Amuirin, I love her, too. Which makes me wish she weren’t the voice for Kaiser’s THRIVE ads, because Kaiser has done my family wrong twice in one year. They suck, and don’t care if you thrive or rot. Sorry, mini rant there. 😉
Nance, glad your boys are feminists. It’s the best kind of -ist to be, along with humanist.
I’m a humanist and a feminist. I believe that all human life is valuable–even the life of the unborn. I am one feminist who doesn’t associate her feminism with keeping abortion legal. Someone has to be a voice for the unborn females, who often never get a chance to live their lives because their lives aren’t valued from the start.
I just think it important to note that you can be a feminist and not be pro-choice. I am one of them.
The two issues are often so closely aligned that it gets frustrating for me because I feel strongly about being a feminist and I also feel strongly about protecting the unborn. Both my husband and my father were adopted. If it weren’t for their very brave birth mothers, I would have neither my husband nor my own life. I never would have been born had my Dad been aborted.
Being a feminist is entwined with pro-choice for me, because I feel that without reproductive freedom, women can never attain true social equality. However, I do respect that there are other views out there. I suspect that most of the ‘first wave’ feminists were pro-life. I have read that that Susan B. Anthony was, for example, though that is contested by many.
Just the other day I was trying to remember who was the voice of Kaiser.. Now I totally remember!
Very interesting point Starshine makes! I honestly hadn’t thought of separating the two issues. I mean, as I read her comment I was like duh! but through the years the “PR” of the pro-choice movement does seem like it has come along with a feminist message. Thank you for bringing that up.
Thanks for sharing this J. This brings up issues in our world that I believe I take for granted in this country today. Not that there is full equality for the sexes now, but I tend to just roll with things, don’t want to rock the boat, and since it doesn’t effect me in a smack-me-upside-my-head sort of way, I tend to forget.
I agree with Starshine. With any “ism,” there’s the presumption that whatever is associated with it, one must, at some level, agree with all the various planks to be considered part of the club.
12 Comments
Nance
Definitely. I’m proud to say that all the residents of the Dept. are feminists–my boys just never considered there was any other “-ism”.
amuirin
I love that chick from the West Wing, C.J. Hers always seems like the voice of reason.
J
Amuirin, I love her, too. Which makes me wish she weren’t the voice for Kaiser’s THRIVE ads, because Kaiser has done my family wrong twice in one year. They suck, and don’t care if you thrive or rot. Sorry, mini rant there. 😉
Nance, glad your boys are feminists. It’s the best kind of -ist to be, along with humanist.
Starshine
I’m a humanist and a feminist. I believe that all human life is valuable–even the life of the unborn. I am one feminist who doesn’t associate her feminism with keeping abortion legal. Someone has to be a voice for the unborn females, who often never get a chance to live their lives because their lives aren’t valued from the start.
I just think it important to note that you can be a feminist and not be pro-choice. I am one of them.
J
Starshine, while we don’t agree on choice, I agree completely that you don’t have to be pro-choice to be a feminist!
Starshine
Thanks, J! 🙂
The two issues are often so closely aligned that it gets frustrating for me because I feel strongly about being a feminist and I also feel strongly about protecting the unborn. Both my husband and my father were adopted. If it weren’t for their very brave birth mothers, I would have neither my husband nor my own life. I never would have been born had my Dad been aborted.
J
Being a feminist is entwined with pro-choice for me, because I feel that without reproductive freedom, women can never attain true social equality. However, I do respect that there are other views out there. I suspect that most of the ‘first wave’ feminists were pro-life. I have read that that Susan B. Anthony was, for example, though that is contested by many.
Theresa Bakker
Yay, J. Feminists Rule. Thanks for hosting a good conversation about it.
Cherry
Just the other day I was trying to remember who was the voice of Kaiser.. Now I totally remember!
Very interesting point Starshine makes! I honestly hadn’t thought of separating the two issues. I mean, as I read her comment I was like duh! but through the years the “PR” of the pro-choice movement does seem like it has come along with a feminist message. Thank you for bringing that up.
Thanks for sharing this J. This brings up issues in our world that I believe I take for granted in this country today. Not that there is full equality for the sexes now, but I tend to just roll with things, don’t want to rock the boat, and since it doesn’t effect me in a smack-me-upside-my-head sort of way, I tend to forget.
Angie
Definitely worth sharing. Thanks. I’ll be sharing this with my daughters.
Py Korry
I agree with Starshine. With any “ism,” there’s the presumption that whatever is associated with it, one must, at some level, agree with all the various planks to be considered part of the club.
Karen MEG
Thanks for sharing this J! It was excellently done, and highlights that gender has nothing to do with feminism, and shoots down so many stereotypes.