Slate Article RE: Who Gets to Define as Feminist
In lieu of conservative Sarah Palin’s self-description as feminist, and the wave of other non-traditional, conservative women now claiming the same term, Slate has collected comments of several notable women on the definition of feminist. Specifically, the discussion wonders whether Sarah Palin has the right to call herself a feminist.
In short, there is an outcry from classic liberal-minded feminists, such as Rebecca Traister, who believe that people like Palin are fundamentally anti-feminist and anti-woman because they support policies that do not help women gain power. Emily Yoffe acknowledges the difficulty with Palin because her life, as a working-mother who has attained a high level of political influence, is a “feminist’s dream.” Christine Rosen supports Palin’s right to the term, citing first wave feminist matriarchs like Francis Willard, who “often appealed to hearth, home, and children as the basis for their right to be heard in the public sphere.” Furthermore, some see feminism as a necessarily mixed bag that must become comfortable with varied opinions in order to regain legitimacy. Feminists must be allowed to disagree about tough issues such as abortion, without being attacked as self-hating and anti-woman and without losing the right to call themselves feminists.
While my personal life reflects that of a classic feminist, I’ve always shied away from embracing the label. Calling oneself “feminist” has historically required commitment to a platform of viewpoints that, when held together, dims the importance of the individual issues that make up the platform. By standing separate of the feminist tag I have felt less marginalized when expressing my opinion, which is free of dogmatic loyalty, and more empowered as an individual.
To be sure, I don’t agree with Palin’s politics, but I see her appropriation of “feminism” as a good thing. Her utter opposition to all things thought to be feminist should expand ideas about what the term means. The conservative community, where all of Palin’s power is housed, and which has long ignored feminist thought, might suddenly be open to the thoughts of feminists. In short, she might create a window of opportunity to make feminism relevant again as long as we utilize the opportunity to talk about actual issues without attacking her for appropriating the term “feminist.”
It’s also possible that the end result is a further deflation of the power of feminists. If so, that should be taken as strong evidence that a different approach to the issues that affect women is needed – perhaps one that addresses issues specifically and not as part of a polarizing, strictly liberal, platform.
