This is what a feminist looks like

[theatokos]

I went to the Freshers' Fayre today to check out what clubs the uni has. I joined the music club - it's geared toward classical musicians and people who play instruments. I met the founder at choir practice last night.* I noticed the uni has several re-enactment type of groups, battle groups, a war games group, etc. Again, this is a nerd's paradise. But there is also a pole dancing fitness club (insert massive eye roll here).

The women's society stopped me. Oh cool, I thought. I asked if this was the local feminist group. Oh, we're not feminists, they said. To which I replied, well, why would I want to join a women's group that wasn't feminist? One girl said that if by feminist I meant they worked for equality, then yes, they were. And the other said but they weren't radical or extremist or anything. I wish I had replied what came to mind: too bad, I am.

It chaps my hide something awful when women -especially the president of the women's society- won't call themselves feminist and can't see that they've swallowed the poison of mainstream patriarchy, which equates feminism with stupid stereotypes of "radical," hairy men-hating lesbians. Or that "equality" is the only thing women should aim for. ARGH. I'm thinking I should join their group and go to meetings and stir shit up.

*St. David's Chapel, the uni's Church of Wales post. It's a nice small chapel. I was not in best form having not sung since B was born and recovering from a cold. I would say right now it's about where my abilities are at, but that won't last for long. Eesh. The choir learns their parts by the director hitting a tuning fork and singing our parts to us, which we then sing back. This is problematic when the sopranos can't make a leap. Ay yi yi. I'm not so keen on attending boring ol' Church of Wales services every week. But, we shall see.

Comments

[chiv.livejournal.com]

You would have got one well with the club president the year before last, who managed to rub everyone up the wrong way and alienate most, if not all of campus.
If the group seems to lean to the apologetic, it may be because they're still fixing the mess she made.

Besides, the impression I got was that is was more of a health and welfare group than the political group you're looking for.

Oh, I'm surprised you didn't go for the Organic Garden Society.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

It's not that I think you need to be up in everyone's grill about feminism, but this watered down, play it safe, and don't rock the status quo flavor of feminism just..... is, well, a waste of my time. It's hard to talk about true change and not alienate people, but, as Adam often says, it's not what you say, it's how you say it.

Dude, fuck the "Pink Day" bullshit - as if wearing pink to raise awareness of breast cancer does anything. Don't even get me started on the infantilization and commercialization of the breast cancer awareness bullshit.

Ahem.

You know, I thought about checking out the Garden Society. Maybe next year. I don't know how to grow things, and my plate is too full to learn these days. Adam and I are going to join the Chinese Students Soc - those kids are fab.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

Oh, deep joy! Well said, well spotted & well... what's a feminist to do? The Women's Soc at Lampeter is a travesty. I agree with you whole~heartedly; it's almost offensive to be told by the president of a university Women's Soc that she eschews feminism!

A Women's Society SHOULD be radical & extremist! (Note my use of the 'S' word here ~ normally, I abhor the 'S' word, but sometimes a girl just has to make a statement!)

Perhaps it's because the women involved in the group are young enough to have bought into the crap that is post~feminism?

I'm curious as to what your friend chiv means by *fixing the mess she made as it's prefixed with words to the effect that you would have got on with a previous president who managed to 'rub everyone up the wrong way & alienated... most of the campus?' Does he mean that people couldn't cope with being challenged by an authentic feminist? If that's, 'making a mess' ~ bring it on, frankly!

Lampeter Uni is a monument to lukewarm feminism ~ there are some feisty women but by & large, it's beyond depressing.

And in my world, if a women's group leans toward the 'apologetic' it is failing at the first fence. A Women's Society has a duty to be political! Shame!

I was at the FF yesterday too ~ for a while ~ sorry I missed you.

[chiv.livejournal.com]

So I'm not your friend any more? *sigh*

I'm trying to remember what the girl was called, the women's officer a couple of years back, but she was argumentative for the sake of being argumentative and a lot of the time it had nothing to do with the a/the Women's society or a feminist agenda. Should anyone make the slightest move to debate a point with her or correct her she'd resort to the twin methods of getting louder and repeating the same sentence in a number of different permutations, sometimes it seemed that she was causing trouble for the sake of it, by all means challenge and educate but don't have a hissy fit if not everyone's perfectly receptive.
At least that's how I remember her at Forum.


It's a shame because if she didn't feel the need to be so self protective and communicated her agenda in a more civil and controlled manner, she would have moved the society in a direction more to ewigweibliche's liking.

As for my prefix, that was a tongue-in-cheek dig as a reaction to the "I'm thinking I should join their group and go to meetings and stir shit up." comment. I tend to interpret bravado like that as causing trouble for the sake of it.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

I hear you & appreciate that this particular woman's way of communicating was unhelpful. That said, it doesn't detract from the point that a Women's Society can't expect to be taken seriously if it's president doesn't 'get' feminism.

If the WS at Lampeter is, as you suggest, health & welfare focused then call it the Women's Health & Wefare Society?

I'm adding you to my F~list btw ~ any friend of Tom's (she said with a smile & her in her cheek!)

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think causing trouble for the sake of trouble is no good. One part of me does want to join the Wom Soc just so I can represent radical feminism - I'm certainly no freaky man-hater! Though I have been called a lesbian, and lately my legs are pretty hairy. I do think young women are too influenced by all the "post-feminism" crap. I suspect these women are too.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

And that's another thing ~ who says all lesbians hate men? They so DON'T!!!

Sometimes I really do despair.

My legs are a bit hairy too. ;)

[eelsalad.livejournal.com]

Ohhh that kind of thing makes me crazy.

I do wonder a bit if some of it is a UK thing -- I had a flaming row with a British penpal of mine who insisted I couldn't possibly be a feminist because I didn't despise men, and he wouldn't back down. I finally stopped writing back and forth with him because I was too enraged.

Maybe most of the folks claiming the word "feminist" over there are the extremist sort? I don't actually think female-superiority types are feminists, me, and am of the opinion that more equality-minded folks should be standing up and claiming the word. So I keep pointing to Sars' Yes, You Are (http://tomatonation.com/?p=677) and being outspoken.

I like your idea of going to their meetings to stir shit up. I hope you'll post about it here, I'll be curious to hear how it goes. :)

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

Hi
Gatecrashing here simply to say ~ UK feminists Rock! 'Over here' we are certainly not all extremists & in any case ~ it's an emotive word. Sometimes, a level of extremism is called for?

The fact the the person insisting you weren't a feminist was a man speaks volumes IMV. It shows just how little the majority of men understand about the essence of authentic feminism.

Sadly, as ewigweibliche is discovering, far from being radical or extremist, Lampeter Uni's 'feminists' are largely of the dreaded 'post~fem' demograph ~ 'fem~bots' by another name.

Thank you for allowing me to intrude!

[eelsalad.livejournal.com]

No sweat! Thanks for the info. I like learning stuff from the source. :D

[amyura.livejournal.com]

But there is also a pole dancing fitness club (insert massive eye roll here).

Is it bad that before I got to the final clause about eyerolling, I thought to myself, "Oh, how cool and yet quaint, they still do maypole dances in Wales!"

I'm proud to be a feminist, but I'm sad that a lot of my positions are considered "extremist." I'd be a lot happier if they were mainstream.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

The pole dancing club is facilitated by a very dear friend of mine. I have massive political issues with pole dancing but have to admire the skill & level of personal fitness required.

It's a dilemma & I don't mind confessing it.

*I'm sad that a lot of my positions are considered "extremist." I'd be a lot happier if they were mainstream. Now, that would be the dream come true!

[snowcalla.livejournal.com]

I'm not a feminist. I used to be, and then the feminist groups went totally barking mad.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Don't let those groups taint the word! You ARE a feminist, and the more women that use the word as it's meant to be used, the better! So much of what passes for feminism in the mainstream is nothing but lukewarm upholding of the status quo. And the crazy loud angry women of stereotype seem to get the press for the "radical feminists." I consider myself a radical feminist, and choose to be loud and proud in hopes of encouraging more women to claim it to and be cowed by stereotype.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

YES! YES!! TRIPLE YES!!!

If the 'feminist group' is totally barking mad, it almost certainly isn't a feminist group ;)

[snowcalla.livejournal.com]

rather than try to get the groups to match to me...I'll just bow out and live my life.

I'm disgruntled with both the bitchy man-hating groups and the young pups that didn't live through when being groped at work was common place.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

I'll just bow out and live my life.

Indeed ~ And I agree with your other comment wholeheartedly. The overt groping may have become less of an issue but do these young women really not have eyes to see & ears with which to hear? Where is their courage?

I overheard a twenty~something boy yesterday, saying to a t~s girl, 'Yeah, but you women only wear that stuff to pull a bloke.'

She laughed.

I snarled quietly, resisted an unseemly spell & went on my way...

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I hear you. Which is why I probably won't be going to many, if any, of the Wom Soc meetings.

who is a feminist?

[seaivy.livejournal.com]

Questions:
Do you think men are more important than women?
Do you think men deserve more advantages because they are men?
Do you think the needs, desires of the men in your life are more important than yours?
Do you think the institutions of society should ignore your needs?
Do you think women and children already have all they need for successful healthful lives ?

If you answered NO to these questions then You ARE a feminist! No matter what twists people want to put on the word.

Re: who is a feminist?

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

Goddess be praised for the simple wisdom of experience & common sense! ;)

[keypike.livejournal.com]

I feel sad when any woman is scared to embrace the term feminist.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Yup.