I am pro-choice and pro lots of other things as well...pro-empowerment, pro-equality, pro-equal wages, pro-diversity, pro-health care...and I'm against things as well... anti-discrimination, anti-essentialist, anti-violence....
But as I read and read and read the ongoing pro/anti choice debate, I realize that there are "feminists" who are anti-choice. They claim they are "pro-mother" and "pro-family." I, too, am pro-mother and pro-family. I am, after all, pro-choice. And I support those women who choose motherhood. But can I support those women and men who are anti-choice? Which, according to my post yesterday, means anti-trust. Can you be a feminist and not trust women? Can you be a feminist and vote for people who do not trust women?
I think I'm coming down on the "hell to the no" side. But this third wave/post feminist/sex positive/post-post feminist world we live in is VERY accepting. You can be a feminist and wear high heels (which I do!). You can be a feminist and wear a Hooters shirt (which I don't). You can be a feminist and patron strip clubs (which I really don't). You can be a feminist and stay at home with your kids (which I probably won't but I can't say for sure). Soooo...can you be a feminist and anti-choice?
You tell me.
Yeah...I'm probably done ruminating about this for a while...I've been consumed by it but I need to think about other things. Like school work...
But as I read and read and read the ongoing pro/anti choice debate, I realize that there are "feminists" who are anti-choice. They claim they are "pro-mother" and "pro-family." I, too, am pro-mother and pro-family. I am, after all, pro-choice. And I support those women who choose motherhood. But can I support those women and men who are anti-choice? Which, according to my post yesterday, means anti-trust. Can you be a feminist and not trust women? Can you be a feminist and vote for people who do not trust women?
I think I'm coming down on the "hell to the no" side. But this third wave/post feminist/sex positive/post-post feminist world we live in is VERY accepting. You can be a feminist and wear high heels (which I do!). You can be a feminist and wear a Hooters shirt (which I don't). You can be a feminist and patron strip clubs (which I really don't). You can be a feminist and stay at home with your kids (which I probably won't but I can't say for sure). Soooo...can you be a feminist and anti-choice?
You tell me.
Yeah...I'm probably done ruminating about this for a while...I've been consumed by it but I need to think about other things. Like school work...
Labels: feminism
1 Comments:
I am a feminist and pro-choice and pro-life. I do think a woman ultimately needs to make a decision about whether to carry her developing child to term. part of the privilege and responsibility of being a woman is holding the power of life and death. I also think women have an obligation to one another to protect each other as best we can from the decisions we might make in a crisis frame of mind. Take relationships, for example: good girlfriend tries her best to help her sister avoid making a romantic decision that could hurt her or someone else, and also stands by her if she makes that choice anyway and is there for whatever grief or fallout occur. If it turns out she was wrong and her friend made a good decision for herself that also respected the other involved, then a sister acknowledges her misjudgment.
Likewise with abortion, it is ultimately a woman's choice, but we have an obligation to help women to process that decision with as much information and support as possible, and to help her make the decision from a calm, non-crisis state of mind. It's simplistic to say that any interference with a woman's ability to immediately obstain an abortion without informed consent,ultra sound, objective counseling and a respectful waiting period is tantamount to "not trusting women." We shouldn't trust ourselves to act immediately when we're in a crisis. And we should have the maturity to recognize that in ourselves. When we do, only then can ultimately honor and trust ourselves with the decision we make for ourselves and our developing children.
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