When & How Did You Discover You Were a Feminist?

Question

I'm just sort of curious about people who weren't raised by a feminist. Were you in college? What was it in you that said I want to be part of that?

Since I was raised with the ideaology, I think its important to point out that my Mom loved my Dad, we took showers and even shaved our pits, we wear make-up and enjoy shopping (my Mom said this was not lookin good for the man, but more a way of self expression and just lookin good for yourself). We even love to nurture our children. Being raised in the 70's, my Mom thought it was important for me to grow up knowing that just because I was female didn't mean I was any less valuable than a male. Period. I mowed the lawn, took out the trash, picked up dog poo, used power tools, you name it, drive motorcycles, and I can spit a watermelon seed farther than anyone.

This is why I'm curious how you came into this and how you incorporate into your daily life. I don't even think about it, you know? It was just our way of life.

EDIT: Funny Danagasta, but I am Cherokee too. I never thought of how that affected this idealogy. Good point. My Grandpa tried to run for political office in AR years and years ago, but lost because he was a liberal democrat and Cherokee. Go figure.

Answer 1

Same here, it was just our way. My mother was raised that way as well--my grandmother was one of the first women sent to school to learn computers (and this was during the days of the UNIVAC.) She worked in the test center at South Central Bell in Knoxville, TN (now BellSouth.)

Both of them taught me it didn't matter whether I wore makeup, as I was free to do so (I haven't here lately, although I do consider it a valid art form.) My mother is the power tool queen, and you can bet she'll be lost over in the sanders when we head to Home Depot. She and my stepfather met at a martial arts conference, and they're the perfect team.

The big difference in my case is that there's a heavy Cherokee influence in the way our family works. Mom is mostly Irish, but my grandmother is mostly Cherokee on that side, and my father's family is full Cherokee. We have a different view on things like that, and never had a special term like "feminism" for it. It's just life in a matriarchal culture.

Answer 2

I'm not quite sure how it happened — I guess I just figured as a kid that it was better to be a feminist than not. I started taking it seriously after some intense social discussions with an old friend of mine and reading The Feminine Mystique.

Answer 3

I'm not technically a feminist myself, but I do believe women everywhere in this world deserve better treatment than they have been given.

I got into the idea of feminism when one of my friends introduced me to a band called Le Tigre. I think they show a really good message to all girls and women that you shouldn't have to take the crap that men and society puts you through, and that you can actually do something about it rather than just complain.

Answer 4

I was very young. my mother was ahead of her time and raised me to be a free, independent woman. My father backed this up and supported this way of thinking.

Answer 5

when i learned about the injustices committed upon women and how my fellow colleagues backed it up i knew i was.

Answer 6

I'm not.