Comments | daemon82: So in an attempt at normalcy, I will post about something completely unrelated to my last post.

daemon82

So in an attempt at normalcy, I will post about something completely unrelated to my last post.

Mar 16, 2006 21:28

Ok, so Ross and I were having a conversation today about whether or not I classify myself as a feminist, and what I believe feminism to be. This leads, of course, to the question of what feminism is to most people and whether that differs from my definition. So out of curiousity, define what it means to be a feminist, either to you or to others ( ( Read more... )

Comments 5

bright_family March 17 2006, 04:05:56 UTC

To me feminism is the belief that a woman's work is equal a man's. That a woman should be free to choose what type of work she does (in the work force or at home), that she have equal rights to men at home, in the work force, and in public life, and that her work is as valued as a mans and her pay is equal ( ... )

reasie March 17 2006, 06:06:27 UTC

My definition is in line with Nyla's. I am a feminist. I believe men and women are equally valuable, and their work should be valued equally.

Sometimes just to shut people up I say I'm an _egalitarian_. But that's a cop-out to the co-opting of the word feminist by conservatives who want to villanize us!

Not just equal pay for equal work - equal time doing dishes, too. Many women have found that as they approach equality in the workforce (we still make about 75% of what men of the same level of experience and job description make), they are still expected by the men in their life to do 75-100% of all housework.

That's my new bandwagon - equal work, equal pay, equal work-at-home. No, he can't breastfeed, but hey, that's not all there is to raising a kid, is there?

I also strongly support paternity leave. And, incidentally, I support women entering the draft. Equal means equal. If you can't stand the thought of women going to war, why is it okay to send men there?

oopsie... I ranted... you started it!

dreamriver March 17 2006, 07:07:04 UTC

My definition of feminism is very much in line with the two here ( ... )

nein09 March 18 2006, 11:14:07 UTC

I'm a feminist. I'm sure this doesn't surprise you. I think that anyone who believes that women, men and everyone in between should be given the same opportunities in life (barring, of course, things such as pregnancy) is a feminist.

Do you and Ross like that you can vote? Enjoy that credit card you've got? Like the fact that people don't consider you his property? How about the fact that you can choose whether to work or stay home? Then feminism has done good things for both of you.

I believe that stereotypical gender roles are harmful to everyone in the long run, even those that they currently benefit. I believe that society's expectations of people shouldn't rest on their sex or gender- they should rest on the preferences of the people themselves.

In my utopian world, there will be just as many stay at home dads as stay at home moms, and nobody will be criticized for making that choice. In my utopia, I won't go on a job interview and hear "We have lots of lady managers here. Heck I had a lady manager!" (true story). It will be ( ... )

My opinions - in case you were all dying to know daemon82 March 19 2006, 13:57:01 UTC

I think feminism is/should be looking for equality - but not equality in that every man does 50% of the housework and half of every profession is female kind of way. I think that equality means equal rights and opportunities for everyone (men and women). It should be just as ok and encouraged for men to be stay at home parents. It should be ok and encouraged for men to learn to cook and women to be auto mechanics. And if we really want equality, then I think this means that women should have to register for the draft also ( ... )