I am honored to be nominated by a few of my exceptional students Summer and Michelle for this post. In their hands, the future of this fight and of women is secure:
First and foremost, I am a feminist because I am a humanist – and women are human beings. I believe every human being – including women – deserves to be heard. Every human being deserves respect. In this vein, women are the same as any man. They are citizens, engineers, teachers, caregivers, dancers, bakers, mothers, doctors, lawyers, athletes, writers, surfers, patrons, artists, intellectuals – they are anything they want to be and have the will to pursue.
Daisy Buchanan said that “all a girl can be in this world, [is] a beautiful little fool.” She had it right in 1920 and she learned to thrive in that world. I am a feminist because too many men in our modern world are trying to make this statement true 94 years later.
Just a few days ago on a group here in Tel Aviv someone posted this: “About loosing faith that there are any normal women out there. Someone with no crazy ideas…crazy behavior, crazy plans, crazy opinions 'bout men. Someone you don't feel like shaking your head in disbelieve after 15 min of conversation and want to scream out loud "c'mon babe, cut the crap!"” Besides the fact that this brilliant guy can’t spell losing, he pretty much sums up the beliefs of most men I know – any woman who thinks differently from me, any woman who voices her own ideas or plans or opinions, is crazy. I mean, “c’mon babe.” Because that’s all a girl is right now: a babe. Cut the crap.
I am a feminist because I want the world that my beautiful and brilliant nieces grow up in to be different from the one I did. So far I don’t see that happening. I see rape on the rise in high schools, in colleges, and in the military – a physical reaction to woman gaining louder voices, an attempt to put them back in “their places.” I see demeaning status updates – a public declaration that women have a place without a voice, another attempt to keep women quiet. I hear dismissal over dinner tables and in classrooms and in meetings with professionals and in “polite” conversation. And all of us “crazy” women continue to say “No. I and every other woman on this earth is more than a “babe” and we will not “cut the crap.”” Because it’s not crap. Because we have important things to add to the great conversation and we will be heard. We will be heard.
We are feminists, no matter if we call ourselves that or not.
First and foremost, I am a feminist because I am a humanist – and women are human beings. I believe every human being – including women – deserves to be heard. Every human being deserves respect. In this vein, women are the same as any man. They are citizens, engineers, teachers, caregivers, dancers, bakers, mothers, doctors, lawyers, athletes, writers, surfers, patrons, artists, intellectuals – they are anything they want to be and have the will to pursue.
Daisy Buchanan said that “all a girl can be in this world, [is] a beautiful little fool.” She had it right in 1920 and she learned to thrive in that world. I am a feminist because too many men in our modern world are trying to make this statement true 94 years later.
Just a few days ago on a group here in Tel Aviv someone posted this: “About loosing faith that there are any normal women out there. Someone with no crazy ideas…crazy behavior, crazy plans, crazy opinions 'bout men. Someone you don't feel like shaking your head in disbelieve after 15 min of conversation and want to scream out loud "c'mon babe, cut the crap!"” Besides the fact that this brilliant guy can’t spell losing, he pretty much sums up the beliefs of most men I know – any woman who thinks differently from me, any woman who voices her own ideas or plans or opinions, is crazy. I mean, “c’mon babe.” Because that’s all a girl is right now: a babe. Cut the crap.
I am a feminist because I want the world that my beautiful and brilliant nieces grow up in to be different from the one I did. So far I don’t see that happening. I see rape on the rise in high schools, in colleges, and in the military – a physical reaction to woman gaining louder voices, an attempt to put them back in “their places.” I see demeaning status updates – a public declaration that women have a place without a voice, another attempt to keep women quiet. I hear dismissal over dinner tables and in classrooms and in meetings with professionals and in “polite” conversation. And all of us “crazy” women continue to say “No. I and every other woman on this earth is more than a “babe” and we will not “cut the crap.”” Because it’s not crap. Because we have important things to add to the great conversation and we will be heard. We will be heard.
We are feminists, no matter if we call ourselves that or not.