Feminist blogs - a third wave? A fourth?
I’ve always maintained that ‘progress’ is not something easily defined at the outset. Some progress proves to be nothing at all; some prove to be missteps. People who knee-jerk to a litany of unbending progressive positions don’t strike me as truly progressive, because I consider Progressivism to include skepticism. It’s a process, not an end in itself.
I call myself a progressive, knowing that’s an oversimplification. I have some opinions on some issues that are more conservative.
And I’ve long held it’s similar in defining feminism. It’s not one animal, not a lockstep, not a petrified result, but a fluid process, a multi-pathed approach. It’s ultimately about women having the right to be right, to be wrong, to be undecided, in equal measure to the same diversity men have.
Thus, the Guardian’s article about feminist blogs seems awfully narrow. A third wave? How can we count all the waves in the ocean?
If you wish to see the diversity of opinion on one recent news incident, consider Jill from Feministe on the Duke Lacrosse Alleged Rape case. The consider Jeralyn Merritt’s take on her Talk Left blog.
Both are women I believe are feminists, as are many of the commenters to both. Sure, discussions will get heated when the topic’s sexual violence. But it’s the height of the points made on all sides that makes feminism wonderful and vital and essential, not some stereotype about what a feminist is that tries to pigeonhole a person so they can be dismissed.
Feminism is an ocean. People who denigrate it believe the planet could survive without the Pacific or Atlantic. It’s essential to the health of all of us as an evolution and revolution. It makes more sense to dismiss the pigeonholers as quaint defenders of the dead and gone.
April 2nd, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Feminism is dying but not fast enough I’m afraid. It’s as if the KKK just withered away rather than disappearing with more of a bang. The feminist blogs and writers I have seen deserve no “wave” title because they contribute nothing and have no philosophy. Feminist sexism has been pushed about as far as it can go. The victories of recent feminism all belong firmly to the ageing second wave.
It’s ultimately about women having the right to be right, to be wrong, to be undecided, in equal measure to the same diversity men have.
What a shame men don’t have the same right. What a shame nobody is allowed to speak for men or defend their rights. What a shame it is that what passes for sex equality in the blogosphere is monopolised by hate filled sexists who characterise men as violent demons and women as their angelic victims.
Feminism is like a horrible cancer at the heart of American progressives. While it exists there will be no chance of addressing genuine sexism.
Looking back on the old thread about the young woman who for whatever reason (we don’t know the circumstances) was convicted of making false claims in relation to accusing three men of rape … I was very surprised again to see so many people were willing to stand up to the feminist narrative that all men are rapists and that regardless of being found innocent the accused men were nevertheless to be assumed to be rapists.
Arguments for gender equality for men that I was having ten years ago were repeated by people I’ve never met or heard of before.
While the men’s movement and the movement for genuine sex equality (not so-called “equality” for women only) have no presence in the blogosphere at all that I am aware of, at least ten years on there are some who will stand up for equality. I’m not alone (*)
That’s a huge change for the better.
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(*) alone as being a lefty that supports gender equality that is