to wish that people would stop assuming I'm a feminist just because I'm female?

[HookingBrilliant]

Does this happen to other people? It's beginning to annoy me.

Yes, bitoutofpractice - but I am on holiday and fucking bored so I have time on my side...

Which events op. come on. Which feminist events?

Hooking

Could you tell me which events please?

Go on. You know you want to be specific.

ExcuseTypos, he's not really all that < sniff >

Nobody has asked me what feminist orientated event I was asked to speak at years ago

Brownies quiz night

But where do you stand on kitten heels ?

I have asked in lots of different ways Pag. So far no joy.

I'm thinking of googling "feminist events" but I'm a bit scared. Being just a woman and all.

Gosh, I have the opposite problem.

Constant 'ooh, no, you can't be a radical feminist, you're too nice/married/not aggressive enough'.

Maybe we should swap lifestyles, OP?

I can offer you a softly-spoken manner, neatly painted nails, a charming husband and a fondness for kittens and puppies. You can give me whatever it is you exude that makes people believe you're interested in weird shit like women being treated as equals.

Heheh- do you think this is Justine, under a namechange?

< snort >

*Yes, I don't think I'm a feminist.

I like people in general and would like them all to be nice to one another. I don't feel that I should support females who are persecuted any more than non females who are similarly persecuted.*

I used to think like that.
I used to not identify as a feminist - because they were all strident and hairy and man-hating, natch.
Until I finally realised that I have the massive privilege of being a female born in the late 20th century in western Europe when woman on the whole were somewhat slightly less disadvantaged than they have been for centuries (or longer) and than they still are in the vast majority of the world
I am so a feminist, a not-very-well-read-on-feminist-theory feminist, but a fecking angry one.
I am not as dubious as that AF, but nobody, nobody as ever invited me to their feminist events [sadface]. And even Barack never calls anymore…

If you have a vagina and want to have a say in what happens to it and because of it, you are IMVHO a feminist. It must be very annoying that others assume you are simply because of your gender…. honestly, OP, wake up and smell the coffee!

Ah crap, highlight fail...

LRD, I luffs you

Look, OP, it is simple. Feminism is a belief in equality. That is it. If you believe women should have rights, you are by definition a feminist. If you say 'I am not a feminist' you are stating that you don't believe women should have rights.

Ascribing other motives or preoccupations to feminism - conflating feminism with some of the beliefs of some of its followers - does not get away from the above.

Could you all stop tilting yours heads please. It's just too distractingly adorable. You girls!!! You'll never get a feminist speaking engagement like this!

You too. With the tiny, withered bits of my heart that aren't busy hating men and lamenting my lack of a g-spot (according to princessbabycat, whose name certainly exudes an impression she's full of knowledge).

Kittens are nice.
Kitten heels give me cankles, so not so nice.

Op - could you say what events you were asked to attend so I can defend you when people say you are making shit up and actually no one ever invites you anywhere, not even socially.
[sadface]

Don't start all that Pacific....

Oh, that was to pacific, but I agree about the head-tilting, too. In solidarity or something.

I don't like the fact that I'm accused of putting the cause and rights of women back in my choices.

As I said, of course I believe in equal rights, but no, I don't believe in the organised cause of feminism as I have more experience of being belittled by women and my choices attacked by women who label themselves as such than I've ever experienced by men.

Sorry joyswood, but we had all ignored you.