How can I reconnect with feminism?

[Chemicalromance]

Sorry for any mistakes-this is my first thread and I'm using the app

Im in my very early twenties, and I really struggle to connect with the feminist movement. I'm absolutely pro-equality and ensuring the global rights for women, but my experiences have left me feeling uncomfortable about calling myself a "feminist".

When I was at school, women's issues and feminism were never discussed, so my first awareness of the movement came from websites like Tumblr and EverydaySexism. These websites were quite radical, and I struggled to identify with issues such as 'man spreading', 'mansplaining' and the general man-hating subculture that seemed to be present. It felt to me like a group of quite privileged, fortunate western women looking for reasons to complain despite there being so many serious women's issues to deal with around the world, and there was a lot of talk about the western world supporting "rape culture", which I don't believe to be true, so I grew up feeing like feminism wasn't for me.

When I got to university, I attempted to get involved in the feminism society, but found that most of the events/talks centred around 'trans liberation', 'micro aggressions' and trigger warnings/banning topics or events that might be triggering. When an infamous male misogynist was scheduled to have a talk at the university, I was excited at the opportunity it would open for a real debate on gender and equality, but the feminist society held a rally and protest that ended up causing the visit to be cancelled, which I felt was a waste of a good opportunity and probably not a great move in terms of free speech. I eventually left the society when I was openly mocked at an event about future ambitions for saying that I would like to be a young mother. Over time, I completely stopped calling myself a feminist or having anything to do with the feminist movement.

Recently, I've discovered Hannah Witton's youtube channel, and although I don't agree with everything she says, I have found her videos talking about sex, relationships, women's bodies and what it means to be a woman to be really interesting and encouraging. I've been inspired to read more books and interact with more information about feminism and women's issues, and I really want to start reconnecting with my own female identity and feeling proud to be a woman again.

The only problem is that I really don't know where to start. Can anyone recommend some influential women, works or materials that I can look into, or tell me some of the things that make them proud of being a woman and a feminist?

It's indicative of a widespread lack of respect for women that people feel entitled to join feminist discussions and critique our priorities. Would you do the same to any other political group, User? Perhaps you could think about why you might not interject poorly informed opinion into a BLM or gay rights group (given, of course, that you're neither African American or gay).

You need to know what you're criticizing because if you don't your attacks are nonsense. HTH.

Would you do the same to any other political group, User?

Yes, of course - and I do all the time. Are you saying political groups should be impervious critique? That's bizarre.

And if gay rights groups were, say, being misogynist (as they sometimes can be) then I would interject.

I'm saying I don not what your 'priorities' are.

And I'm not even criticising feminism, just a particular version of it. Is that not allowed?

It really does seem that some people are very threatened by feminism and so if we move off the trans topic it's derail-tastic

What, you mean you would turn up on a gay men's forum and tell them what they should do and what they should consider important? Can you not see how inappropriate that would be? As for telling people of a different race how to combat racism... That would be downright weird.

Feminism is a philosophy and a political movement with well developed theories. Like other political movements, socialism, for example, there are various strands. Not all feminists think the same, and neither do all socialists.

The underlying basis of feminism is class analysis. This is important to other human rights groups - anti-racism, for example. You need class analysis to understand oppression. It is particularly important to feminism because, as most women live with men, It's otherwise too hard to see the wood for the trees.

The reason second wave feminists reject the third wave is that it has abandoned class analysis, which basically guts feminism of its central plank.

You are getting pushback from me because you haven't bothered to find anything out about feminism before launching uninformed criticism. There's no point in attacking things that aren't true in the first place.

What, you mean you would turn up on a gay men's forum and tell them what they should do and what they should consider important? Can you not see how inappropriate that would be? As for telling people of a different race how to combat racism... That would be downright weird.

Would you criticise say...the trans movement? Or is that different?

Actually, I do have critiques of all forms of identity politics and the affect they are having on society. Unlike feminism, gay rights doesn't seem to be a philosophical school of thought underpinned by a political theory of human behaviour, so I don' t know what criticism I'd make of it really. But if gay people were being misogynist or in some way actively impeding a broader debate then I would have something to say about that. Why shouldn't I?

How come you get to attack the trans movement, and by extension some of the LGBT movement (which you may be right in doing) but no one else is allowed to criticise you? What is that about?

That's just safe space rubbish.

Feminism is a philosophy and a political movement with well developed theories. Like other political movements, socialism, for example, there are various strands. Not all feminists think the same, and neither do all socialists.

Exactly, which is why people should be able to criticise some of those strands. You're basically saying people shouldn't be allowed to do that.

Feminism seems to be almost exclusively dedicated to creating some more rich women while the rest of em can go jump.

Yeah, all those campaigns against low conviction rates for rape, FGM, street harassment, domestic violence, women working and fundraising for refuges and rape crisis, abortion rights (which it seems from another thread you're against anyway) and countless others are "dedicated to creating some more rich women".

The attacking any campaign/move which is about women at high levels in the workplace whilst ignoring all the other work feminists are doing is merely an attempt to derail and set back feminism.

The attacking any campaign/move which is about women at high levels in the workplace whilst ignoring all the other work feminists are doing is merely an attempt to derail and set back feminism.

Indeed.

User seems to be here to derail and hinder feminist debate. Ignoring might be the best option, but as long as we don't have anything else to do, I suppose we can amuse ourselves and each other by pointing out the attempts at derailing.

"How come you get to attack the trans movement, and by extension some of the LGBT movement (which you may be right in doing) but no one else is allowed to criticise you? What is that about? "
I don't think I do attack the trans movement. I read about it, and consider the logical impact it will have if certain aims of the transactivists come into being, and I post my concerns about those impacts. Is this attacking?

Well said, Amy. I've been carefully avoiding the troll on another thread, while feeding one here. Just goes to show how easily threads can derail if you're not paying attention. I think I'll take my own advice and back carefully away. Turn on the patented MN virtual ignore button.

Very true Prawn! It's difficult when someone comes on with the intention of derailing threads, sometimes virtual ignore is probably the best bet

How come you get to attack the trans movement, and by extension some of the LGBT movement (which you may be right in doing) but no one else is allowed to criticise you? What is that about?

Who here is advocating going to trans forums and lecturing people at length on how misguided and wrong they are then?

Yeah, all those campaigns against low conviction rates for rape, FGM, street harassment, domestic violence, women working and fundraising for refuges and rape crisis.

Which campaigns? Which feminists are raising money for refugees for example?

I'm sure they have, but they haven't been discussed much on here have they?

Who here is advocating going to trans forums and lecturing people at length on how misguided and wrong they are then?

I'm not lecturing feminists because, as it has been pointed out to me, feminism is a very broad church with lots of different strands, many of which have my approval. There are lots of feminists who have very valid things to say. I am not attacking 'feminism' - perhaps I have failed to fastidiously prefix every negative reference to feminists with 'some'. Sorry.

But I believe many of the most conspicuous and vocal feminists are failing to address the major issues which effect women today - that they're overly focussing on the identity politics and failing to actively fight for the concrete, legislative changes that would make lasting difference to a wide number of women's lives. Am I not allowed to say that? Why not?

Because it's not just me saying this - lots of 'feminists' are advancing the same critique. People coming from within feminist discourse like Jessa Crisspin and Gail Dines have said similar.

You're basically saying "feminism is whatever I say it is and if you disagree you should not be allowed to say so". This is a discussion forum, and my view is that liberal, third wave feminism is failing to do what I believe it should be doing. that's my opinion. Why are you allowed your opinion of what feminism should be but I'm not allowed mine? Doesn't seem fair, or conducive to free speech.

How do you know what women on here are or aren't campaigning for? More to the point, what are you campaigning for?

If you want to talk about refugee women why don't you start a thread? All you are doing is criticising others for talking about things they think are important. You don't appear to be doing anything constructive yourself.

Your agenda is showing a bit on the other thread you've been on today too. I don't know what sort of feminist you think you are but it's not one I recognise.