feminist

[escritoireazul]

Do you consider yourself a feminist? The discussion in the comments looks like it will be interesting, and possibly anger-creating. Of course, that could just be me, because I'm already angry today. Bad day. Wish kickboxing was every night and not just Tuesdays.

Comments

[unanon.livejournal.com]

Kickboxing sounds like a good anger outlet. :( Better than my "drive around in the car screaming as loud as humanly possible" option.

Okay, the link to this discussion is pretty pertinent given the state of my brain lately. I just have been getting so upset lately with how little what is generally bandied about as the "feminist" perspective actually agrees with my way of thinking. I'm all kind so good with considering myself a feminist because, yes! I have girl parts and I care about anything and everything that is about them...and especially about when the world at large tries to decide that something is good/bad for my girl bits without my consent. But lately the term "feminist" seems to give people impressions that are just.not.me. *grumbles*

I've got a whole unfinished "I like being a girl and this is what it means for ME" rant back in a private post from last week. *facepalms* I just can't bring myself to make it public because it's really...it's really such an individual thing, y'know?

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

I do that driving around thing, too, but kickboxing is a better outlet, at least when I get to actually hit the bag.

"Feminist" labels are hard, and so varied it just makes it harder to have a discussion about without people feeling left out because what they believe doesn't fit what's being shouted or feeling they aren't feminist because they don't want the negative impressions or on and on. It's interesting, but frustrating all at the same time.

I think a movement (any movement) would benefit from being boiled down into a simple, base definition, which is just built on from their by the individual definition of, say, being a feminist, but that's hard to do, too. How do you take complex ideas and simplify them? And if you can, will the people accept that base?

I'd say feminism is simply wanting equality, full-stop, but then other people (who claim the feminist label and who don't) say, well, we have that or you can't have that without this or any number of things and then it gets messy and muddled again.

I think feminism is important, but I know it's hard and sometimes carries negative connotations or impressions which don't fit any individual feminist.