to think the 'F' word is one we should be proud of......

[PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker]

Thanks to MN, especially dittany, Lenin, BoF and Anyfucker, I have been made aware of my casual attitude to misogyny. This short journey in my reclaiming my old values recently lead me to the London Feminist Network Conference on Saturday. And Oh my God it is one of the most inspirational things I've ever done.

Having money and being relatively attractive in my younger days I was mislead into thinking that being a feminist was irrelevant, after all we had a female PM and then 'girl power' where we were fooled into thinking with the right body shape and a little wit the world was our oyster (farm).

My husband's and friends' response to my recent activities have ranged from being mystified to mockery, from resentment to full on stereotypical prejudice. I am alarmed that barely any of my friends think feminism is relevant.

Am I being unreasonable to reclaim the word feminist to mean a person that wants to rid the world of gender prejudiced?

TSH....What is your cause then? Which broad injustice to you seek to right? As feminism is not your thing, you know too narrow to focus on half the world's population...

TSH. By the way:

It's 'hear,hear'

In terms of rape, isn't it legitimate to ask why men rape substantially women rather than other men? And then look at the possible reasons for that? And don't you think that feminism has actually come up with dome thoughtful answers to that? Answrs worth listening to? That may improve life for other women?

I still want to know about the campaigns TSH has been involved in as a result of her commitment to equality for all.
I wouldn't ask a random person what campaigning they have done but if someone says they are not a feminist because it's too narrow, I think it is valid to want to know more about the broader approach to campaigning and how that works.

Why not address CG's very interesting, thought-provoking question, instead of her syntax?

So what you're really saying is that you actively stand for nothing and your lack of support for feminism is another string in your apathetic bow?

Libertarian, the only libertarians I know are anti feminist, perhaps it is a theme?

Since TheShriekingHarpy is a libertarian and so pro free speech, she should have no objections to feminism, as it is campaigning for greater liberty for half the population.

Yes, it is true that there are men who suffer. Yes, it would be nice to live in a world where no one at all suffers inequalities of any kind. I think you'll find such a place is known as utopia. But since we don't live there, what is proscriptive about campaigning for at least half the population?

Women don't exist in a vacuum. If things improve for women, they will be better for men, too. After all, we are their mothers, daughters, sisters, etc.

TSH...How else could a movement exist? Things don't change by thoughts alone.

Campaigning is what political movements do TSH. Some feminists do many other things that help women directly (eg. setting up, working at, fundraising for women's refuges) as well. There are plenty of feminists who are not actively campaigning at any given moment in time but I don't know any in RL who have never been involved in any kind of campaign, even if just by donating. There may well be though - it's not a qualification. Is someone a feminist if they've never taken any feminist action though? I personally would doubt it - I don't see how you'd go through life avoiding taking feminist action without trying quite hard.

What about you though? You said on Monday:
'As mentioned above, women are the main beneficiaries of feminism. All advancements are made to further the cause of women. Unfortunately this effectively excludes 50% of the populous, which makes me extremely uncomfortable. Discrimination, prejudice, and oppression knows no bounds - it can affect anyone, so why the need for a side serving of partiality? What's wrong with humanism (particularly as it's all encompassing)'

so if you don't campaign, what action does your humanism cause you to take?

TSH....basically you join the thread to criticise people for supporting a cause, complaining that it's too narrow, you then admit to having no causes to speak of......

I genuinely want to know whether 'I am not a feminist/equalist' means 'I organise my activism differently', in which case I want to know more about how it works and if it can be successful despite not being focused, or 'I am not an activist'.

sorry, mistyped; that should say 'I am not a feminist because I am a humanist/equalist' - post makes no sense whatever as it is

Of course feminism benefits all, I don't see how you can say otherwise.

There are people on here saying, 'well, men get raped too. Men also suffer from DV as well'.

That's right - so surely if we improve the conviction rate for both, or even more ideally stop either happening in the first place - everyone (that's both men and women) benefit.

I really am struggling to understand why people are so anxious to disassociate themselves with a movement which has given us freedoms we take for granted today.

Hmm

Am posting fast on phone so often have missing words, typos etc

I see you haven't responded to my post so can only think you'd rather score points than engage.

Anyway, I'm more conscious of feminist perspectives on issues in my life because of mumsnet.

I said very clearly that I did not consider campaigning to be a qualification, TSH:

'There may well be though - it's not a qualification. Is someone a feminist if they've never taken any feminist action though? I personally would doubt it - I don't see how you'd go through life avoiding taking feminist action without trying quite hard.'

I said I would doubt someone was a feminist if they had never taken any feminist action.
What are you suggesting? That someone can live as an antifeminist but be an antifeminist underneath?

I think your failure to answer my question has given me the answer I wanted, btw.

aargh, another typo, sorry:

'That someone can live as an antifeminist but be a feminist underneath?'

TSH - you keep telling us we're not comparing like for like vis a vis feminism vs egalitarianism. But we're not the ones bring the latter into the equation. I said this in an earlier post.

You're the one saying you're egalitarian, as if it's an either/or situation. You're saying you're egalitarian; not feminist. So surely by doing so, you're the one making them comparable.

Anyway, surely political movements are ideologies brought to life?