Thoughts on the Splintered Feminist Movement

by Kelly

I’m pretty new to the feminist movement. While my political leanings have always been liberal and I most certainly have always agreed with the feminism, I wasn’t really very aware of the actual movement until recently. I discussed this in my post, “Why I Became a Feminist,” and to be sure I still have a lot to learn about feminism and what issues are most important to me.

That being said, it’s hard for me to understand the feminist movement because it’s so confusing. When I was in high school I thought it was simply: “Women are equal and shouldn’t be violated or injured by men.” While I still believe this to be a basic tenet of feminist thought, I have since taken several Women’s Studies courses, started a feminist blog that has forced me to actively think about women’s issues, and started to experience life as an independent young adult. All of these experiences have increased my awareness of the diversity of human life – and, inevitably, the diverse nature of feminists.

I understand the differences now between liberal feminists and radical feminists, postmodern and global. When I say I’m a radical feminist, it’s because I have always felt strongly about how women’s sexuality is constructed in society and in the course of my studies have realized that radical feminists and I seem to have a lot in common. However, I’m still a little hesitant to use a specific label. I’m not afraid of calling myself a feminist, but in the few months that I’ve been following feminist blogs, I’ve noticed a lot of infighting amongst “different” brands of feminism.

There are arguments between Marxist feminists and feminists who think MacKinnon is a snotty brat (I read her for a class and felt like she was putting my thoughts to paper, so I’m not sure how to feel when I hear this). There are arguments between white feminists and feminists of color (as far as I can tell, these are often cases of people needing to STFU & L & be respectful but failing to do so). I could go on, but what’s the point? If you read an extensive array of feminist blogs, you probably have a sense of what I’m talking about.

This makes me weary, and I’ve only been on the feminist blogger “scene” a couple of months. I’m wary of starting a flame war by posting my thoughts on sex work or some other hot topic. Apparently, the people I should be worried about getting upset are fellow feminists, not the general public, or men, or misogynists. It’s difficult for me to stomach feminists having huge public fights over which cause is more important or who is dead-wrong about their particular opinions. We’re all in the same movement, right?

I don’t have too many conclusions to draw yet because, as I said, I’m still learning. I hope with time the feminist movement becomes more coherent & cohesive. It seems to me, the more open-minded, respectful, and thoughtful we are with each other, the more we can begin to bridge the gaps between different feminist theories. If we are asking men and women living under patriarchy to question their privilege and their stereotypes, it is fair to ask that of ourselves. I think you’ll find that even though the feminist movement is splintered, we still have a common goal: helping women and dismantling their oppression. It’s something to keep in mind.

- Dollface

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