Rotten Little Girls

In October of last year, a college student approached me asking if I would be willing to be interviewed for her project on feminism (in opposition to anti-feminism, from what I could gather). Here are my answers — what would yours be? You can email them to me at rottenlittlegirls at gmail dot com. Please let me know if you’d like them to be considered for publication on this blog.

1.) In your blog, there is a post about why you became a feminist. Can you briefly explain your beliefs on pro-feminism? How are you active in this role as a feminist?

I’m pro-feminist because I believe it is a cause that a) is highly relevant to all of our lives and b) as a movement it gets a lot of negative attention and is often misunderstood. I encounter a fair amount of people in my life who have major misconceptions about what it is to be a feminist. They say things like, “Feminists are angry, irrational women,” or “Feminists want women to have power over men.” This simply isn’t true. For the most part, feminists (though, like any movement/identity, feminism covers a wide spectrum of beliefs and attitudes) seek equality between the sexes. Women (including transwomen) have less privilege than men, in both developed and developing countries. Feminism, in my opinion, is about working to create societies in which both women and men share the same privileges and opportunities.

I am active in promoting feminism daily. I live in a collective house in which we actively seek to create a safe space for all. We do not condone oppressive language or behaviors, including sexist remarks or attitudes. If someone says a sexist comment, for example, I will politely explain to them that their comment made me uncomfortable and will explain why, using both personal examples and bringing in a broader context. I also have a feminist blog in which I discuss feminism and how it applies to my life and the world around me. So far I’ve gotten numerous emails from women around the world telling me that it has been very beneficial to find a website that speaks to them and their experiences. In these ways I work towards “owning” my feminist identity and sharing it articulately with others.

2.) What do you think about anti-feminists and their perceptions (or misconceptions) of feminism? How would you argue any of those?

I encounter anti-feminists more often than one might imagine. There are generally two types. One is a person who is prejudiced and/or misogynist in their beliefs (mostly men but occasionally women as well). When I encounter this type I try not to engage too much with their beliefs because sometimes you have to pick your battles. I find that arguing with someone who is close-minded can be an emotionally draining endeavor.

The other type are people who believe in feminist values but reject the feminist movement. Their misconceptions generally include the following:

“American women don’t need feminism anymore. We can vote and hold any job we’d like. Why do you still care about feminism?”
To this I explain that feminism is very much relevant. I cite examples like the wage disparity between male and female workers and instances of aversive sexism that are pervasive in everyday life.

“Feminists are man-hating bitches. I’m rational and love men, so I don’t want to be associated with feminism.”
To this I explain that I, too, have men in my life that I love — family members, friends and partners. Feminism is very inclusive of men – the point is to create a world in which we are equal and connected to one another, rather than pull one group of people down to better another. Furthermore, it is inherently sexist to refer to passionate, assertive women as bitches. So often women who are political and have opinions are labelled (and therefore devalued) as “bitches,” “irrational,” and “angry”.

3.) Do you believe that there are any not-so-positive consequences of anti-feminism? If so, what are they?

One of the negative consequences of anti-feminism is apathy. It is hard to effect real change as a feminist if many people either misconstrue my intentions and ideas, or simply don’t see feminism as relevant to their own lives.

Anti-feminism can also cause feminists to “burn out.” It can be very frustrating and tiresome to constantly defend one’s beliefs to other people. However, I do what I can to avoid burning out and maintaining my resolve. To do so, I try to surround myself with a support system of feminist friends and family (both men and women) who I can vent to or look to for advice.

4.) What do you think about the historical timeline of women’s rights and how it may affect equal rights today (equality in the workplace, suffrage, etc.)?

There have been distinct waves of feminism in America. We are currently in the third wave and I see it as having a different set of goals and values from the first two. I think the first wave was crucial in that it secured women’s right to vote and granted women official personhood in the public sphere (in conjunction with the abolition movement which achieved personhood for black men). The second wave was also important (in conjunction with the Civil Rights movement) in achieving protection for minority groups (it is interesting to note that women are the largest “minority group” in the world).

Today we face a different set of problems. Most glaring to me is that the success of the first two waves have almost lulled contemporary women into a sense of complacency. As a whole we’ve made so many strides that some women (so-called “anti-feminists”, or “non-feminists”) believe that the “fight” is over. However there are still many instances of sexism. For example, we live in what some term a “rape culture.” There are lots of problems with how we as a society deal with sexual violence and domestic violence. There is still a wage disparity between men and women. Young women are still dealing with body image issues, slut shaming and live in a web of double standards that can be damaging to their self-esteem and autonomy. Etcetera.

5.) What are some issues today that concern gender equality and how do feminists like yourself wish they would change?

(I think I covered some of this in the above paragraph, so I’ll keep my answer brief)

I would like to see a society in which young women can dress and act and speak however they choose without fear of judgment or shame. I would like to see less regulation of women’s sexuality (i.e. no slut shaming, more positive role models, healthier attitudes towards our bodies). I’d like to see more women in power.

I think capitalism also fuels a lot of anti-feminist sentiment through commercials, problematic images in the media, corporate interests and so on. It supports a system in which there are the “haves” and the “have nots.” I think all oppressions (race, sex, etc) are interconnected and therefore as long as we live in a country that is based on inequality on a basic level (who holds the wealth vs who doesn’t) we cannot hope to overcome sexism, racism, and other forms of prejudice.

6.) What do you think about the idea that both pro-feminism and anti-feminism causes a confusion regarding gender roles? Do you think some women sacrifice their individuality for what society says they should conform to?

Excuse me if I’m misinterpreting the question. Essentially, most decisions we make are influenced by society in some way. Even when it comes down to shaving our armpits (something many American women do without pause for thought). In the 1920′s, I believe, Gilette ran a very successful series of ad campaigns in which it told women that in order to be “clean” and “neat” and desirable to men, they should shave their armpits — using a Gilette razor, naturally. Since then, shaving one’s armpits has become second nature to most American women. When you start growing body hair, your mother or some female figure in your life will explain gently that women should shave and will buy you your first (often pink!) razor. If you miss a day, you might encounter a lover or a friend who will tell you “oops, looked like you missed a spot!” That is just one example of how society has trained us to redefine how we see our bodies (hairless rather than hairy) and has trained our loved ones to aid in the regulation of our bodies.

Feminists and anti-feminists alike are “victims” of this societal groupthink. I think the difference is that feminists are more aware of the influence society has on their decision-making and actively work to resist such groupthink. Anti-feminists, perhaps, are either blithely unaware or have convinced themselves that it’s okay.

I’m a choice feminist, which means I believe everyone deserves the autonomy to think and act as they desire as long as it does not injure or offend others (thus robbing them of their autonomy). Therefore, if a woman decides to shave her armpits, I do not think there is anything wrong with it. In fact, I shave my armpits. The only difference? Every time I do, I acknowledge that this is a choice highly influenced by society and capitalism, but have decided that it’s what I want to do anyway.