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Meme: Five Things Feminism has Done for Me.

Posted by John on October 3rd, 2006 at 7:10 pm · 4 Comments

I got tagged by reading The Happy Feminist:

  1. Feminism has reinforced that women are not sexual objects, servants, martyrs, and has shown me how to recognize when women are being portrayed in these ways.
  2. Feminism has helped me to realize that men can knit, hug, cry, talk about their relationships and their feelings.
  3. Feminism has encouraged me to do more dishes, wash more clothes and scrub more bathtubs.
  4. Feminism has convinced me that women’s issues, such as glass ceilings, date-rape, eating disorders, sexual-slavery, are my concern as well.
  5. Feminism has filled me with indignation that the Mormon prophet, the Pope, a Hasidic rabbi, an ayatollah, the Dalai Lama cannot be a woman.

Feminism has taught me to question, challenge, fight and to speak out against the patriarchy.

Tag. Now you’re it.

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Tags: Feminism

4 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Jonathan // Oct 3, 2006 at 7:53 pm

    Sounds awesome! A decidedly patriarchial-minded friend of mine and I stayed up all night debating what our role as future husbands would be before we got married to our then current girlfriends. We thought this would be good to do so we would be intellectually ready for the task. We disagreed almost all night on point after point, but when we were in the parking lot outside next to his car watching the sun rise, I launched into a tirade about what my ultimate purpose was.

    I told him that it was my job as a husband to be the supporter of my wife in all she did — I would be there to take her dreams and make them real with her, to build her up and encourage her in all she did, and to basically be the wind beneath her wings as I watch her climb higher and higher in all the areas of her life she aspired to go or to be. There are spiritual truths that she knows uniquely that I and others will learn from her. Because of me, she would end up reaching her greatest potential that is uniquely hers faster than if she were single. That was my entire PURPOSE. In the end of our lives together, I want to look back have my wife say that she was better off now then before we met, and I was her greatest fan and supporter. I am her helper, her servant. I do not look after my needs to be fullfilled, I just look after hers. I trust she will act the same way towards me — we are equal in our ministry to each other.

    He seemed to disagree thinking that women were not meant to have such high callings or purposes, but I think for the moment he couldn’t disagree too strongly because he felt that there was some truth in what I said.

    I can’t say for sure I understand feminism very well, and it’s probably a very touchy subject so I hope I haven’t offended anyone, but it has seemed to me through the years that my wife is a whole lot smarter than me in many areas, both intellectually and spiritually, and out of the two of us, she seems more likely to go further in this life than I will. I would be proud as hell to see her outshine me in her pursuits, either spiritually or in her career. My purpose is not to use her to prop me up, but instead to prop her up. Just my 2 cents on a subject I barely understand.

  • 2 Kita Kazoo // Oct 3, 2006 at 10:25 pm

    You do dishes and laundry… Too bad my girls are all hooked up. Wait - I didn’t check to see if your were? Sorry if you are.

    Women still have a long way to go to be considered equal. The other day I heard two little boys fighting with each other in their back yard - the insult they hurled? They were calling each other girls!

    I’m glad the younger guys are catching on… just remember to pass it on.

  • 3 Miko // Oct 4, 2006 at 7:31 am

    I took “has” to mean something else: Feminism has…
    …come a long way.
    …many supporters, but could always use more.
    …a long way to go, but it’s getting there.
    …gotten me where I am, even if I can’t see it; or like to think I did it on my own.
    …a number of enemies, but it’s still stronger.

    Jonathan: that was absolutely beautiful. Made me sniffle, if not cry. I don’t know if my husband took that vow, too, but it seems that he lives by it. Thank you to all men (& women) who are partners, who help their spouses be all they can be (TM).

  • 4 nee // Nov 28, 2006 at 3:35 pm

    Regarding #5, At least women have been prime ministers and ruling queens. :)

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