... I let men do things for me that I don't want to or haven't learned how to do. I know how to mow the lawn and weed, but I HATE those tasks, so I hire men to do it. I never learned to change my oil, spark plugs, etc., and I don't want to learn now. I would gladly hire a woman for these tasks, but don't haven't found a female gardener or mechanic in my town. (I do try to use women medical professionals, though.) I can hook up a washer and dryer and set up my computer, so I figure I am capable enough.
...I hold men who have sex with underage girls more accountable for the sex than the girls themselves. I have this belief that the adult is more responsible than the young adult. I do believe young women can be sexual and can make their own decisions, but they lack some ability to think critically that their adult boyfriends should have. I also hold those in positions of power and responsibility (professors?) responsible for violating boundaries with less structural power (students)--no matter how adult the person with less power may be. Yes, grad students may all be fine with their affairs with their professors--I just don't believe it is a good idea, as long as there is a power differential. If you take the power out of it--step off the committee, don't teach the classes the student takes, etc.--I can be okay with it.
...I voted without reservation for Obama and was not at all upset about Hillary losing. In fact, by the time Obama got the nomination, I was sick to death of Hillary and Bill. I also wanted to (metaphorically) jackslap Geraldine Ferraro and Gloria Steinem regarding their statements about sexism and racism in the US. And those women who said they would vote for McCain instead of Obama out of protest made me want to SCREAM!
...I like the Daily Show with Jon Stuart, even though his show's writers are almost all white, straight men. (I am happy to note how Jewish and Northeastern the staff is--a little hometown pride. :-)) I don't much like most of the stuff the women do on that show... I wish they had someone like Wanda Sykes on the show, rather than Samantha Bee or that other strange young white woman who does "young ditzy girl" stuff. That said, I still dig it.
...My favorite writer is a man. James Baldwin. I like his fiction and his essays. This admission is even more problematic because Baldwin has some gender problems, in his rejection of the feminine in men and his failure to understand and embrace the complexity of women. That said, he is my favorite writer of all time. His work speaks to me.
I have toyed with adopting the moniker "womanist," but it feels a little tricky to do that as a white woman. (I almost wrote white girl, but as I am now in "middle age," I have to accept myself as a white woman. Sigh.) And I would certainly be okay with calling myself a lesbian feminist as well, though I would not do well on that quiz--never having attended a women's music festival, joined a lesbian-only group, or been a lacto-ovo vegan. Still, I will adamantly claim my feminist credentials. I am outspoken, strong-natured, independent and interdependent, and committed to the rights of women and others who face oppression and discrimination. I work in my job and my life helping students think critically about the world around us, and I work alongside them for change.
So, I am a feminist...good, bad, or somewhere in between.
2 comments:
I think it is OK that you let men do things for you because at the end you are just taking advantage of them, and it does not mean that you are not feminist anymore
is not your fault, in our society, inclusove the women could end with a male chauvinist thought, in fact many of the women in this country like you, for them position of want to be the man in the relationship, could end in this position.
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