Feminists Are the Majority

According to CNN box stats flashed on-screen, over half the delegates to the Democratic National Convention are women. They were in evidence at two events that took place on Monday.

From 8am-2pm, a symposium entitled Unconventional Women was held. The lead organizer of the event was former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, Swanee Hunt. Sliding scale admission fees benefited four nonpartisan partners: Women's Voices, Women Vote; Women's Campaign Forum; Latina Initiative; The White House Project.

"Politics without women like you is a recipe for injustice," was the tag line. In a television interview with local news, Hunt spoke about the impact women have when they become involved in a political structure, such as Congress. She maintained that the influence of women creates a shift in budget priorities -- to the areas of education, health care, and the environment. Hunt also observed that women drive a focus to groups that have been traditionally marginalized.

In the afternoon, a "Feminist Gathering and Celebration of Women's Equality Day" was hosted by the National Organization of Women, The Feminist Majority, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and the National Association of Social Workers. Behind a podium draped with a banner that declared, "Feminists are the Majority," a series of speakers addressed the assembled crowd.

Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority, told listeners, "Feminists are everywhere." She qualified the Democratic platform as "the strongest platform for women's rights every adopted by a major party in the United States." She discussed how it opposed "any and all efforts to undermine Roe v. Wade," adding, "You name it, we got it in." She talked about the strength of the Democratic ticket asserting that on women's issues, "Sen. Biden has been there time and time again."

EMILY'S List President, Ellen R. Malcolm, stated, "I think we are going to see change in this country because we are going to have the largest turnout of women we have seen in decades." She spoke about the anger of women who had been "left behind by the Bush Republicans," and how "women have the power to take our country back."

Congresswoman Maxine Waters thanked the attendees for standing up for the women of "this nation and this world" while urging that women's issues not be compromised. Kim Gandy, President of NOW, emphasized that the issue wasn't just about protecting women's rights, but "moving them forward."

Reflecting on the critical importance of the 2008 election, Congresswoman Jackie Speier invoked the specter of a Supreme Court with McCain appointees. She said of each individual's need to participate, "If we don't do it, it won't get done."

On a humorous note, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney noted, "This is the strongest pro-woman platform I have seen since I learned to read." A strong advocate of the ERA, she pointed out that it had been reinstated after its deletion in 2004.

There were special remarks to commemorate the achievements and contributions of Stephanie Tubbs Jones (1949-2008).

During prime time convention coverage, the visibility of women on stage was matched by that of women delegates on the floor. The evening ending with Michelle Obama's rousing speech and call to arms, "The world as it is, just won't do."

Comments

[RobinSeattle]

Nothing like a little sexual parochialism, huh? The fact remains that feminists are often as sexist as men are and are too willing to tolerate unfeminist concepts such as alimony and using procreation as a financial tool to name but two.

The ne plus ultra of feminism, at least as I originally understood it, was true equality between the sexes where both men and women have equal chance at attaining their dreams while ushering in a new era of honesty. Unfortunately, what we have now is women having it both ways while men are confined to the stereotypical roles we have always had imposed on us by American culture and we also bear the overwhelming financial burden in divorce settlements.

This has resulted in men flocking to the GOP because the political correctness and this feminist hypocrisy is so imbued in the Democratic Party that males, especially whjte males, feel like they are under siege and being scammed. They are tired of the non-stop guilt trips laid on them and the often condescending way women now look at them. NOW is largely regarded as an enemy of men, as It has gone from addressing justified female grievances into an ethos of near feminist supremacy.

You have to realize that you have created problems for the progressive movement by being so navel gazing and, at times, callous. The next goal of the women's movement should be reaching mutual understanding, not perpetuating the scams we are now afflicted with.

[standard]

"[F]eminists are often as sexist as men . . . "

While most of your comment is well taken (thank you for that!), what I've quoted is a little harsh. Some feminists ARE men, and not all men are sexist. There are plenty of white males of all ages who are Democrats, and who firmly believe that we are equal with those who differ from us, not superior to them.

Yes, radical feminist women can be a pain in the ass--but so can radical anybody. More men are Republicans than Democrats not, I think, because there are so many radical feminist women Democrats but because if you're doing OK in life, you have no special motivation to think for yourself and it's easy to just go along with a crowd--any crowd. When, inevitably, it becomes painfully evident that Republican policies exclusively benefit the established financial elite (Greedy Old Plutocrats), then modest numbers of nominal Republicans, men and women, manage to wake up, cross party lines and support their true self interests--and those of most Americans.

That will happen to some degree in the current Presidential race, radical feminists notwithstanding.

[RobinSeattle]

So what you're saying is that men are incapable of thinking for themselves and just let them get caught up in a tide of personal convenience. Thanks. As a leftwing white male, I really appreciate that bit of condescension.

The fact of the matter is that with wages being stagnant for the better part of two decades, men are not doing that well and fewer and fewer can support a family on just one income. Yeah, that is due to GOP policies, but the fact is also that feminists have demonized men while white men are also demonized by the party's black caucus. And since the Democratic Party has essentially become a woman's party, working class white males have increasingly abandoned our party because they are feeling less and less welcome.

It is thus up to not only the party leadership, but to the feminist and ethnic coalitions in the party to initiate a rapproachment with white working class males and address their concerns, their feelings and concretely demonstrate that they are indeed welcome and cherished within the party.

[truthskr]

Beg to differ - femininsts, particularly younger feminists, ARE indeed for equal treatment for ALL. This belief was one of the reasons I switched from Clinton to Obama after coming to believe that too many in the Clinton campaign were operating under pretensed of entitlement or that women are "owed" all while using racially charged rhetoric against Obama and trying to paint him as just another elitist, unqualified man being promoted over a supposed more experience woman.

Yes, there are women who view men negatively and as oppressive adversaries, but they are in the minority in the feminist community and becoming increasingly so.

I would suggest to all interested to pick up a copy of the book "The New Feminized Majority" which, while written well over a year ago, addresses and all but predicted the Democratic primary in pitch-perfect form, and addresses the future of feminism and feminized beliefs, supported by, and supportive of, men and women equally. The book also addresses the issues where you express concern, from both women's and men's shifting roles in society to the emerging and prevailing feminist partnership among men and women to promote a feminized agenda that serves all people, instead of as strictly opposing force to masculine dominance and a patriarchal hegemony.

[NABNYC]

I'm glad half the (unpaid, volunteer) delegates are women because it shows women's commitment to this party. Now how about if the Democratic party starts doing something for us? Women have for many decades made up the bulk of the phone calling, tabling, envelope-stuffing, volunteer work in campaigns. But let's talk about the paying positions. And there's so much money floating around in that convention hall I'm surprised everyone isn't coked out of their brains (given that the FBI keeps telling us all our dollars are covered with cocaine).

So let's look at the money. Show me the money. 16 senators are women out of 100 positions. 16% only, instead of the 50% we deserve. What's the percentage in the house? 20%? When exactly do we get 50% and what exactly are we waiting for? TV talking heads we know are still majority male. How about paid campaign staff, marketing gurus, TV camera persons? Percentage of women, please? How about if the Democratic party adopt this slogan for woman for every position: Fifty Percent And Not One Less. Then I'll be happy to attend seminars about feminist concepts. If women had the jobs and the money, we'd have no need for the seminars.

[PSD827]

Maybe instead of attending feminist seminars, you would be better served working for Emily's List and trying to enable women to reach that "50%" in Congress....

Then again, you may have to work along with all those other volunteers who aren't getting paid...

[UnbiasView]

That makes perfect sense since the Democratic primaries have been decided on feelings thus far.

[truthskr]

All politics is decided by emotion, on both sides of the aisle. Why do you think the Republicans always trot out issues - gays, guns, abortion, and God - that they know will inflame their base? It's the same reason they will will use Obama's race and background against him, as they would have Clinton's gender against her. Face it, America is filled with so called low-information voters who do not educate themselves on the issues or the candidates. Most people pull the lever for the person who most panders to their emotions, or looks the most like them. Wouldyou prefer than women, as well as men, be engaged and informed, as they are at these events?

[truthskr]

I attended the Unconventional Women event hosted by Swanee Hunt, and it was absolutely fabulous. If you left there uninspired and unmotivated to become a powerful female leader, you need to have both your heart and brain checked for signs of life. What an amazing event, with awe inspiring speakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Barbara Boxer, Marie Wilson, Donna Brazile, Senator Claire McCaskill, Representative Carolyn Maloney, and the list just goes on and on. Swanee Hunt's ingenious "sliding scale" ticket fee system ensured that all who wanted could attend, and those of us who could contribute more to the women's non-profits supporting event were able to. 3,000 women of all ages, from very young girls on up, and all backgrounds were in attendence and well represented. What an incredibly inspiring, and positive, way to commence the convention. Thank you Hunt Alternatives Fund!

[WorkingClass]

I want to begin to learn about the feminist movement. Can you direct me to a feminist leader who advocates for working class women? That would be a good entry point for me because thats where my interest lies. Thank You.

SOLIDARITY

[truthskr]

I would just start locally in your own area connecting with women's groups, foundations, and non-profits. I appreciate and share you interest in feminist leaders and groups promoting working class women as well as minority women. While I greatly respect, and have personally greatly benefitted, from the work of my second-wave feminist mothers, my one critique of their movement was that it really seemed to ultimately focus on only getting white, educated women ahead, breaking their glass ceilings, while sacrificing (maybe to some degree out of necessity) minority and working class women's issues. Much like trickle-down ecomonics has been a failure, so has trickle-down feminism, to an extent.