Seattle Times Article

Ok, so I guess you have to have an account with the Seattle Times in order to read that article, so I'm cutting and pasting it in my blog instead :)




Watch my kick: The meaning of feminism in the 21st century
Saturday, May 22, 2004 : NEXT

By Julia Ugarte
NEXT team

I hate the term "kicks like a girl." But when I voice my distaste for it, someone inevitably asks me if I am PMS-ing or if I am a feminist.

Some of the topics I've chosen to address in my NEXT columns have also earned me the title in both a complimentary and derogatory way. Funny enough, I have never claimed to be a feminist and until now, have never really explored the possibility that perhaps I am.

But what does it mean to be a feminist in the 21st century?

I believe in equal rights and freedoms. I believe girls can achieve whatever they want. I hate being babied or treated differently because I'm a girl. I believe in being judged on merit instead of gender. I don't wear much makeup, and my hair used to be an inch-and-a-half long.

Do all of these point to the same conclusion, that I am a feminist? They have certainly all been cited at one time or another as characteristics of feminists.

What many don't realize, however, is that there are many different factions of feminism and, often, the stereotypical manifestations are lumped into this one term.

Before I claim ownership of this title, it's important to define in my own terms what it is to be a 20-year-old feminist in society today.

In my experience, "feminist" is a weighted compliment and often a left-handed one at best. When directed at me, it usually means that I demand a level playing field, that I am competitive with boys, and that I have strong opinions — and that somehow these are negative characteristics.

The word has permutated from a title into an accusation, and today conjures up images from bra-burnings to the contradictory and insulting "pop feminism/girl power" campaign.




Women are not infallible and men are not the enemy, at least not to me and the category of feminism I subscribe to. Around the world, women still fight against discrimination and oppression and for their sexual freedom and reproductive rights. Many strive against the pressure to value family over a career and still others endeavor to prove they are the equals of men in every respect.

These fights are not mine. To simply call me a feminist links me to all of these ideas, yet I cannot take credit for these battles. I choose what is relevant to my life and thereby define myself within the broad spectrum.

In the essay she wrote about her own novel, "The Left Hand of Darkness," Ursula K. LeGuin states, "I didn't see how you could be a thinking woman and not be a feminist," and I agree completely. I best describe myself as a "liberal feminist" as I believe in equal rights and freedoms.

Today feminist ideals have become so ingrained in social thought that every confident, discerning woman draws from the plethora of feminist traditions, whether she realizes it or not.

To me, feminism is no longer defined by radical statements; it is more of an intrinsic concept. The toughest battles were won in the past century, and because of the fighting pioneer women who came before me, this century can be devoted to women concentrating on cultivating themselves.

Feminism is about the ability to develop confidence, independence and strength, not as victims or angry women, but as our own beings.

"Kicks like a girl" doesn't mean what it used to. So what do you think of my kick now?

Julia Ugarte is a Seattle University junior. E-mail: NEXT@seattletimes.com






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