Do you say you're a feminist/ radfem in RL, and what reactions do you get?

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

Curious about this, on the back of the 'schools of thought' in feminism thread, but not wanting to give oxygen to it.

I tend to say I'm a radfem, which I am aware would make some real radfems smoke from the ears, but which feels accurate enough to me. Most people, obviously, are polite and don't show much reaction one way or another. A few look obviously shocked/uncomfortable and start sizing me up to see if this means I'm a seething factory of hatred. A very, very few (in RL, not on here) say they are too. Interestingly (or I think it is, given the NUS campaign), my students seem so far to take it entirely in their stride and do not appear to think it's an kind of unusual position to hold. Though they may just be being very polite.

I wondered how other people identify, and what reactions you get? I've heard people in RL identify as intersectional feminists, eco feminists, queer feminists, etc.

[OublietteBravo]

I just identify as a feminist because I'm not clever enough to understand the nuances that separate different feminist genres

[YonicScrewdriver]

Just as a feminist.

[alexpolistigers]

just as a feminist. I'd be too busy wondering whether 'radical' should mean "starting at the roots" or 'extreme', so couldn't identify myself as such!

[OublietteBravo]

I get a fair amount of eye rolling in RL when I say in a feminist. Sweeping generalisation - but I find this is more of a problem with younger people (say

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

Interesting. I feel slightly fraudulent identifying as radfem, then.

I think I did it because I was a bit tired of it being assumed that 'feminist' must mean 'person who wants to talk about how women are actually really shit'.

[MiniTheMinx]

I'm a Marxist and a feminist, not sure I have, apart from on here a couple of times, felt the need to announce it to anyone. I spend most days talking politics so it becomes clear to people the position I take.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Same as Oubliette (including the scored out part). Though TBH IRL it really only comes up in conversations with DD (sometimes ganging up on DH). At the tender age of 16 she is definitely not an eye-roller.

[WastingMyYoungYears]

I share feminist stuff on FB (it's good, you can quickly tell which of your friends are feminists). I sometimes mention feminist stuff IRL too. I bang on about feminism to DH all the time .

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

I do share feminist stuff on FB. And you're right, and I sometimes get quite surprised by who likes it.

mini - I do not have that experience! It rarely seems to be clear, except I think very non-feminist types can tell I'm a feminist of some stripe.

[WastingMyYoungYears]

I didn't answer the question .

On FB, some people like the feminist things I share, lots of people ignore them (but the seed is planted ).

IRL, I get the impression that people think it's pointless. No one seems to want to engage.

DH doesn't think it's pointless, and he notices crimes against feminism now.

I don't understand - this is so important. Why don't people want to talk about it?

[scallopsrgreat]

I will, from now, be calling myself a radishy feminist.

because that in joke wouldn't be at all exclusionary. Oh no

Back in the real world, I just identify as a feminist as most of my friends probably wouldn't know what all the other types of feminists are!

[LaurieFairyCake]

I say feminist. 'Others' would describe me as radical.

They're wrong, I don't think my version of feminism is particularly radical.

[almondcakes]

I would say that I am left wing and a feminist.

I do know people who are somewhat right wing and feminist. There is probably a proper phrase for that but I'm not sure what.

Somebody should probably create some kind of diagram.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Same as oubliette

[WastingMyYoungYears]

I think a Venn diagram would be helpful .

My understanding of radical feminism is that it wants to disassemble the whole patriarchy, then start again, but do it properly. 1. Is this right? 2. Laurie, is this you ?

I'm a liberal feminist. I think there's a long way to go, but that we can continue to make progress towards an equal society.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Nope, not me. They'd kill us

They're killing us anyway but you know, slower.

I'm a very lefty, liberal feminist.

[alexpolistigers]

Good point, scallops!



My name is Alex and I am a Radish Feminist!

[almondcakes]

I think that radical feminism and Marxist feminism are very similar! but radical feminists believe oppression of women as a sex class was the first inequality from which all others developed.

[IrenetheQuaint]

Yes, I started coming out as feminist a couple of years ago. Nothing bad has happened though occasionally men look slightly scared

[uglyswan]

Oooh, this is really interesting! I generally tell anyone who seems in the slightest bit I'm an anarcho-syndicalist and then add that the feminist struggle is an essential aspect of the class struggle. So I'm an anarcha-feminist too, but that goes without saying, really. People generally either agree with me or back away slowly at this point, which is a great pity.
I have never identified as radfem as I could never see eye-to-eye with most radical feminists on trans issues. However. I have read a number of threads on the subject here, and while I still don't necessarily agree with a great number of trans-exclusionary points, it has still been very illuminating and I have been re-thinking my position.

[ChopperGordino]

I would normally just say feminist, but it doesn't come up very often. I definitely have radical tendencies, but I would feel a bit of a fraud calling myself a radical feminist

[Hakluyt]

I say I am a feminist often. I don't call myself a radical feminist because that term had a meaning in the 1970s when I was a young woman that I did not identify with.

However, the word feminist has become so watered down that I suspect nowadays "radical feminist" just means what older women like me meant when we said feminist.

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

My understanding of radical feminism is that it wants to disassemble the whole patriarchy, then start again, but do it properly.

Yes, that's me.

I'm definitely lefty, but not libfem.

I don't agree entirely on trans issues with some radfems, but that's in the way of things, I think.

irene, I like 'coming out as a feminist'.