Who here is a current or former feminist activist? Can you tell us about your activities?

Question

Personally, I was involved in the Women's Movement, back in the day, started a group in my local community, with the help of other women and some men, in order to educate the community. We received support and assistance from various community leaders and organizations including the YWCA. We also supported women locally who were experiencing difficulties related to sexism. Lets hear some things that others have done, are doing or are planning.

Answer 1

I've not done much, but I am also still fairly young. Most of my work has been through volunteering with organizations like Planned Parenthood or doing grunt work for talks and rallies. I'm not the kind of person you'd see on the front lines with signs or burning my bra, but I do what I can.

In my professional life, I work as hard or harder than the men around me. I actually managed to make a name and reputation for myself in an male-dominated industry. If I see something sexist that makes me angry, I take the steps to fight it or bring it to attention.

Answer 2

I have been involved with feminism since the second wave. I am now working in research and trying with other feminists to achieve some parity for those people that are suffering from oppression because of ableism, sexism, heterosexism, racism, classism, ageism, etc. Feminism has come a long way but unfortunately because the influence of some it still has a long way to go. The imbalance of power in our society needs to be corrected so that all can benefit from the resources available without worrying about being stigmatized for having different viewpoints. Goddess bless.

Answer 3

The best of feminism is good for all of humanity. That which will enrich the lives of all people. A good role model as a feminist will be one that really can make everyone feel that they are lucky to know her, men women and children are all luck to know her and she will be remembered where ever she goes.

My grandfather was a good feminist because he treated women like the knowers that they are.

The fun and hardworking things that I have done is teach art workshops on mask-making to groups of people to empower their spirit. Activism isn't always public. Its personal too.

Answer 4

I lived in New Orleans in 1969 and one day passed a "Woman's Liberation Clearing House". I was drawn in and despite the lack of makeup (surely they were lesbians) and the haggard surroundings (donated), I stayed to learn. I checked books out of the lending library, went to consciousness-raising groups, in sociologoy classes concentrated my work on pointing out stereotypes in marketing and language.

I devoured Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Brownmiller, Our Bodies-Ourselves, and so on.

When I finally became active it was with a group trying to dissolve the old stereotypes about rape. We called ourselves NOWAR (New Orleans Women Against Rape). We showed up in the courtrooms during rape trials, wrote letters to the editor, that sort of thing.

A few of us hard core members thought the mainstream wasn't going far enough, so we had about 1,000 posters printed up that we nailed on telephone poles all over town. The posters were just a tad bit over the edge: "Warning, Men who Rape will have their Penises cut off by NOWAR". We were tried, found guilty, and drummed out the group and had to turn in our NOWAR buttons.

From that day forward, I realized that I might have a problem with rage, so have limited my activities to being a good (and quiet) volunteer for Victims of Domestic Violence, foster parenting, working with end-stage AIDS patients, CASA, Books to Prisoners, YMCA, Girls' Clubs, and the ilk. I have never stopped thinking of myself as a feminist and thrust out my chest when I see all the advances we have made. I hope in my lifetime to see a woman president of the US.

Thanks for the memories...

Answer 5

I grew up in small rural towns, so in college I got involved with feminist and glb groups on campus. After college I got married, but worked as computer programmer with primarily men. The guys my age were great, the older guys? Some couldn't handle a women "doing a man's job"..ugh. Most guys were cool, but it just takes a couple of guys making jokes about your "abilities" to make you feel gross...

I got involved with NOW and loved going to and organizing marches for women's equality day, mlk day, take back the night marches (at local colleges after a string of rapes on campus), glbt marches (local and dc), pro-choice rallies and marches (local and dc), "love" marches (vs KKK rallies, we had a lot here in the 80's)...

I got interested in rock climbing and got tired of the guys I rock climbed with either falling in love with me or their female partners getting jealous, so after I went on a couple of outward bound trips I started an outdoor woman adventure group...took and/or organized trips to go rock climbing, canoeing, sailing, x-country skiing, mtn biking, rafting, camping, backpacking, hiking, sea kayaking, etc.

I also worked as a ropes course facilitator and wilderness canoe guide. Ran out of money and worked again as a computer programmer, then since I get bored easily, I worked at a help desk, then became its coordinator then team leader, worked as computer trainer, worked as a computer instructor, then coordinator, then director and now am a computer program administrator.

I think it's funny when a guy says lesbians hate men..the worst male bashers I've run across are heterosexual divorced women. Most of the lesbians I've known don't hate men at all, they just don't think about men very much...some people are so insecure that ignoring them is the same to them as hating them...

I thought the glbt, religious, and society & culture areas of Y Answers were filled with the most hate, but I think the women's studies area is just about as bad...

Happy trails!

Answer 6

I'm a former feminist activist... until I found out you were all blatant liars and trying to quash the rights of men as much as possible.

Now I'm more interested in real issues of equality.

My current activities involve:

Cluebatting gender bigots on yahoo answers with lesbian looking avatars, of which approximately 100% claim to be a millionaire and married to a "real man" for years and/or have men chasing them around all day long, whilst claiming other whoppers like "Domestic violence kills more women each year than men were killed in the Vietnam war." or "Women get paid 70c for a man's dollar".