A new movement?

[AnyOldPrion]

I have previously seen it suggested that the feminism label has a lot of negative connotations and that rebranding might be a useful exercise.

It struck me this morning that we (with recognition of the wonderful Somerville) may have stumbled on the perfect rebrand.

Genderfree sounds definitively positive, unlike radical feminism, which to many sounds alarming. And it appears from the reactions here and on Twitter that many GNC women immediately connected with the concept.

The only downside I see is that it is essential that gender is seen as a negative social construct and not as synonymous with sex.

Any thoughts? I guess if this theory is correct, it will take off organically and grow. But if we like the idea, perhaps we could propagate and actively nurture it as a longer term project and not just a quick flourish that rises up and disappears overnight.

Seeing as "genderfree" was coined by gender ideologists in the first place, calling ourselves that is just buying into the ideology we're supposed to oppose and Somerville's whole thing is meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek.

If someone associates negative connotations with feminism that's their problem. Most people don't.

What's wrong with going back to Women's Liberation?

Is there a noun for women's liberation?

You can say I am a (noun) feminist

I am a women's liberation-ist?

I like "gender free" as a descriptor. it is however also a gender identity under the "stonewall umbrella" so while some may like to circumvent protocols at work by using this term, it also has an element of subscribing to the idea that gender exists in a material way (rather than a social construct). It's also a "non binary, binary" (nb = neither trans nor c, binary = either you have a gender or you don't). It's a bit, 'Monty Python' in that regard. So that's one part of it for me, the other is "fuck it. I Am gender free" and that's how it should be. I also think it's a good alternative to "Tom boy" which I've never liked. It could be a very useful term when discussing this with older children. I've certainly been thinking about it a lot since somerville posted. I wish her well.

My partner said the same thing yesterday, about how we'll never get anywhere with the word "radical" attached to "feminism" because of fears of extremists. And whilst I get that, I still like it. It sounds powerful. I used to be a libfem and it always came out sounding so drippy. Very much the "go to church at Christmas, maybe" of feminism. I think the fact is that feminism will never be popular. We stand up for women, speak out of turn, won't stay in our box, and refuse to centre men. We are therefore incorrectly female and no re-branding exercise will make us any less hated. So better just to own it, give no shits, and carry on.

I wish I could believe I was genderfree- I've been trying to extricate my mind from the bullshit for as long as I can remember...
I would call myself genderfukt.

Rebranding feminism as something else comes up every few years, as if the problem lies somehow lies with the movement rather than the worldwide oppression of women and girls by men. Feminism has negative connotations because we live in a patriarchy and it challenges male power. Where feminism has been "rebranded" to be more acceptable e.g. Third Wave Feminism it becomes useless to actual women and in fact ends up working against us.

I wouldn't support it. :)

The idea of rebranding is much like transitioning; that's essentially what rebranding is... transitioning to create a new feel/look/perception. I think we need to stay focused on our objectives and avoid distractions related to the aesthetics of the movement. We know who we are, we don't need to soften our feel/look as it would add firepower to the war on feminism.

I'm with DpWm on this. As I said on another thread, much as I find Somer's take very funny, and a great way of raising the profile of the issues , I am never going to describe myself as "gender free". Because gender is something done to me, it's a system of oppression I can't identify out of. I personally deny that I have "gender" in the sense of "mythical inner essence of womanliness" because ^there is no such thing as "mythical inner essence of womanliness" - this to my mind is a different assertion from saying "I'm genderfree", which to my mind involves buying into the whole genderist ideology, in effect saying "I don't happen to have a gender, but some other people do."

Nope. Woman because that's my biology. Feminist who thinks gender is a made up crock of shit used to oppress women. That's all I need to say on the matter.

The problem with Women’s Liberation is that the definition of woman appears to be up for grabs these days. Who’d have thought that would ever be a source of confusion?

I think the fact is that feminism will never be popular. We stand up for women, speak out of turn, won't stay in our box, and refuse to centre men. We are therefore incorrectly female and no re-branding exercise will make us any less hated. So better just to own it, give no shits, and carry on.

Hear hear!

How about 'Gender Rebel'?

Is there a noun for women's liberation?
*
You can say I am a (noun) feminist

I am a women's liberation-ist?*

Woman? I am a woman?

Although I may well use 'genderfree' if I'm compelled to state a gender, it would IMO be a mistake to rebrand feminism thus - because feminism is so much more than that.

Our personal rejection (or acceptance) of 'gender' makes bugger all difference to structural sexism. Women and girls are routinely discriminated against because of our sex.

'Genderfree' isn't of much relevance to an aborted female foetus. Ok, in a truly genderfree society that wouldn't happen, but I don't think we can put the cart before the horse.

Gender intolerant?

It's a back to basics movement. Or a fundamental principles movement. Or a core tenets or values movement. Not that any of these phrases have particularly great political associations. Reformists is possibly the word with the best connotations. Though reformation isn't great.

So the one I perhaps like the most is 'revivalist'

Revivalist may refer to:
a person involved in language revitalization

Here's some dictionary definitions
Definition of revivalist
1 : one who conducts religious revivals
specifically : a member of the clergy who travels about to conduct revivals
2 : one who revives or restores something disused

revival
The process of becoming more active or popular again

a performance of a play that has not been seen for a long time

a time when interest in religion starts again in a stronger way than before, or a meeting or series of meetings organized to encourage this to happen

Revival
noun

1. restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.
2. restoration to use, acceptance, or currency: the revival of old customs.
3. a new production of an old play.
4. a showing of an old motion picture.
5. an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.
6. an evangelistic service or a series of services for the purpose of effecting a religious awakening
7. the act of reviving.
8. the state of being revived.
9. Law . the reestablishment of legal force and effect.

And generally revivals are not thought of too badly in the sense of music and fashion - which fit in nicely with the feminist movement of a similar era.

Gender intolerant?

Allergender?

"The problem with Women’s Liberation is that the definition of woman appears to be up for grabs these days."

The issue here is: Women's Liberation from what? It is liberation from patriarchal power and control over our female lives.

Given that male transitioners represent patriarchy in its most extreme form they can never be women's liberationists.

So, it is Women's Liberation for me.

The association I make with 'revivalist' is a certain sort of evangelical Christianity ... not positive, and a bit kinda desperate.

Fair enough.

I think the problem is that's something that's difficult to get away from too.

Ultimately politics are ideologies.

My partner said the same thing yesterday, about how we'll never get anywhere with the word "radical" attached to "feminism" because of fears of extremists.

Too bad Latin isn’t more widely studied.

Synonyms for revival

recovery
rejuvenation
renaissance
renewal
restoration
resurgence
resurrection
revitalization
awakening
cheering
consolation
invigoration
quickening
recrudescence
regeneration
renascence
resuscitation
revivification
enkindling
freshening
reanimation
risorgimento

liberation
noun freedom
Synonyms for liberation
abolition
deliverance
democracy
emancipation
salvation
sovereignty
freeing
liberty
release
setting free
unchaining
unshackling

In this age of over-reliance on what labels we claim to announce our identity, I tend to have conversations, so when I explain that I am a radical feminist who believes in liberating women, I talk to people who seem to have misunderstood and clarify their misconceptions.

I've had conversations with strident evangelical Christians who have all the worst beliefs about 'feminists', and once we've talked, they have not only understood, a few of them have started to shift their own positions and I even saw one speaking up the other day to correct someone else's errors about what feminism is about.

Language has a purpose, and the AWA movement, especially the part that is using trans as a weapon, has attempted to make far too much of the natural but usually slow fluidity of words.

To my mind, feminists need to own our words, and be bold about communicating accurately, rather than trying to use words as branding or even as a means of control like the AWA/Genderists do.

For some reason, and I recognize the strangeness of this, I am a woman who has come through believing the world was only 6000 years old and women really shouldn't ever argue with her husband, out the other side to see that rational, free argument is the last line of defence against totalitarianism, be it secular or religious, and there is an excellent argument that Feminism is a noble, liberating thing for women, and I am not afraid to openly make my case. None of us should be.

Women's freedom fighter is the most stripped back language wise.

hipsterfun

Don't worry, I did study Latin and gave him a lecture in what the radical part actually means.