What makes you a feminist?

[HappyGoLuckyGirl]

And I mean, you, personally?

Tell me the reason(s) you call yourself a feminist. Certain things you do/believe in/think women or men should/ shouldn't be able to do?

I'm trying to work out if I am one or not.

Hazchem I find that almost EVERYTHING has been used in a repressive way at some point.

Think of the women who went to work in WW2, the pioneers of feminism throughout the 20th century...
I know some pretty old-school feminists who dress vintage in almost a tribute: and to challenge the fact when we see something pre-80s we automatically think "little woman in the kitchen" as if that is all there was! Women have more 20th century history than that: the signifiers of lipstick and skirts have been granted a meaning of weakness and submission by men. When you wear them, you can reclaim their significance to you.
Sewing has sometimes been seen as weak and anti feminist because its something "women did". Why should a skilled craft itself be devalued because women honed it at a time they had few rights? Why not react by teaching boys to sew? Is VIV Westwood meek? Tracey Emin? They embroider and sew. They wear tailored clothes and lipstick.

There was a vile comment on another thread about " dolly birds". Being aware all female clothing comes with judgement can be restrictive or mean wear what you will, but reclaim it as yours.

Not to mention modern fashions all having their own sexist baggage.

I reclaim my right to wear what I want without being labelled "sexless feminist" if that's dungarees or "simpering dolly" if its a dress and full make up. By both women and men tbh .... One element of patriarchal brainwashing (pardon the term) is the idea if "modern" women slate thin/curvy/modest/showy/practical/chic clothing they are somehow helping their sisters understand something profound. Yeah, understand "the man" has got us spouting Hus rubbish via Facebook photo+glib-slogan crap because he's realised we won't take it direct from him any more!

Hazchem I find that almost EVERYTHING has been used in a repressive way at some point.

Think of the women who went to work in WW2, the pioneers of feminism throughout the 20th century...
I know some pretty old-school feminists who dress vintage in almost a tribute: and to challenge the fact when we see something pre-80s we automatically think "little woman in the kitchen" as if that is all there was! Women have more 20th century history than that: the signifiers of lipstick and skirts have been granted a meaning of weakness and submission by men. When you wear them, you can reclaim their significance to you.
Sewing has sometimes been seen as weak and anti feminist because its something "women did". Why should a skilled craft itself be devalued because women honed it at a time they had few rights? Why not react by teaching boys to sew? Is VIV Westwood meek? Tracey Emin? They embroider and sew. They wear tailored clothes and lipstick.

There was a vile comment on another thread about " dolly birds". Being aware all female clothing comes with judgement can be restrictive or mean wear what you will, but reclaim it as yours.

Not to mention modern fashions all having their own sexist baggage.

I reclaim my right to wear what I want without being labelled "sexless feminist" if that's dungarees or "simpering dolly" if its a dress and full make up. By both women and men tbh .... One element of patriarchal brainwashing (pardon the term) is the idea if "modern" women slate thin/curvy/modest/showy/practical/chic clothing they are somehow helping their sisters understand something profound. Yeah, understand "the man" has got us spouting Hus rubbish via Facebook photo+glib-slogan crap because he's realised we won't take it direct from him any more!

Apologies for the double thread. An example of the kind of thinking a lot of feminists who wear vintage have is on this blog:
www.landgirl1980.co.uk/ -she is all about remembering the women who 'proved' we could do manual jobs and were inspired to push for more rights through the wars. She is an expert on British domestic history in wartime (and has had people go 'ugh, domestic history' ... what, because it was unpaid and uncelebrated, it was stupid and invalid? We need to reshape the way we think about some elements of our history IMO).
She campaigns for war memorials for women who did dangerous work in forestry and munitions factories and asks why were these women forgotten in favour of pin-ups and housewives.
She is very environmentally aware and also traces the roots of recycling etc' back to those times.

That is why she dresses in 40s style: to her, the meanings are far from "pin up" or "housewife".
I know scientists who dress in 60s style and 20s/steampunk fans with a similar rationale!

thanks for the blog :) Its fab.
I know women have dome some remarkable political acts while still being "little women" crochet as a craft came out as a way of not supporting lace because of how bad conditions were for lace workers.

I've been thinking lots about my appearance lately and I've come to the conclusion that I want to be in a position that I don't mind how I look. Not that I don't care but that I don't mind. That is mainly in relation to my physical form but I wonder if it would be good to apply it to my outwardly appearance because I do like clothes they are fun.

I think sometimes people get confused between 'dressing retro' and 'dressing up'. With 'dressing up' there's that element of acting/pretending to 'be' someone or reenacting whereas most retro dressers are thoroughly modern with an interest in history. Like you can get fancy dress costumes of a 'rock n roller' with a silly wig and puffy skirt- but they're clearly different to someone who loves the history or art of the time and wears clothing in the same way as they might have a painting or antique.

A couple of alternative woman I know also make the point in their blogs that every era has the 'patriarchy's favourite body shape' which makes women feel bad... whether trying to be svelte, slight and very tall now or exaggerating the hourglass with a corset.
So dressing in an alternative way, which makes you comfortable in your own skin (or in a very typical way if you're comfortable with that) is psychologically more comfortable than trying to 'be' what this decade wants you to be.
Why cram hips into spanx and feel too 'curvy' for modern skinny jeans if you'd feel comfortable in 30s wide-leg-trousers or a circle skirt? Tan if you'd prefer to be a pale English rose or Goth? Or watch your muscle and not to look 'boyish' if you'd rather be a roller-derby/rock chick and show them off? Equally if you're tall and lithe, why not live in your skinnies and Uggs if that rocks your boat?

:)

I love this OutsSelf, sums it up perfectly for me:

"For me (very) personally, the choice is between feminism and anorexia, between feminism and a lifetime of thinking if I could only fucking comply, I would have a chance. That, to me, is the source f the rage. You play by all the rules in this culture, and what do you get? You either get about 70% as far as your male peers, with about 1000% of the criticism and most of the housework. If you are lucky enough to live in the "liberated" West."

For women who say they have not experienced misogyny, how can you say you are not affected by this:

www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/20/us-japan-women-heckling-idUSKBN0EV0PP20140620

All it takes is a bit of empathy. And the understanding that even though it may not have happened in your country or mine, the attitudes expressed are alive and well everywhere.

Today's reason for me to be a feminist, is that a Tory MP can tweet that he would punch a female journalist in the throat if he were on a TV programme with her and men are queueing up to support him and tell women to STFU about it.

Women who deny that they re victims of misogyny always make me think of slaves who just happen to have a nice master. They might not feel the full effects every day but they are still victims.

I am always a little puzzled by the "I'm not a feminist because I have never experienced misogyny" line.

Apart from the fact that you most certainly have experienced it, if only by observing it, surely you want all other women to be in the same position that you are?

And when I said above "it may not have happened in your country or mine" I meant that particular manifestation of misogyny. I am sure there are many legislators in the US who feel exactly the same way; they may not heckle women who are advocating for women; they save their misogyny for their votes on laws and policies.

And what is the speech therapy you pay for aiming to achieve- I'm not sure what "not articulate enough" means in this context.

Sorry to quiz you- but I do have some relevant experience and knowledge- I might be able to offer constructive help with some mor information.

Oops,wrong thread!

I'm feminist because, during an online debate between friends about a rape case being caused by what the girl was wearing, a male friend piped in with some rather worrying views. After looking at some of the groups he was involved with and what they talk about, I was shocked. These mens rights groups are not about mens rights at all, they're about being victims of women wanted equal rights and how that makes them less important than they thought they were.

This wasn't a one off, I've seen done some digging around and whereas previously, I had never considered women in the first world at a significant disadvantage or viewed as lesser people than men, how wrong was I? I am a feminist because keyboard warriors let our their true feelings online and they are really, really disturbing.

I'm a feminist because no ones every given me a good reason not to be.

Today: because I'm out with a friend and friends of friend. One of them has just asked me what I've left for OHs tea?
I laughed and said the washing up I couldn't be bothered to do this am.

She was shocked, and asked twice more, really had I not left him anything?

FFS.

By the way on case it relevant she is in her 30s, OH is a grown man with no special needs.

My reason today is that yesterday evening at a barbecue for only women at a group I go to, one of the women's husband's texted her 3 times, once to tell her he was bored, once to ask her where his child's clothes are kept and once to ask her what time she wanted him to come and collect her.

And nobody noticed (or if they did they didn't mention) what that means.

My reason is that the Uruguay president just called FIFA "sons-of-bitches"

Today; because if the victim blaming I've heard in relation to the Rolf Harris case, including on the news.

I first thought feminist thoughts (without knowing it) when I was 11 and went to an all girls school. where the chaplain (a man) refused to use inclusive liturgy.

sometimes there were 1,000 females in the room, and about 4 men, but god was sent to save mankind. Thanks to that chaplain, I saw very clearly how crappy that kind of wording was, so he did me a favor by pointing out the obvious sexism.