MN mentioned in Guardian article about feminism

[SunshineBossaNova]

"The website, with its four million users, nearly all of whom are women, is possibly the most mainstream and politically important example of this slow-burn resurgence in feminist thought."

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/30/mumsnet-social-media-forums-feminism

Go Mumsnet!

And a rather excellent quote from Basil I think

Yay ! Basil !

And I "know" one of the RL names too

That's a lovely article.

Very proud to know you celebrity quoted-ones.

Why didn't they ring me for a quote?

Good article. I too know one if those quoted.

And we know the results of the survey now

It's a shame how so many of the comments are intent on seeing feminism as divisive and mumsnetters as smug & looking down on non-parents. It couldn't be further from the truth.

Kasey, Yes. I'm not a parent and I love Mumsnet a lot. Alot.

It's really odd. I've not read the comments on that article but I went to a big feminism conference a little while ago, where there was a session on motherhood, and as soon as someone mentioned mumsnet someone interrupted to say with absolute certainty that MNers were all middle-class snobs who weren't interested in feminism.

It was so odd, because obviously she'd never been on there, and had completely imbibed what the press says. And it's bollocks, MN is incredibly welcoming to non-parents.

Arf. Of all the comments to quote.

Some of the comments underneath

Does anyone else not follow this bit, btw?

'Many of the Mumsnet feminists I talked to said they had always been "feminists" but not "academic" ones ? as if a discussion of intersectionality and gender theory were the real ways to define themselves as believing in equality, rather than the way they chose to live their lives.'

I'm not entirely with it right now - does she mean she thinks we think gender theory is the 'real' way to define as a feminist and we're all nursing inferiority complexes when we say it's more about how we live our lives? Or what?

It is a really good article, I'm just puzzled by that bit. And sniggering over basil, of course.

Kasey they are SOOO wrong. Im not a parent and started using these boards 2 years ago and have always had feminist leanings but really got into feminism proper 2 years ago at the age of 38 and a lot of it is thanks to these boards.

Never read the comments!

Wow, great article. So heartening to read something that doesn't just pigeonhole us as thick witterers...yes, Matthew Wright, I'm looking at you!

Right i dont know whos modding the comments on that article but my comment got removed.
Apparently someone on there is allowed to say we are all Daily Mail reading right wingers (a quick glance at the recent webchat with Jamie Oliver will show that we are not) I mentioned this and got deleted but the remark calling us all bullies is allowed to stand.
I smell an agenda there.

Good article. It sort of skirts the point about motherhood bringing these points into sharp focus for so many women. Until I had children I didn't feel discriminated against because I was a woman. Now my life and that of my family is hugely dictated to by my biology from my maternity leaves, reduced career opportunities, enforced financial dependence, pregnancy conditions, breast feeding and child care issues and so much of it is avoidable with changes to government policies regarding leave after the birth of a baby, working conditions and child care. Once a position because entrenched it is very hard to change it but I'm damned if my children are going to experience these restrictions so I plug away taking heart and inspiration from the whole of Mumsnet and elsewhere.

I have had to refine my feminism to have some acceptance of my situation but I am still a Feminist and will be until such time there is complete equality of the sexes. I am glad I have Mumsnet to help shape my views so that I can make sure my children have real choices about how to live their lives free from gender restrictions as much as possible.

Fourth wave? Bring. It. On.

Urgh. Considering that feminists should have plenty of first hand experience of people criticising feminism with no real understanding of what feminism is, they sure seem quick to criticise Mumsnet without ever visiting it, or having any real understanding of what it's about.

"Baby is best at home with mum" and Daily Mail readers indeed. Obviously mixed us up with Netmums (who according to the article aren't feminists because "they like men and makeup" [rolls eyes] .

So much cluelessness all over the internet

Annie the quote about men and make up came from a Netmums survey last year. The article refers to it but doesn't condone the view.

Yes, I realise that Kate. But the comments on the article seem to think your average MNer shares that view.

Oh I didn't read it like that. I thought they were suggesting the opposite. I'll have a look in the morning with fresh eyes.

In fact, the comments have left me very angry and disappointed with many of the feminists who posted. Lots of whining "but what about meeeeeeeee? This article doesn't match my reality and is therefore must be saying that only women with children are real feminists. Mumsnet needs to learn about intersectionality and welcome non-mothers and men".

Sounds like a lots of the shit MRAs spout when they blame feminism for not addressing their personal gender-based issues.

K8, the article does indeed say that MN is full of feminists, many of whom are mothers. But the comments are full of weird whining about MNers (see my comment above)

Ah the comments! Yes I expect it's mainly a load of bollocks. They usually are on anything like that so I don't read them to avoid elevating my blood pressure.

Fair enough that the comments are always bollocks (see Lewis' Law), but I don't generally expect that bollocks to be coming from other feminists!

I make a point of never reading comments under articles. I never post them either.

I'm never going to be a parent, and was slightly irked at the inference that women are only ever going to 'understand' feminism if they're mothers. It's a bit close, I suppose, to some shit I've heard that I can't be a proper woman until I've experienced having a baby...

Anyhoo, I liked the article but I'm not going to go back and read the comments. Now some of the more right-wing tabs are pay per view they've descended on CIF and the comments are usually full of misogynistic bullshit.

I didn't read the comments because I read it in the paper, but I thought it was a great piece.

Then in the same paper, same day - www.theguardian.com/money/work-blog/2013/aug/31/dear-jeremy-work-issues-solved this 'work dilemma'.