on the nature of feminism

Over at Bookish, Kristen Marie has some really interesting things to say. Granted, I tend to have a lot of conversations about feminism, what with the Gender Equality and Social Justice major that I have for a sister, but there are some aspects of them that never get old.

Cait (who would like me to tell you that she responds to Kristen Marie by saying "Feminism is the radical idea that women are people too.") recently bought me a button reading "This is what a feminist looks like." It sits on my backpack, and surprisingly, I haven't gotten a lot of flack about wearing a button like that. For me to wear that button is more declarative than I usually like to be, but it's important to me now in ways that I never imagined it would be. I know that especially once I start teaching, it's something I will be called on to defend again and again...but I'm okay with that.

Because feminism is important to me. It's important to me to show people that there is more to feminism than "angry, bra burning dykes" (though if that's the feminism people want, let them have it): feminism, to me, is tied to basic human rights, to debate, argument, contradiction, and realizing things on a personal level. How's that for vague? It's all true, though.

(As a side note, I should add that the feminism button is beside a keychain with a rubber chicken attached. Only a few of the feminists I know look like rubber chickens.)