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?

sm as usual you are simplifying and misrepresenting arguments.

No one said "women live a life of fear". Some of us said that men's lives, unlike women's are not constrained by the constant background presence of rape - so men don't automatically get taxis when they go out at night, men aren't careful to ensure they're not being followed when they leave a club, men don't make complicated arrangements about their personal safety when they're out at night, men don't choose to take the concrete path where there are houses when they're out running instead of the field which would be nicer, but the field is a bit isolated... men just aren't as scared as women are on the street, because they simply don't have the same awareness of rape, because they are simply not as threatened by it. There's a material reason for that, not just a psychological one.

No intelligent person supposes that an argument like that, means that every single woman in the country has this awareness, or that no men do (a friend of mine who was mugged was as cautious as a woman normally is for about a year), but mosquitoes like you pretend that it does, so we all have to caveat ad nauseum in case the credulous may be listening to you. I don't believe you mean a word of it. (And tbh I don't really care)

hb as usual you over personalise and discuss ignoring posters,if that maintains your fragile ego so be it

not at all.isnt random is directed at weak and unsubstantiated discourse that lacks rigour

ideas and their application arent stagnant or dormant devoid of challenge,they are open to inspection and aye the odd poke

I don't agree Dittany, I don't think there's anything wrong with poking and challenging any idea, done in the spirit of enquiry. I'd hate anything to be seen as a sacred cow - anyway feminism/gay rights/ anti racism are strong enough to stand up to it. What's irritating - and deliberately so - is what's going on here: needling for fun.

every ideology needs poking and challenging.inertia and acceptance arent conducive to rigour

My ego isn't fragile sm, I just think you're an irritant.

I also note that you practically never actually engage with the real substance of any argument.

You just pick one sentence and run away with it, ignoring the substantial argument.

Why bother?

I also agree that ideas need to be examined Wukter, but SM doesn't do that. She just "prods" or pokes, or whatever it is she said. Some people actually come in with questions or proper arguments, but SM isn't one of them - she is very hostile to feminism and she's not interested in examining it.

well you would say that

many of you spent too long around acolytes.made you touchy

Yes my acolytes are preparing my asses milk bath for me as we post.

is it so distressing to discuss other pov

not at all,this is a considered pov accrued from literature,experiential and peer

'Needling for fun' is what I said is going on here - challenging and enquiring not so much.

Anyway, Dittany & HB, it's just words on a screen

you praise self for your own understanding?that will be enriching

of course is all words on a screen.nowt else

Words on a screen reflect someones ideas, no?

of course but dont need to concur