The Future of Feminism

Although I'm currently the President of the Hollywood Chapter of NOW, today I'm writing as young feminist who cares about the future of feminism.

The chasm between the "Second Wave" and "Third Wave" is growing ever more dangerous. As a young feminist who values the past and cares for the future, I'm struggling with how to bridge the two. The more that "Second Wave" leaders reject the issues and concerns of young women, the less inclined the "Third Wave" is to take up the mantle of our foremothers. This generational disconnect is alarmingly antithetical to the expressed purpose of the many incarnations of the feminist movement and yet it is the reality facing generations of feminist leaders today. I'd love to know what Betty Friedan would think of it all.

A recent example of this disconnect: the choice made by Shelly Mandell, President of Los Angeles NOW (and my neighboring feminist leader), to use her leadership title to publicly endorse Governor Palin against the feminist movement's sisterhood and in violation of basic NOW procedure. While other feminist leaders in California were protesting the anti-woman female candidate or honoring our beloved Hillary, Mandell thought she'd take a detour from the recognized feminist agenda and declare Palin a feminist.

Mandell's assessment of Palin could not be more inaccurate according to "Third Wave" standards. Biology alone does not constitute feminism. Let us not forget that Governor Palin's abandonment of women in her own state actively demonstrates her lack of commitment to women. And we cannot overlook her position on reproductive autonomy. The fact that Palin totes her biology as support for an identity as feminist -- not an expressed record of support -- is insulting to women and men who support the feminist agenda.

The modern feminist movement cares not about an activist's biology but rather about her/his activism. A commitment to campus safety and pay equity and marriage equality and positive body image are far more demonstrative of feminism than body parts. One could argue that Palin is as deserving of having her biology revoked as Mandell is of having her NOW membership revoked because they each have abused their respective "powers" in the name of feminism. I am saddened by their choices as women leaders. They do not represent me or my feminism.

My feminism includes healthcare for all -- it's why I'm voting for Obama/Biden.

My feminism respects our environment -- it's why I'm voting for Obama/Biden.

My feminism cares about women -- it's why I'm voting for Obama/Biden.

I am hopeful that feminists -- women and men alike -- who care about the future will embrace the ticket that embraces us. O-Biden '08!

Comments

[GalvestonKevin]

Speechless

Most of the independent women I know won"t be caught talking with some of these NOW people. They value the respect gained by being truly independent. Having your ideas reinforced by a small group of like minded people does not necessarily make for a great platform.

The "Now I get it" moment for most Americans happened when it became clear that the only rights being fought for were; legally stealing from your neighbor (free health care, day care, food stamps), being rewarding for the willful destruction of ones own family (no fault divorce, child support, alimony), and the right to terminate the life of ones own child.

[zabeth]

"The "Now I get it" moment for most Americans happened when it became clear that the only rights being fought for were; legally stealing from your neighbor (free health care, day care, food stamps), being rewarding for the willful destruction of ones own family (no fault divorce, child support, alimony), and the right to terminate the life of ones own child."

Agreed. I think the problem with modern day feminism is that it has become an exclusive club that doesn"t allow for a difference in opinion- and that's perfectly fine, if that's the intended purpose.

I"d like to consider myself a feminist as I am pro-choice (to an extent), I support equality and eliminating sexism and violence against women. However, I am not in favor of late term or partial birth abortion or allowing a teenager to have an abortion without her parent"s knowledge; I am against universal healthcare and other policies that bare resemblance to socialism; I am also a capitalist and a fiscal conservative. Does that make me less of a feminist or not a feminist at all because I"m not in 100% agreement with the feminist agenda?

[Jabes1966]

Berkeleygirl:
Actually it's the anti-male lies and laws (built on the lies) that turn the constitution to tp that have made feminists irrelevant.

[Poboy]

If feminism is what was supporting Hillary Clinton, questioning Barack Obama's feminist record, acting in a racist manner, disregarding Joe Biden's feminist record, supporting Sarah Palin, in total disregard of her anti-feminist record solely because she has a vagina, then I have to question if I am a feminist. Because I am not that.

I don't support women simply because they are women.

[RevJen]

You state that second-wave feminists do not take the concerns of young women seriously, a point you attempt to prove, as I understand it, using the example of one local NOW leader who endorsed Sarah Palin, against the organization's policy.

That's it? That's your big example of older feminists not taking young ones seriously?

All the second-wave feminists I know are horrified by the choice of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket. Every single one of them is furious at the notion that women are apparently interchangeable in a "Hmmm. Their woman lost, maybe if we get ourselves one, we'll do better" kind of way. This was not what they worked so hard for.

So, please. If you want to be taken seriously, make a better argument for why you should be. This one doesn't work.

[LinzND04]

Certainly not ALL second-wave feminists reject the concerns of the third-wave or vice-versa. I'm glad to hear you're in good company, and I appreciate veteran feminists who care about the future of the movement. I offer that instead of not taking me seriously, that you might consider offering mentorship and support to young women who want to carry your torch, the torch of feminism, into the future.

My point is that when second-wave feminists, who are viewed as tried-and-true activists for women, begin to ignore the concerns of young women who will lead the movement into the future, young women feel alienated and separate and are not encouraged to continue the movement. The recent - not exclusive - example I cited of this disconnect has been getting a lot of press, which illustrates to young feminists that that is the direction of the movement, that is the future of feminism, and for me (and it seems you too!) that is troubling.

[Marnie21]

Thank you for writing this piece. I can"t believe anyone would mistake Palin as a feminist. When looking at her policy positions she clearly doesn"t support women"s rights. Also thank you for speaking out about The NOW LA President who endorsed Palin, I was shocked and never heard anything rebutting it on the news. I consider myself a young feminist in fact my dream after I finish college is to work for NOW. So thank you so much for being a champion on behalf of women every where.

[berkeleygirl1962]

Thanks, Lindsey. It's disgraceful "leaders" like Shelley Mandell who have made institutional bourgeois feminism so irrelevant to the lives and politics of working- and middle-class women. Keep up the good fight.