Who is/are your favorite feminist/s?

[BlueIris]

Doesn't have to be a published author, "known" activist, a person who is famous or a person who is a woman. Just any feminist who influenced, educated, impressed or moved you at some point in your life. I have a couple, and I might add them if there's an interest, and when my brain doesn't feel this fried.

[Kerrytravelers]

After the nationally known Second Wavers, Feirdan and Steinem,

I love Patricia Ireland! I heard her speak, was able to have her autograph her book, and have bumped into her at several functions. She is just wonderful.

[BlueIris]

6. Friedan in right up there next to my all-time faves.

Along with people like Toni Morrison, and Adrienne Rich (I confess, although I'd love it if people wanted to contribute everyone but the published greats throughout history, too many of my favorites are authors). From the wide world outside the modern Americans, does anyone know an English feminist of the eighteenth century named Mary Astell? I wrote a long paper on her in college. Really one of the women who decided that the restrcitive, misogynist, patriarchal environment of her day just wasn't for her and bailed on the whole thing--even though bailing meant leaving her home at age 19, travelling to London and starving there in near destitution for nearly a decade. That takes guts. What always impressed me was that she was able to make and stick to such a difficult, bitter decision after having little exposure to other feminists of her day. Actually, she had little formal education, beyond decent literacy, apart from having been provided with at-home education and some tutoring as the insistence of her mother. Of course, many, many feminists have done what Astell did, for the simple reason that like her, they felt they had no choice if they wanted to be any form of happy, but she's one of the only ones I could find who threw herself into her own life from the realm of Chelsea, England circa 1750 (anyone who knows her better can feel free to correct these details, it's been a few years).

[beam me up scottie]

1. Right now,

Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
My sig line is just one of her quotes. An incredible woman.

But of course, my all time favorite feminist and my inspiration will always be my mother.

[PassingFair]

2. Stanton ROCKED!

We have a picture of her in my kitchen.
Don't forget Simone DeBeauvoir.
...she taught my father how to be a feminist. He bought her "big book", The Second Sex and discussed it with me frequently.

[beam me up scottie]

4. Your dad sounds awesome.

Don't you wish you could meet these great women?
The things I'd like to show them, and of course, to thank them and tell them it was all worth it, that it wasn't in vain, how we won't let it be taken away from us...

[PassingFair]

5. It actually PAINS me when I think of Susan B. Anthony...

working tirelessly for over 30 years to get women the right to vote. She died thinking that her work had been in vain.
She is inspirational to me, she helped me to believe in the ripple-effect of good works. Love and good works are never wasted.

[beam me up scottie]

7. The story of their friendship is inspiring.

I feel like such a wuss compared to them, you know?

[PassingFair]

3. And HOW MUCH do we owe

the amazing Pankhursts!

[Behind the Aegis]

8. My mom.

She taught me that the role of a woman is defined by the woman. A woman is not a servant, nor is she a master. She is a partner. Women can make choices for themselves. If a woman, lets a man make a decision, it is not acquiescence, but negotiation. A woman can be strong and not be a bitch, but if she has to be, then it is her right! A woman can be sensitive and not be weak! My mom is no "lady" because that is an insult to her. My mom is a woman!

I am the oldest of four boys. My mom can be described as a "tom-boy." But, she is what I see as a model for a woman. Of course, some say that is why I am gay, but it is really because men are so damn hot! :)

My mom is not famous, but she is a role model! My mom is not recognizable to others, but she is a woman!

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Does it have to be a real woman?

I have a few TV/fictional women that lead me down the path of feminism. I will share if appropriate.

[BlueIris]

10. Oh, no, you can include fictional creations/archetypes/myths

if you want. Why not? And since I posted that, my favorite fictional feminist of recent years is the Smilla Jasperson protagonist in Peter Høeg's "Smilla's Sense of Snow. She's great.

[Chovexani]

16. In that case?

Xena. She was a hero in every sense of the word. :D

[Behind the Aegis]

24. Hi friend!

I agree with Xena. But, other than my mom, the first feminist for me was Wonder Woman of the comics. It was reading those, that led me to look up Greek myths and 'meeting' the greatest feminist power, Athena. I would also say Emma Peel of "The Avengers." Odd, I know, but she held her own. Characters like these helped me form a very positive outlook on the power of women.

[Chovexani]

29. Fancy meeting you here!

:hi:

Wonder Woman is so cool. When I was a kid the only thing I ever wanted to be for Halloween was Wonder Woman. I even made my own wristbands out of construction paper, LOL. She really paved the way for so many other strong, positive female characters in pop culture.

Archetypes like that have a lot of power, and I think of them as our own modern mythology. They can help shape our ideas in a profound way.

[Finder]

11. many women

and a few men. Mostly in the past unfortunately. Mary Daly(still alive), Margaret Sanger, Boudicca, Hypatia, Cleopatra, Indira Ghandi, Mother Theresa,Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Eleanor Roosevelt etc.

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,(even know his words on some matters are used against women)Pope John Paul II.

[BlueIris]

12. Since you mentioned a couple of the male Founders, do you think

a characterization of Aaron Burr as a feminist is a valid one? Just asking. I read a biography on Burr a couple of years ago that described him as a "proto-feminist." I've had difficulty locating any other books or articles that did.

[Finder]

13. Good addition

I would consider him a feminist. I only know of his support of women being educated(his daughter was educated)and his unpopular support of the very early sufferage movement and the writings of Mary Woolstonecraft(mother of Mary Shelley)

Now you have me searching for a biography on him and the book by Woolstonecraft.lol

[BlueIris]

14. Okay, well if it helps your search, the term "protofeminist" was

actually used in the blurb on the back.

Have you read David McCullough's book on Adams? I was surprised at how progressive the Adams' marriage was, in the sense that Sam and Abigail split housework and child-rearing responsibilities, (and that Adams stated specifically that it was a father's duty to be principally involved in the rearing of his offspring) and that Adams appeared to feel his wife was intellectually equal to him.

[Finder]

15. I think most of the Founding Fathers

were feminists in the sense that equality was for all--I say most because a few were anything but.(mostly the religious ones)

Many of the anti-feminists statements made were more due to the way society was at the time than what they believed society could be.

When some of the criticisms about females are used when I am debating, I try to use Coulter and Schafley as examples of the type of woman they are criticizing. Look at how the prohibitionist movement is often seen as part of the sufferage movement? Women as a group are just as diverse as men are--after all, we are all human.

[Lithos]

34. Great list

Those which affected me the most were Margaret Sanger, Stanton and my mother. Others who I admire for various reasons include Arundhati Roy, Rosa Parks, and Madame Curie.

L-

[Chovexani]

17. Starhawk

Even though I find the cult of personality that's sprung up around her to be a little...creepy. At any rate, she really is a visionary and sees the "big picture" better than most.

As a Pagan, I am always inspired by how she applies the Craft to poltiical activism. She is one of the few spiritual leaders out there that actually walks the walk. Dreaming the Dark, while dated in some respects, is still a must-read.

[alarcojon]

18. Elizabeth Martinez

Gloria Anzaldua, Susan Bordo. Since I'm male, Michael S. Kimmel and John Stoltenberg.

[geniph]

19. Alice Paul

Damn near singlehandedly got women the vote and started the ERA. Tough lady.

[Modem Butterfly]

20. Like her or loathe her, we owe much to Andrea Dworkin

Everyone listed is amazing. It just seems like Andrea Dworkin is often left off lists of important feminists because she became such a polarizing and controversial figure.

[Senior citizen]

25. Definitely Dworkin.

Like Susan B. Anthony, I think Andrea died thinking her life's work had been in vain, but I hope that in the long run it won't have been.

Also Catharine MacKinnon, who is still alive.

And we mustn't forget Margaret Sanger.

[tishaLA]

21. Judith Butler, Hélène Cixous, Margaret Fuller

Lauren Berlant, Gaytri Spivak, etc.

[BlueIris]

27. I adore Cixous. nt.

[OzarkDem]

22. Fran Visco

of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. A feminist who has been a pioneer in women's health advocacy as well as giving women a voice in health care research.


http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/0202web/value.html

http://www.natlbcc.org/bin/index.asp?strid=738&btnid=5&depid=3

[libnnc]

23. I know the movement owes a great deal to Friedan..

but she's probably my LEAST favorite. She was pretty mean and nasty to lesbians in NOW. I'd have to say my favs are Kate Millett, Karla Jay, Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, Eleanor Smeal, and lots of others.

[mogster]

26. Lyce Ducet in the BBC World Services

Now, THAT is some woman! :D
She's been stationed in South Africa, Amman, Jordan and also Afghanistan/Pakistan for some years, and ran the live coverage of the Iraqi invasion from a rooftop in Amman - tying together interviews and events from all over the world seamlessly, and did a very good job as a journalist locally as well.
You could FEEL yourself being informed about the very serious business going on, and in her pleasant and friendly way she never tried to impose an impression of her own view, but left it to be described by events themselves and the various interview objects.
Very accurate reporting in a difficult situation.

Here's an article by her:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1953726.stm

She's not a declared feminist, or what do I know, but she's a strong woman and a darned good journalist.

Edit: typo

[PassingFair]

28. Alice Walker put a lot of things into perspective for me.

She's a hero of mine. Her essays and novels are fearless expressions of her honest soul.

[BlueIris]

31. I LOVE Alice Walker. For me, it's her poetry that's most affecting.

I actually think that's her best medium, and one of the places in which her feminism is described most vibrantly. But since you mentioned her prose, I'm lucky enough to have met her and had her autograph my copy of "The Way Forward is With a Broken Heart."

[Chovexani]

32. I love Alice Walker

If you don't have it, I recommend picking up the 2-disc special edition DVD of The Color Purple. There's a really cool featurette in the extras where she talks about her experiences writing the novel, and the process of bringing it to film. Very interesting.

[Hello_Kitty]

33. Her daughter Rebecca is awesome too. n/t

[jmm]

30. I've always loved the way my grandma Jessie,

who I was named after, insisted the men and women in my family be treated equally. She said she got it from her father who was a Bishop and made sure all his kids did good in school, learned to cook, sew, play sports, clean, fight, etc. My grandfather once asked why she was their sons to sew and she told him because their sons were no different then their daughter.