2008 Woodie Awards
Here's what a feminist looks like
Amy Cookson
Issue date: 12/9/04 Section: Op/Ed
- Page 1 of 1
I have a T-shirt I wear that proclaims "This is what a feminist looks like." Actually, I have two "feminist looks like" shirts, one is black and the other is what Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, called Radical Raspberry. Most people would call it bright pink.
The first time I wore this shirt was when I was in Washington, D.C. last semester. The other participants of the program were with me on a field trip. A friend from Gettysburg said he wanted to ask me about my shirt. Why was it pink? Don't feminists hate pink, or was that supposed to be the joke of the T-shirt? We don't hate pink, at least I don't.
My name is Amy, and I am a feminist. However, I have learned that when someone asks me if I'm a feminist, it is easier to ask how he or she defines feminism before I respond.
Some believe the Rush Limbaugh man-hating, hairy-legged femi-nazi is the only type of feminism. Just for the record, I have never met one of these types of feminists.
Some feminists believe in using their sexuality as power, rather than as a hindrance. This type of feminism is often called lipstick feminism. Other feminists would reject the use of sexuality.
I have a friend who does not consider herself a feminist, even though she holds some feminist ideals, because if she could have her way, she would raise her children and be a homemaker. While I and many other feminists would celebrate her choice, she fears she would be looked down upon by feminists.
To me, feminism is about choice. If you want to stay home and raise children and you can afford not to work, more power to you. Feminism recognizes that what is right for one is not necessarily right for another.
To me, feminism is also about equality. During the early 20th century when Alice Paul and the other members of the National Woman's Party were campaigning for women's suffrage, their slogan was "Men their rights and nothing more, women their rights and nothing less." This is how I feel.
Do I believe we live in a patriarchal society? To some extent. Do I think we, as women, are gaining more ground? Absolutely.
Thirty years ago when my mother graduated from law school, she was in the single-digit minority. Now, there are more women attending law school than men.
The women of my mother's generation are still making inroads in society. I'm sure many of you have heard the statistics regarding women as CEOs in Fortune500 companies or as partners in law firms: there aren't many women.
However, even the men who graduated from law school and business school thirty years are not yet running the world. Advancement takes time. Give us a little time, and we'll surprise you.
The first time I wore this shirt was when I was in Washington, D.C. last semester. The other participants of the program were with me on a field trip. A friend from Gettysburg said he wanted to ask me about my shirt. Why was it pink? Don't feminists hate pink, or was that supposed to be the joke of the T-shirt? We don't hate pink, at least I don't.
My name is Amy, and I am a feminist. However, I have learned that when someone asks me if I'm a feminist, it is easier to ask how he or she defines feminism before I respond.
Some believe the Rush Limbaugh man-hating, hairy-legged femi-nazi is the only type of feminism. Just for the record, I have never met one of these types of feminists.
Some feminists believe in using their sexuality as power, rather than as a hindrance. This type of feminism is often called lipstick feminism. Other feminists would reject the use of sexuality.
I have a friend who does not consider herself a feminist, even though she holds some feminist ideals, because if she could have her way, she would raise her children and be a homemaker. While I and many other feminists would celebrate her choice, she fears she would be looked down upon by feminists.
To me, feminism is about choice. If you want to stay home and raise children and you can afford not to work, more power to you. Feminism recognizes that what is right for one is not necessarily right for another.
To me, feminism is also about equality. During the early 20th century when Alice Paul and the other members of the National Woman's Party were campaigning for women's suffrage, their slogan was "Men their rights and nothing more, women their rights and nothing less." This is how I feel.
Do I believe we live in a patriarchal society? To some extent. Do I think we, as women, are gaining more ground? Absolutely.
Thirty years ago when my mother graduated from law school, she was in the single-digit minority. Now, there are more women attending law school than men.
The women of my mother's generation are still making inroads in society. I'm sure many of you have heard the statistics regarding women as CEOs in Fortune500 companies or as partners in law firms: there aren't many women.
However, even the men who graduated from law school and business school thirty years are not yet running the world. Advancement takes time. Give us a little time, and we'll surprise you.