Are any of you radical feminists?

[Jazzicatz]

I would consider myself a radical feminist. I was told yesterday that the logical conclusion to radical feminism is lesbianism and seperatism! I am not in agreement, but would love to know your opinions.

Sorry for not getting back earlier. The conversation arose from a chat with my PhD supervisor. I want to use a radical feminist framework for my work and he got very angry and said that radical feminism was not a credible argument. He believes that economics is the key to overthrowing patriarchy not a radical approach. He stated that radical feminists just want to see a seperatist state and that does not lead to the overthrowing of patriarchy. I was slightly shocked by the vehemency and I wondered what you thought!

Jazzicatz - wtf? A PhD supervisor shouldn't be so narrow minded and ignorant, nor tell you what you should and shouldn't do. They should support you to develop as a researcher.

And I'm pleased I'm not the only one who though at the taking kids out comment at LFN.

I find the idea that economics and radical feminism are somehow entirely separate spheres to be strange Jazzicatz. Surely you could use a framework that was drawn from feminism and economics?

I find it hard to understand how he expects you to discuss 'overthrowing patriarchy' without reference to radical feminism.

I do get the feeling people think they can say any old shit about radical feminists.... A PhD supervisor ought to be more scholarly about it though.

Quiddity - it can be anti-feminist even if radical feminists themselves were saying it, if a position was held by a few people in a group but then it is described as if it was typical of the group when actually it wasn't.

I dont know if I would consider myself a radical feminist. If being radical is believing that I am totally equal, but different thank God, to men then I am I suppose. I am not a lesbian. I went to the FIL conference and the thing I noticed was that all the women (and men) there were different. Some were lesbians, some wore make up and some not, some wore trousers and some wore skirts. As a group we cannot all be the same. We need to stick together as feminists, who ever we are. Dont let us be divided and ruled!

Do you being a radical feminist is compatible with being a covered Muslim? Or rather do you think other radical feminists would welcome a women that covers into their fold?

Thinking about it, if radical feminismm means examining the roots of sexism and trying to analyse the root causes of sexism and fight that, rather than tinkering at the edges, then I suppose I am a radical feminist.

That's a bit of a surprise.

It's about making structural changes isn't it?

So not succeeding in a patriarchal society but scrapping that and building something new.

I think.

That's the prob isn't it Lenin.

The root of it is patriarchy. So it's no good just fighting for equal pay, because as soon as you gain that in theory, the fuckers will ensure that you no longer have the right to spend time with your children without being criticised for it. If you win the right to have sex outside marriage, you then get told not having sex makes you frigid and you get inundated with porn culture and accused of hating sex if you object. If you get fathers to put the kids to bed once a week, when you get divorced that's proof that he's a loving involved father and you're threatened with your kids being taken away from you, while the fact that you put them to bed 6 times a week adn did everything else, gets ignored.

It's hydra-headed, because the hatred of women is so deep and so rooted, that no amount of tinkering at the edges will erase it. It needs to be uprooted at source and I guess that's what radical is.

I wouldn't say I was a radical feminist, in fact I thought I was an incredibly wussy, barely-qualifying feminist.

Then I went to a university where I found that simply being female and opening your mouth gave away your radical feminist sympathies.

Exactly LRP, I just thought I wasn't a doormat, but not particularly militant or radical.

I am a liberal feminist, I think it fits better with capitalism and I would be happy with the world as it is if the 'bits around the edges' were righted.

Lenin - what is the freedom of bollocks thing you're talking about?