Comments on: Why Don’t Teen Girls Identify as Feminists?

By: My femasculine utopia « femme FRESH

My femasculine utopia « femme FRESH — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:46:50 +0000

[...] women seem to be rejecting the feminist label. I’ve observed this. Others have observed this. While women of other generations struggle with the feminist label as well, the young are expected [...]

By: escort chicago

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By: National Organization of leftist Women « Benighted Comment

National Organization of leftist Women « Benighted Comment — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 05:42:58 +0000

[...] You know, it’s fashionable in feminist circles to sit around bemoaning the fact that few young women want to identify themselves as feminists. [...]

By: Dia

Dia — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:45:27 +0000

I can understand being hesitant for identifying as a feminist. I may agree with certain things about feminism but I wouldn’t tell someone that I am a feminist because that would be like giving them the okay to assume my opinions on anything and everything. I’d rather just have my opinions and let them fall into whichever categories fit the individual issue.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:20:43 +0000

Great post! Your thoughts (including the insightful thread that followed)really took me back. I “dared to say the f-word” in high school, and was called a “half-lesbian feme-nazi” among other endearing nicknames. Unfortunately, I didn’t really know how to define/defend/explain my feminism in the face of such ignorance. Back then, feminism was something I sort of learned through osmosis– my mom’s copy of Our Bodies Ourselves I found on a bookshelf, a cool history teacher who told me I didn’t need a man to escort me to junior prom, an Alanis Morisette or Indigo Girls lyric. My experience at Barnard, especially my Women’s Studies classes, helped me intellectualize, actualize my feminsim. They helped me develop an understanding of feminsims’ histories, where they (feminsit movements) are today, why they’re necessary today. I wish I could have explained feminism and my feminist identity in highschool as articulately as you are doing now! Brava Keep up the good work and apply to Barnard!!

By: A

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:22:35 +0000

Aren’t all humanists also feminists? But not all feminists necessarilly have to be humanists, I suppose. Do you agree?

By: Cassie

Cassie — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:55:49 +0000

Maybe we need to put less focus on the word “feminism,” and more focus on supporting feminist action.

Have you been reading bell hooks?

If not, I highly recommend her book, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. In it, hooks suggests shifting from “I am a feminist” to “I advocate feminism” to eradicate women’s fear of being labelled by “eliminating the focus on identity and lifestyle,” which leads to stereotyped views of feminism. This approach also avoids either/or dualistic thinking, and feminism becomes accessible; everybody can advocate feminism while still advocating other political movements.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:47:52 +0000

Identifying myself as a feminist has been one of the most important decisions of my life (thus far). Initially, I didn’t realize what I would be up against – people calling me a man-hater, for instance. It’s tough! REALLY tough. Especially when you want to fight tooth-and-nail for the rights of ALL humans. To be accused of hating nearly half of the world population? That hurts.

But I’m not going to denounce the label just because it’s the “easy” thing to do. I’m a humanist, yes. But I’m a feminist, too.

At least people like me (who are in the same boat) can come back to sites like this and be reminded that “hey, I’m not alone”!

By: Danielle

Danielle — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:18:37 +0000

So what if feminism sounds like it excludes men? If people take a few seconds to look up the definition, they’d know that’s not true. Everyone can fight for gender equality…and that’s exactly what feminism is.

I just have a hard time with people not knowing what feminism means…it takes one minute to look it up, and the definition explains it.

By: Emily Kramer

Emily Kramer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:29:19 +0000

Hi Julie Z,

I used to be the YWLI Program Coordinator (’08 and ’09) and I can’t tell you how excited I was to see your post! I’m so glad you had the opportunity to experience YWLI and Barnard. Thanks for this insightful post – I saw the same thing in the 3 years (including 1 year as an RA) I was with the program.