Families and feminism
This is for the feminist collab over at We Have Brains:
How much of your feminism flies in the face of your family? Do you find yourself at Thanksgiving dinner muffling your voice in favor of a ‘nice’ gathering? Or do you snap at your homophobic relative over the gravy?
I was fortunate enough to be raised by a feminist mother. She has been a terrific support to me throughout my feminist explorations (women’s studies classes, working for Women Against Rape, working at the shelter, coming home to be with my son). Sure, we argue about stuff (I think that we are all inherently racist and she’s very offended by that point of view; I am much more politically correct than she is; she was less concerned about gender stereotyping when she raised us) but generally we’re on the same side about things. She sends me email alerts and I send her ACLU petitions.
My older sister is a feminist, too, although less radically than I am.
My father’s a twit. What can I say. He’ll say, “You sound just like your mother” and not realize that this is a compliment.
My younger brother feels very antagonistic towards feminism because he thinks it’s chauvinistic. He isn’t a jerk (honestly!) and I’m sure it wasn’t easy growing up in a house full of feminist women who occasionally — well , more often than necessary — resorted to male-bashing to get through the day. There’s my little impressionable brother and there are these three women (or one woman and two near-women) talking about how much men suck. I guess if I was him, I’d develop a bit of an attitude, too.
In his real life, however, my brother is cool and he acts like a pro-feminist man. He’s respectful to women, has lots of women friends, and he votes the right way. Also, his issue is the environment so he gets pissed because I don’t take *that* as seriously as he does and I get pissed because he won’t listen to me bitch about the patriarchy.
My husband is pro-feminist, obviously or I wouldn’t have married him. My son, knock wood, will be a pro-feminist man someday, too.
Not a very interesting entry but what can I say? I’m pretty damn lucky. For us, a family gathering is an occasion for discussion and debate. We like that. We’re all liberals — feminist and pro-feminist — so any arguments we have are about ideas that are already within that liberal point of view. Much nicer than being related to republicans, let me tell you.
Thanks for replying to my first WHB post!
just wondering why you wouldnt have married your dh if her werent profeminist.
life can be different with someone who thinks differently. (ok, granted, its kinda offensive.) my dh is no feminist. and he and i disagree on alot of things. but there are so many other aspects of him that i do like.