance and tolerance for some of the Worst kinds of INTOLERANCE and Crimes against Humanity, in the name of Tolerance,
of All ironies. [in fact This IS the major problem in the world today, particularly in Europe and yes, America].
Internationalism will Always, eventually push for one assimilated Identity,
one solution to End racism is to Deconstruct this idea or concept of ‘white’. The concept or term of ‘white’ is in fact, a continuing of racism in that ‘white’ defers to privilidge [sic, know thats not correct spelling, but you know what I'm saying],
not only That, but White is a Result of Centuries of ethnic and yes, tribal Assimilation by conquest and war…referring to Europe here…before White, there was Irish, Italian, Spanish, Scottish, and in Those ethnicities and cultures, there was numerous tribes WITH their OWN LANGUAGES, CULTURES, DANCE, AND RITUALS, AND YES, BELIEFS,
through the years when many of our ancestors came over to this country They were pressured to Assimilate, and most did, as a matter of survival, and in doing so, most also, participated in the ethnic hatred towards other European immigrants [west and east] and it wasn’t just the ‘old’ hatreds of the old countries either being manifest…
And IF we are going to mention slavery, LETs not forget the Chinese slaves in this country or the countless Irish btw, who were Told that if they came to work here they’d be taken care of…or have we forgotten how many DIED in sweatshops and coal mines, or the Hispanic slaves in the west, and south [Florida], Native American Indian slaves…
or the Eastern Immigrants who also died working in those same sweatshops…many aren’t aware but there were Also WHITE SLAVES in this country, and many Worked on cotton fields, in the south…we just don’ t Hear about them because they were the POOR dirty White people, immigrants, but they DID exist.
Not in the numbers mind you but they did exist.
What America had was an Institution of Slavery, not refuting that, and that injustice will be a stain on this nation for ever…but America is not the ONLY country with an Institution of slavery sanctioned by government, and by a majority,
in many countries today, minority or hated ethnic groups or minority ‘religious’ are forced to pay special taxes which in themselves relate them to ’slave status’, THAT IS FACT. Not only are they forced to pay a tax,
they have little to no rights to their children, especially their ‘daughters’ and they have little to no human rights either.
Yet because these are sanctioned by governments, theocratic ‘clergy’ and laws, they are tolerated in our world,
but its still SLAVERY, and its the reason why the West and the power houses of the East can so easily exploit so many, throughout the world BECAUSE those nations not only tolerate slavery or slave status/subjugated status of peoples but they are protected in doing so.
Today’s world has more trafficking of women, children and elderly people [including men] than all the days of slavery in America’s history combined, WORLDWIDE,,
yet we tolerate and justify and trivialize and diminish the reality EVERY time we single out America and the slavery of African Americans. Not only that, its hypocritical as hell,
we have children forced to work as work slaves and sex slaves in Sudan, Nigeria, Middle East [yes, you want reports I can give them to you...and its not just Israel either], in Asia, India, Bangladesh, China [just two years ago, children found beaten and chained in warehouse, North Korean women trafficked to work as slaves...and Yes it is based on Racism as well as exploitation],
South America, Honduras, need I go on…
slavery and racism are everywhere, and yes, in EUROPE OH HELL YES,
THE TRAFFICKING OF SEX SLAVES FROM EASTERN BLOC AND NOW, FROM KOSOVO/ALBANIA–OH, LETS NOT FORGET HOW THE EASTERN SERBIAN WOMEN/GIRLS ARE BEING TRAFFICKED WITH THE HELP OF SOME WOMEN BTW, TO EUROPE,
and trafficked from Russia in the THOUSANDS,
and if you don’t think chaining and gang raping 12 year old girls to service European MEN AND MIDDLE EASTERN MEN AND ASIAN MEN
ISN’T SLAVERY,
you have to be either crazy or racist yourself.
In Sierra Leone and several other countries there are girls and boys sold into debt bondage to ‘priests’ and yes, THEY ARE SLAVES,
AND ALL THIS GOES ON WITH IMPUNITY AND IMMUNITY UNDER THE VERY NOSES OF THE VERY ONES WHO SCREAM THE LOUDEST ABOUT IMPERIALIST RACIST AMERICA…
so if we are Going to talk about Racism and slavery, lets start talking about how we Condone and Contribute
either DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY
the SLAVERY IN OUR WORLD TODAY,
BY PEOPLE OF COLOR AS WELL AS WHITE PEOPLE.
and Stop making Excuses and Tolerances for it, under the label of ‘culture’,
and culture relativism.
Because its just an Extension and Continuing of Racism and the Slavery, into our future generations…its time to stop pointing the finger in some self -righteous judgment of people back in 1800 and start,
pointing the finger at the Slave holders, traffickers, Leaders, Nations, Religions, and Consumers who Benefit mind you, BLACK, WHITE AND BROWN BABY,
from the Slavery we have in our world today.
Until you Do that,
You are NO BETTER,
THAN THE WHITE SOUTHERNER DRINKING TEA ON THE PLANTATION WHILE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN WERE BEING BEATEN AND RAPED…
ITS THE SAME DAMN THING.
they had their ‘property rights under God’,
today its under God, Allah, and the Capitalist Dollar, Yen, Euro, and every other frickin economic piece out there, under Socialism and Communism [or former] under Every Nationalist justification and Racial hatred, and its not just American or White.
If America once had a monopoly on it, well the rest of the world has sure caught up, and so have the people of color…and the future, will be reading history books about Them, about Us,
500 years from now. Where will You stand, on that day?
I wholeheartedly disagree with Apostate, who I understand is a woman of color. No woman of coor I know wants feminism to become a referendum on men of color. What we want is for mainstream feminists to recognize that 1) in many cases, the sexism we face is tied to our race, and that 2) as long as racism is allowed to exist unchecked in feminism, the movement cannot be a “safe space” for us.
I also disagree with the idea of racism not being a problem in more homogenous cultures. Anywhere the long arm of colonialism has touched, there is racism, no matter how homogenous the people.
I am working on a post that explains why, frankly, I no longer feel a part of feminism as a woman of color. But I guess my overall feeling is this: Any movement that asks women to check a piece of their being at the door–be it their race or their sexuality (Satsuma)–is no women’s movement at all.
Tami, I agree with you 100 percent re how central it is that feminists recognize that sexism is tied to race — for all women, but especially women of color — and that racism cannot be unchecked in feminism. I would go another step and say that there is also plenty of sexism in anti-racist work, always has been and I think that neither should that be allowed to go unchecked. There are lesbophobia and homophobia to be found in abundance in both anti-racism and anti-sexism work as well, and both quite often go unchecked. I think there has always been, and will always be, a tension and dis-ease around this racism in anti-sexism movements and the sexism in anti-racism movements and the lesbophobia in both, and how individual women deal with those tensions, or whether they feel they are willing to deal with them at all, will largely determine where they cast in their lot politically speaking, or whether they feel themselves to be feminists. Mainstream feminism hasn’t felt like safe space for me, probably ever, and for the most part, I distance myself from it and always have, and the older I get, the more that is true. It’s not safe space for me.
I agree with you that racism and colorism exist in all cultures, (I don’t think the Apostate disagrees with that but don’t want to speak for her).
As far as asking women to check a piece of their being at the door, I’m with you there — I also don’t want any part of any movement that does this and won’t be part of it. I have felt fairly marginalized from feminism, ever since I identified as a feminist, because I think its leaders or spokespersons (or loudmouths) often ask us to leave so many pieces of our being at the door as women, in addition to race and sexual orientation, our religious faith/spirituality, our lives as mothers, our love for, and devotion to, our children, just for a few.
At the same time, I view and understand feminism as grass roots, as not a movement with an established hierarchy, leaders at the top, followers at the bottom. I don’t see it as a movement in which any are setting policy or guidelines for all. I view it as all of us, as women, speaking our own truths, as largely leaderless in the traditional sense. The media, especially, focuses on certain women and creates its own feminist icons, or tries to — this has always been a problem in feminism, including for those “icons” so-called. But really, most of the time, the only women who become true leaders — as opposed to media- or mainstream-created icons — in feminism are women who other women, themselves, acknowledge or recognize as leaders. My experience is that these latter women don’t ask women to check any part of themselves at the door. If someone directly tells me — as has happened — that I should check certain parts of myself at the door in order to be a good feminist, or whatever, usually — immediately or over time — my personal relationship with that woman will simply end. But since she doesn’t speak for feminism, the fact that she made these untenable or impossible demands on me isn’t really about feminism, to me, or the “feminist movement”. If someone comes onto blogs and says, like Satsuma does sometimes, “Stop marrying men!”, I don’t view that as feminism speaking to me or the movement speaking to all women. I view that as Satsuma offering a strategy that worked for her! Lesbians are a marginalized voice in a world that is heteronormative. Part of decentering heteronormativity as the standard or the default is insisting that lesbian feminist voices must be heard. I don’t have to agree that, for example, women should never partner with men, should not have children, should focus on sexism and let racism take care of itself, should not participate in spirituality or the religion that speaks to them, should reject their sons, etc., in order to accept that there are feminist women who do believe all of the above and in order to pay attention to what they are saying that emerges from their realities as women and which has value for that reason. I can learn from these women.
It isn’t really important to me, I guess, whether I (or any other women) identify as feminists. A while ago now I took out the subtitle to my blog, which was, “I’m a radical feminist, not the fun kind,” because I was tired of a lot of the nonsense I’ve seen and have personally put up with among radical feminists, including around race, but other issues as well, and I was especially tired of of endlessly taking buttloads of flak from people outside of radical feminism/feminism because of what other radical feminists have said or believed that I don’t believe or agree with, but since I pay attention to what they say and like them anyway, I end up getting the flak. I don’t really care whether other people think I’m a feminist or not, and I’m not wedded to any identification as a feminist. I’m sure not a feminist in the way some of the loudest mouths in the feminist movement are feminists, i.e., in a very mainstream, in my opinion, male-centered, heteronormative, capitalist, individualist/libertarian kind of a way. I disagree with them on so many issues it is ridiculous. In the sense, though, that all feminists, in their own ways, really do care about girls and women — even where they disagree deeply with me about what it means to care — in that sense, I will always be a feminist. Then again, I also feel that about other women, that if they care about girls and women, even if I’m not on board with the way they care right then, they are still participants in the feminist movement.
It’s hard and frustrating being mad at certain feminists and feeling frustrated because they don’t seem to give a rip how what they are doing is affecting you. I’ve felt that way many times. But I realized a little while ago that the truth was, I was going to keep feeling that way from time to time for the rest of my life because of the way my life so deeply and severely departs from the mainstream, and always has. And because I’m almost twice as old now as the current crop of loudmouths, and I’m sure not going to get any younger. I know that women are going to be changing their minds about things over the years, just as I did — I rejected feminism as a young woman, too — but I can’t be waiting around for that either. I just have to let them be loudmouths and walk their own paths, their own journey, and if we can connect sometime, someplace, I’ll be glad. I figure, I’m going to keep speaking my truth, and walking alongside whatever women want to walk alongside me right then, whoever they might be– feminist or not, and hope for the best.
I thought I’d approved Tasha’s comment yesterday and saw that I didn’t, so I have now, sorry it’s out of order. It came to mind in part because I was thinking about what Tami said about colonialism, so I went looking for what Tasha said yesterday and her comment wasn’t there. I don’t think racism is the result of colonialism only. I think, like Tasha says, it is the outworking of patriarchal religions, of sexism, of the will to power generally speaking, however it manifests and wherever it manifests. I think so long as we have had dominance hierarchies in the world — which is either always or since the end of the great matriarchies and the reign of the Goddess, whichever you believe — we have had racism, in some form or other. There has been plenty of racism in precolonial cultures.
“I view [feminism] as all of us, as women, speaking our own truths, as largely leaderless in the traditional sense. . . .Mainstream feminism hasn’t felt like safe space for me, probably ever . . .In the sense, though, that all feminists, in their own ways, really do care about girls and women — even where they disagree deeply with me about what it means to care — in that sense, I will always be a feminist.”–Heart
My pulse literally sped up when I read this post (#9) in this thread, because what you have written reflects so much of my own experience and feelings as a reflective woman. And this is despite the fact in terms of background and paths in life, you and I are very different from one another. More, it has helped me just now to process a major split in my self-identification.
I now am in my mid-50’s; if I go the way of some in my biological family, I may live for decades more, but if I go the way of my mom and her mom, I will be dead before I turn 60. In view of the latter possibility, I’ve reached a point at my life wherein I am trying very seriously to get things right–to examine my life, see where I’ve done right and wrong, correct myself, and try to make sense of things up to this point, in case “this point” may pretty much be it. A major point of frustration, however, is that I’ve always had a huge split in my persona.
Since young girlhood, as an observer and avid reader, I have always perceived the injustices forced upon girls and women throughout the world and throughout the ages. This awareness weighed on me literally before my age was in the double digits. I wanted things to be kinder and fairer. I wanted a world where, say, the geeky scientist in a sci-fi movie could be female, a world in which MANY interesting and wonderful things were possible for women without a big horrible deal being made about it all. Then when I was a teenager and young adult, the second wave of feminism was active–women were doing things everywhere and founding women’s shelters, they were marching against incest and rape, and in so many ways they were actively trying to right the wrongs that I had always hated. I remember standing in a women’s gathering at a university in the 70’s and almost being in a state of bliss. So the world was turning in the same direction I had always wanted it to, and I could work with my sisters for the rest of my life and do wonderful things for us all!
As you have remarked a number of times, “Ha. Bitter ha.”
Due to the Second Wave, in the 70’s my mid-sized Appalachian town actually had (for a few years) a two-storey building called the “X-town Women’s Center.” Murals of Susan B. Anthony and other great First Wavers were painted on its brick exterior. The building housed a newletter staff, job-education programs, and more. Also during this time there was an annual women’s gathering with entertainment, women crafters, and women’s groups’ representatives. I remember two NOW members approaching me eagerly at one of these gatherings. Their one and only question to me? “What do you do?” When I told them my job, which was a clerical one, they literally made disgusted faces AND TURNED THEIR BACKS TO ME.
It was the first of many rejections as I tried to find a place in a movement that my whole heart yearned for. But I was always something-not-enough for every group I approached. I didn’t have the right non-traditional job for local NOW members. I didn’t have the proper social and community contacts and right level of income for the well-heeled Women’s Center officers and members. I didn’t have sufficient radical commitment to give up electricity, heat, and plumbing and live 60 miles from work at the nearest women’s commune (plus be a party to their polyamorous non-monogamy!). As a mellow, well-meaning, motherly “underemployed” woman who eventually married (horrors!!), I didn’t look, speak, emote, dress, or behave militantly enough for some groups, nor did I have the background and finances to fit in with other groups.
So, I’ve always been for the rights of girls and women yet never been able to crash “mainstream feminism.” I’ve felt like a feminist and helped girls and women in whatever small ways possible to me all my life, but am I a feminist if I disagree with X, Y, and/or Z in a manifesto or meeting and fail to be a dues-paying member of any “real” feminist group? If so, I am NOT a feminist. This dissonance has been a major contradiction in a life which I have hoped to be a consistent, ethical one.
“If someone directly tells me — as has happened — that I should check certain parts of myself at the door in order to be a good feminist, or whatever, usually — immediately or over time — my personal relationship with that woman will simply end. But since she doesn’t speak for feminism, the fact that she made these untenable or impossible demands on me isn’t really about feminism, to me, or the “feminist movement.”–Heart
Profound thanks for this, for the whole post really. At this point I don’t care nearly as much what other people think about or call me–I’m sick of, to the point of being beyond caring about, not being enough of this, that, or the other–but it is important that I be internally morally consistent. I care about girls and women and I do what I can, with what I have, for them when I can.
I hope I’m not offending anyone with this, BUT a woman of colour is not a monolitic entity. “colour” is not the problem, being “darker than” is. If, say, an american woman of colour were to move to a sub-saharian country were most people are way darker than her, she would actually have “white” privilige. BUT she would still be a woman.
Just my two pence.
If someone directly tells me — as has happened — that I should check certain parts of myself at the door in order to be a good feminist, or whatever, usually — immediately or over time — my personal relationship with that woman will simply end. But since she doesn’t speak for feminism, the fact that she made these untenable or impossible demands on me isn’t really about feminism, to me, or the “feminist movement”.
Ahuh, yep. Exactly.
It isn’t really important to me, I guess, whether I (or any other women) identify as feminists. A while ago now I took out the subtitle to my blog, which was, “I’m a radical feminist, not the fun kind,” because I was tired of a lot of the nonsense I’ve seen and have personally put up with among radical feminists, including around race, but other issues as well, and I was especially tired of of endlessly taking buttloads of flak from people outside of radical feminism/feminism because of what other radical feminists have said or believed that I don’t believe or agree with, but since I pay attention to what they say and like them anyway, I end up getting the flak.
I’ve been thinking about calling myself a women’s liberationist rather than a radical feminist. Being a women’s libber seems more real to me, more grounded in being and doing rather than ‘feminist’ which has lost (or never actually had) radicalism and women as its central focus.
I don’t really care whether other people think I’m a feminist or not, and I’m not wedded to any identification as a feminist. I’m sure not a feminist in the way some of the loudest mouths in the feminist movement are feminists, i.e., in a very mainstream, in my opinion, male-centered, heteronormative, capitalist, individualist/libertarian kind of a way. I disagree with them on so many issues it is ridiculous. In the sense, though, that all feminists, in their own ways, really do care about girls and women — even where they disagree deeply with me about what it means to care — in that sense, I will always be a feminist. Then again, I also feel that about other women, that if they care about girls and women, even if I’m not on board with the way they care right then, they are still participants in the feminist movement.
Yep, definitely with you here too. Brilliant stuff as always, Heart. I really couldn’t care less if women do not think I am a feminist. I am commited to women’s liberation. I will hold true to where that commitment takes me. I have no real desire to have a monopoly on the word feminist. But I will wholeheartedly defend and pursue women’s liberation and what that means to me. Radical Feminism is not intrisic or necessary to women’s liberation. A radical commitment to womenkind is. A women-centric worldview is. Sisterhood is paramount. Those realities, concepts and possibilities are what I defend when I defend Radical Feminism. But really sisterhood and the radical potential of women-centred Be-ing is far too messy and huge to be contained by words. It certainly cannot be made into an ‘ism’. And does not sit comfortably as an ‘ism’.