Has anyone else just discovered that they are a RadFem?

[loveyouradvice]

I'd always thought of myself as a liberal feminist... yup, feminist to the core and ready to fight for women and girls where appropriate but not that knowledgeable - and happy to enjoy the fun of being a women (summer dresses, sexy flirting, beautiful bodies) while acknowledging the horrors (FGM, rape, systemic inequality)....

But who knew it.... It just takes the words Transwomen are men ... so very obvious to me on so many levels.... to turn me into a RadFem....

And I've moved from being happy to encounter the occasional Transwomen in the Ladies (in well-populated, chatty scenarios like clubs) ... treating us with respect and being treated with respect... to not wanting a Penis in any sex-segregated arena...to feel threatened by the incursion of men on "our" spaces....

to sleeping badly and wondering what kind of world we are developing for our DC where playing with the boundaries of gender stereotypes (like Boy George) is less acceptable and the blue/pink divide has become so much more entrenched and the almost automatic reaction to any gender dissatisfaction in the young is to explore whether they are trans, rather than their just questioning and exploring society and their role within it....

Yes about 2 months ago.

Same.

Always felt there was something missing from feminism - that lack of value for women's maternal role. It's great if you want to be a Dr but until we value the role of raising a family women will never be equal.

Also, reading the Female Eunuch again and it's still so relevant - so current - more than ever.

About 4 years ago when the trans issue started ramping up in a more mainstream way.

Sort of same...exception im cautious of labellig myself as a feminist because feminst are very clear they are for females and not about hating men.....where as I do actually hate many, many men...so I don't want to be running about with "this is what a GC or lib fem looks like" t shirt because I'm such an awful, terrible, example!

(Just btw I do nothing with my hate of many, many men, most have no idea because im a perfectly pleasent person with a handle on things )

Lierre Kieth gives a great explanation about the difference between liberal and radical thinking from 3:08

Lierre Keith & Samantha Grey on Sexuality Power and Pornography
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=NBzJgJh6bzo

The more i read about liberal feminism the more i think it is a type if feminism that only works if you are a cossetted middle class / privileged female. I mean really sex work (exploitation) is a choice and one we would want out daughters to make and be be happy to share with friends and family? I havent actively chosen to be radfem but it fits closest to what i feel feminisms stance should be

I still don't understand what a radical feminist is exactly. But a couple of months ago I came here (somewhat in confusion) after seeing tweets about women having a penis and discovered that not believing that statement made me a radical feminist. Until a few months ago I had no idea that anyone even said women have penis's let alone that we were supposed to pretend to believe it

I didn't know I was a radfem until I was called a TERF. I then looked into radical feminism, and yes, my views align, on the whole.

Whenever I do one of those stupid online 'what type of feminist are you' questionnaires, I always come out as part liberal, part radical and a bit conservative (probably because I'm not in favour of prostitution)

I know that I enjoy watching radical feminist speak and agree far more with what they say than liberal feminists. I love how they center women and girls, which isn't something that liberals always do.

Yes - about five years ago - when I first heard about the transgender debate (on here); also when I first understood the overwhelming grip of patriarchy (I think?).

I grew up with educational privilege, and as a young woman, felt I could do anything a man could. I would have considered myself a liberal feminist. It took until I was in my 30s to understand how our power or potential is curtailed.

It's a revelation isn't it. But not recently for me. It was year 2011.

I didn't know I was a feminist never mind a radfem until I came in here, got educated while lurking and had my #peaktrans

"and happy to enjoy the fun of being a women (summer dresses, sexy flirting, beautiful bodies) "

You can do all that and still be a radical feminist!

Yes, very recently - about a month ago when I discovered this board on MN!

Yeah I am feeling like we are taking a step back with all this stuff, since the definition of gender is the state of being male or female from a social and cultural point of view. So what does it mean socially and culturally to be a woman - to wear a dress? make up? enjoy romcoms?
Perhaps I am actually a man as I like beer and I dislike shopping. I thought feminism meant that we could do whatever we wanted, male or female and be equal, we don't want to be conditioned into these social and cultural norms so what does someone actually MEAN when they say they feel like a woman when they biologically are not one? And what does it matter anyway?

Oh yes. Right around the time I thought, “Oh FFS another trans thread” and then I read it, then read more, and more and suddenly I got really fucking angry about how women were persistently and deliberately (in no particular order) overlooked, abused, shouted over, overburdened with wifework and caring responsibilities, raped, stalked, harassed and killed. All of this done to women by men (NAMALT obvs although that pisses me off to have to say it). And I thought, fuck that. Yes. I understand now. I’m a radfem.

The more i read about liberal feminism the more i think it is a type if feminism that only works if you are a cossetted middle class / privileged female

God that's so true.

Yup wanderabout I was one of those... well-educated, thought I could do anything a man could do, thinking our mums had it tough but it was a different world for us.... and THEN.....

I realised it when reading the boards on here and found there was a name to go with my thinking. I've done courses with the ou on social sciences a few years ago and that's what set my mind thinking about it.

However I'm not as eloquent as most of you hence rarely comment on threads. I do however read as much as I can to educate myself better. See I've waffled on this post.

spareribfem and me!

As my son grew older I began to really see the way young men view and treat young women - in a way I couldn't when I was a young women myself. I also started to understand how capitalism exploits and monetises women in just about every area of life.

But I only realised I was a radfem several months ago when my beautiful lesbian daughter got swallowed up by the trans cult.

The more i read about liberal feminism the more i think it is a type if feminism that only works if you are a cossetted middle class / privileged female
yesyesyes!

@SluttyButty You spoke really well - I think many people would agree with that. Speak out more - being an ill-informed gobshite doesn't ever stop me speaking!

@LookMoreCloselier
I genuinely believe the trans debate will lead to the re-birth of feminism. I've been radicalised. I bet more women have. I didn't know how much men hated us. IMO #PeakTrans should actually read #PeakPatriarchy. I'm so upset about the men who are enabling this BS and so gleefully ignoring all our concerns

Ah, welcome! Wait until you start in on the anti-prostitution too. #radfem

I think of liberal feminism and the sort of feminism men like. They can still watch porn and use prostitutes and expect women to be all shiny and polished and don't have to face any tricky questions about structural inequality. And they can still laugh at all us hairy rads with our dungarees and smouldering (not in a good way) bras.

Yes, I've come to the same realisation this year and now get angry almost daily at the shite I'm expected to agree and go along with. No more. Call me a terf, I couldn't give a damn.