Self-Portrait

Some guy hit my fender, and I told him, ‘Be fruitful and multiply,’ but not in those words.

Woody Allen

Slate (Double X) did a big piece asking their contributors (and some others) to define “Who gets to be a feminist?” Let the equivocating begin!

What the conversation actually centred around was whether or not Sarah Palin can call herself feminist. Which of course she “can” but that doesn’t mean she has freaking clue as to what it actually is. Sarah Palin is about as feminist as I am dragonfruit.

Many suggested that there are no criteria for what a feminist is or that, if there were, being pro-choice was not one of them.  And North Korea is really democratic because it says so right in the name, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Um, no. Just like Kim Jong-Il cannot call himself a democratic leader because he does not believe in the tenants of democracy, Palin cannot call herself a feminist when she does not believe in the tenants of feminism.  Sadly, the whole telling other women what to do with their uteruses* is the least of Palin’s problems in this regard.

Palin’s sole contribution women has been coining the term “mama grizzly.” The women she chooses to support in the political arena are just other women who don’t really care about women.# Instead these are women who are anti-sex, women who are anti-environment, women who are anti-minimum wage, women who are anti-welfare, women who are anti-gay, women who are anti-science, women who are anti-immigrant. These are the platforms they run on, there is nothing pro-equality about them. These are women who are anti-feminist.

So let’s cut the bullshit. Feminism is a club and if you don’t pay your dues you don’t get to be a member. There is a lot of variety, but you have to actually care about women’s equality, and that means respecting whatever they decide to do with their uteri.*

If Palin actually starts caring about women, we might review her application. Until then… be fruitful and multiply.

*Apparently both are correct.
#Seriously, wikipedia has listed 23 female candidates that Palin has endorsed. One! Just one, bothered to do anything caring about women’s health, economic opportunities, or safety. This groups does more to advance the rights of rifles than women.