Letters

It frightens me when I contemplate that the way I live my life -- free to remain single, work, travel, walk around outside, dress as I will, gather with men and women outside those of my immediate family, and enjoy the protection of Canadian law, which prohibits my personal violation -- cannot be taken for granted. Do not overlook the following: For all the human beings who've walked the planet, this way of life has been possible for less than 30 years -- and still only in certain parts of the world. To think that the freedoms we've won are here to stay, a perpetual norm, takes more optimism than I possess. As far as I see it, in the long line of human history, my ability as a woman to live this way could very well be a blip on the socio-anthropological radar. In this light alone, "feminism" as a movement remains relevant and, as a term, deserves its place in our lexicon.

-- Jody Cooper

It seems quite obvious that all the problems with the word "feminism" stem from the fact that people are trying to use a single word to describe a movement that represents 3 billion people.

No other movement I can think of feels the need to identify itself with a single word. Just because the struggle for reproductive rights of East African women and the fight for more women in the boardroom both involve women doesn't mean both struggles need to have the same name.

-- Aran Johnson

Feminism has not "become" a dirty word; it has always been a dirty word. Aligning oneself with it has never been fashionable. It's significant that Traister's anecdote-based article contains no statistics regarding the number of women who identified as feminists at the height of the feminist movement. I suspect the percentage would be greater now than it was then.

So this is all Salon can come up with in the wake of Sandra Day O'Connor's explosive news? The most important thing that your new young feminists kept pointing out was that they weren't ugly and fat, and that they could wear makeup and be heterosexual. As one of those hairy dykes the supposed feminists speak of so derisively, I think I'll keep my label, but dump my subscription.

-- Mary Clark

To me feminism, the modern version -- not my mother's true call for equality -- is about getting more for women even at the expense of equality for men.

Any discussion about equality needs to be a discussion involving everyone. Not just white middle-class women. It needs to include minorities and men.

Young men want everyone to be equal too. But we are not allowed to be part of the discussion. There are a lot of things that men are not allowed to do. I can't take a job as nurse, or day care worker, or raise children without a lot of ridicule from the very women who claim to be feminists.

How can we all achieve equality when only one section of society is allowed to discuss the topic?

Forgive me for speaking like this. But does the fact that I have a penis mean my thoughts don't count?

-- Jay C.

I strongly disagree with comments in this article regarding feminism and race, the principal argument being that "women of color" have been somehow ignored or abused by mainstream feminists. Feminism's main concerns have always been political and legal equality. The original suffragists were not fighting for the rights of Republican women, or busty women, or Irish women. They fought for women. So do we.

Rebecca Walker complains that, "They have not de facto done their work around race." Walker fails to understand that whenever a fight for fundamental liberties is parsed into subsets and factions, it is immediately weakened. It is especially weakened should it try to "reach out" to mythological racial factions. An opinion that begins "As a [fill in the blank]" is seriously missing the point of feminism. Feminism is simply part of the larger goal of universal human rights. One needn't even say "As a woman..." or "As a man..." If you have something to say, don't wait for a color-coded or religion-coded or sex-coded invitation. Stand up and talk.

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner's comments about "re-appropriating" feminism from its negative connotations were offensively stupid. No amount of right-wing spin can drag "feminist" down to the level of "nigger." And no amount of left-wing rationalization will ever convince me that "nigger" has been rehabilitated for African-Americans. "Nigger" is for creeps and morons who hate themselves, no matter who says it.

With these sorts of bizarre distractions, no wonder the F word is in trouble.

-- Conrad Spoke

Does it matter what we call feminism? Seriously, does it?

It seems to me that the more time we spend bickering about whether or not we're feminists, humanists, egalitarians or any other such word, the less time we have to, say, discuss the best way to go about finding and promoting someone to replace Sandra Day O'Connor.

I don't label myself anything in particular. Feminist? Sure! Humanist? Why not? Fat, ugly dyke? Wouldn't be my choice of words, but if it's yours then by all means, run with it.

How about this: Instead of asking me what I am, ask me what I believe in. Look at what I work toward rather than what cheeky sound bite sticker I may or may not slap on myself. Or have slapped on me.

Even if we do come up with one all-encompassing word, there are still going to be a thousand variations underneath. Not every feminist believes the same thing, not every humanist -- sure it's more complicated, but this isn't a simple issue. And yes, it'll be demonized at some point. So what? Women's rights should be about the issues, not the name.

-- Emily Rush

Next Page: "Feminists are just a bunch of middle-class white women who have nothing better to do with their time"

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