“The first resistance
to social change is to say it’s not necessary.” – Gloria Steinem
I don’t offend people on purpose. In fact, I am a very
open-minded person. I hold my beliefs quite strongly, and I am (more than)
happy to share those beliefs, but if someone does not agree with me, I don’t
turn into a “hater”. I may not choose to surround myself with people who
disagree with me, but I also will not dispute their right to their own
opinions.
But every now and then, I say something that offends people
without meaning to. For instance, what if I dropped the F-word right now? Would
you shame me? Run away and never read my blog again? Let’s find out.
Feminism.
Oh dear. There it is. The big bad F-word. Oh. Did you think
I meant something else? That other
F-word? That other one might be less offensive to people. “Feminism” bothers
people. It scares some people (but they won’t admit that). It makes a lot of
people extraordinarily nervous.
It’s the word that
does it, really.
If you asked people if they support the idea that men and
women should be treated equally, most would respond positively. If you asked
people if one gender should be placed in domination or a position of power over
the other, many – if not most – would say no. You have asked these two
questions without ever using the term “Feminism”, yet this is precisely what
Feminism is. It is the idea that men and women have equal rights and sovereignty.
That’s not so frightening, is it? Looking at that, why on
earth would anyone – man or woman – not be a feminist? How can you look at your
own mother, your sister, your aunt, your wife, your daughter, and think she is
not human enough to deserve every right and privilege that someone with an XY
chromosome enjoys? Feminism is such a simple concept. It is not a scary idea at
all.
So why the bad rap?
Well, it’s complicated…and it’s not.
Let’s start with the simple story. For a long time,
Feminists didn’t have the despicable reputation they have had since the 1970s.
In fact, Feminists in America have been around since the 1840s. But in the late 1970s,
Phyllis Schlafly swooped in to destroy the Equal Rights Amendment and taint the
term “Feminist’ as a whole. She called Feminists “radicals” and claimed they
would destroy the traditional American family. She convinced conservative
America that Feminists were mostly concerned about abortion, they were chafing
against their roles as wives, and that the ERA would mean daughters would be
forced into the military draft. Because of her efforts, the ERA was never
ratified in the states and Feminists were now viewed with suspicion, often with
hatred, and always as man-haters.
Thanks, Phyllis. You're a peach.
The truth of the Feminist movement is much more complex, and
ties much more closely to the changes the country was going through. Typically,
the Feminist movement is seen in three waves. The first wave dates from the
Seneca Falls gathering in 1848. This was the first Women's Convention ever in the US. This was with beginning of the women's suffrage movement in America. Clearly, Feminism is not a modern concept. The
question then, of course, because of the time period and the tone of the
country, was whether to push for women’s rights or for civil rights. The Civil
War saw the emancipation of slavery (in theory), and Feminists began pushing
harder for women’s rights, yet the right to vote was not achieved until the 19th
amendment was ratified in 1920.
The second wave of Feminism has an early date from WWII when masses of
women flooded the workforce. Sixteen million men had gone to war, and women
were called upon to leave the home and keep the economy functioning. This had
never happened before. Men, who had always ruled the country and the employment
roster, had never invited women into the workforce. But now, Rosie the Riveter showed
them the way. Suddenly, women were taught that they could be productive,
earning members of society. They were valuable. They had worth beyond the
incubating power of their wombs. Those chains that bound them to ovens and dinner
tables were no longer entirely welcome, and when the boys came home from ‘over
there’, the women in the workforce didn’t necessarily want to leave the jobs
they’d come to love.
This WWII date, though, was almost a default start date because of the war. By the 1960s and 1970s, though, it was no longer default. It was active. Women were eager to take control of their own bodies and their own lives. There were protests in Atlantic City outside the Miss America pageants. Many women were tired of being seen solely on the basis of appearance. Bra-burning, the motto of the powerful Sojourner Truth "Ain't I a Woman?" began to gain popularity. Society was changing, and everyone could feel it.
Back in 1923, Alice Paul (all hail Alice Paul… “hail!”)
introduced the Equal Rights Amendment stating that no one can be discriminated
against in the United States based on gender, be that person male or female.
This amendment failed to pass. It was reintroduced every year, and every year
it failed. However, in 1972, it hit its time and suddenly took off. It had
incredible support. It passed in federal congress, which meant that it now went
to the states. It needed to be ratified by both houses in the states in 38
states in order to be added as an amendment to the Constitution. In no time at
all, 30 states ratified it. Suddenly, support slowed. Support crept to 33
states. Then out of nowhere came Phyllis Schlafly and her anti-ERA campaign.
By the deadline in June of 1982, only 35 states had ratified the amendment, it
was 3 short, and the ERA was dead. Each year, the ERA is re-introduced in
congress, and each year it fails to re-ignite. This needs to change. The time
is now.
We are long overdue to guarantee the rights of all the
people.
Feminism’s third wave began generating in the late 1980s, around 1988ish, but is often given the official date of 1993.
A new generation of thinkers, writers, artists, and activists were coming of
age. Having grown up through the machismo of the 80s, a decade where Feminism
took a heavy hit, this new generation took the time to rework it, give it a
facelift, and add their own touches. Feminism in the past had often been
thought to pertain only to upper class white women. This newer generation
brought to it the idea of women of color, immigrant women, lower class women, working
women, and stay-at-home women: “Feminists” in all meanings of the word. Feminism was individually driven, looked at and considered on a one-to-one basis, and communicated on a singular level.
Then we arrive at the controversial and much-contested "Fourth Wave". Has it dropped, people wonder. Are we living in the fourth wave? Yes, we most certainly are. As of 2008, this is a Fourth-Wave world. As each wave has before it, the Fourth Wave gathers strength from the previous three. The Fourth Wave is tech-heavy and inclusive. Third-Wave Feminists saw the inclusion of People of Color, immigrants, all classes, and all jobs. Fourth Wavers include all people. Those in the Fourth Wave understand that feminists include men, women, and the LGBTQIA community because it is all about equal rights. That's all a feminist wants. The Fourth Wave dates from the first generation who has grown up with the Internet as an integrated part of their lives; it wasn't learned after the fact. It was lived. This allows for a more inclusive life and more information to spread with the push of a button.
Feminists are not plotting to take over the world. Feminists
are not “man-haters” or anti-man. We are in favor of equality, of justice, of
parity. The Equal Pay Act does not quite work. I still make less than my male
colleagues, despite our matched qualifications. Males still tend to be promoted
over females. These are facts. I cannot blame for this. People are raised a
certain way and a certain type of thinking takes time to change. I can only
educate and hope the general framework changes.
What is the point of this long-winded lecture?
Feminism isn’t a bad thing. Equality isn’t a bad thing. And
you don’t have to be a woman to be a Feminist. Men need to take up the banner
as well. Being a Feminist doesn’t mean that we don’t need the support of our
men. We most definitely do. If any ideology is to change, it takes the support
of the entire community, not a community divided against itself.
When I’m asked if I’m a Feminist, my answer is, “Of course I’m
a Feminist. I’m all for equality. Why aren’t you?”
I love this shirt, despite the terrible grammatical mistake