not "a feminist" but advocating feminism

thinking about this and a bunch of related discussions, i realize it's time for my annual "i advocate feminist movement, not 'feminist' as some kind of label" moment (a la bell hooks). from me last year:

this is such an amazing post! the whole thing. and it's so relevant to the question of who is/isn't a feminist, and why. i think i might stop using "being a feminist" as a meaningful term and only say "supporting feminist movement" or "advocating feminism" when needed or applicable. i did this before, and always used to make a point of NOT making the statement "i'm a feminist" in any exclusionary way, because i truly believe that feminism is not a club. i suppose at some point i got all optimistic and careless with that - or perhaps felt forced back into it by post-/anti-feminism. but the card-carrying club-belonging just-right-behaving thing seems quite strong among "feminists" these days. and so many concerns are forgotten, so many women condescended to, so many voices silenced or cut or disregarded. especially on the internet. but also in real life activism, which i saw recently - maybe when i have some time i'll get into that, as i have thoughts.

[n.b.: i never got around to writing down those thoughts - and what provoked them - though i've shared them with a few activists... and they're still important: it's basically about this. and more than a little bit about the issues here.]

or this: "story and critique time" - which is also about the damage done by the whole concept of feminism as membership to a club and my own point about radical feminist movement as dependent on extending solidarity and compassion.

which in turn reminded me of a post from a while ago, with some really relevant quotes from gloria anzaldua on alliance making, movement building, shifting power etc., elaborated around the following essential points:

• passionate rationality as impetus for action towards social change
• necessity of both rational and emotional action
• politics of emotions and political context of personal experience
• injustice as emotional and political wounds, alliance making as healing wounds
• importance of openness and working out of personal problems
• covertly exercising power over someone by “stepping on” them
• moving out of conditioned oppressor/oppressed roles as both personal and political act
• addressing power dynamics by evaluating the positions from which you/others speak
• personal perspective as “mouth with feet”; “speaking from where you’re standing”

as well as these from a text on indymedia (and gender) but generally applicable:

• new/feminist definition of power as “power with/to”, not power over
• ability to have a “voice” as indication of level of power held or exercised
• mind/body, public/private, political/personal dichotomies are based on “gender discourse”
• further, gender discourse plays a role in devaluing the “feminine” end of these dichotomies
  

  "... challenging gender discourse requires more than making sure that women’s voices are heard. It must also include an analysis and understanding about how certain ways of thinking become devalued and silenced, an active recognition of these patterns and processes, and the presentation of alternatives that can challenge them."

- "give me passionate rationality"

update: blackamazon's post linked above is no longer available as she took down her blog, unfortunately.

further reading:

• lots of good food for thought, and a take on privilege/oppression that's similar to the gloria anzaldua analysis mentioned above (with reference to work by patricia j. williams): "Talking About Privilege" @ reality-based ravings of a suburban revolutionary


• about the limits of the term "patriarchy" - and "kyriarchy" as a better word that explicitly recognizes the existence if interlocking oppressions (word coined by feminist theologian elisabeth schussler fiorenza): "Accepting Kyriarchy, Not Apologies" @ A Womyn's Ecdysis