Friday, March 18, 2011

Am I Less?

Am I less of a feminist because:

I do the dishes?
I make the beds?
I grocery shop?
Let him open the car door?
I remind him to call his mother?
I clean the bathroom?
Do the laundry?
Wear makeup?
Let him order my dinner?
...

I don't think so. I think feminism is incredibly individualized. My feminism is specific to me--to my experiences, my education and my lifestyle. I cannot gauge my experiences with feminism to anyone else's. This is what I love most about feminism. It takes no prisoners. Even the person most adamant on proclaiming that they are not a feminist may have at least one feminist bone in their body.

I love that I can do the dishes and do the laundry and still be a feminist. I do not allow anyone to judge me on my lifestyle or my feminism (though I think the two are incredibly connected). My relationships have been a true testament to my feminist lifestyle. I do not feel like I am a lesser feminist because I conform to some of the typical "female" roles. My current relationship has all been about give and take. We are equal and always will be. There is no job that is specific to either one of us. We share all roles and all responsibilities and I think that makes our relationship especially feminist. He would never expect me to make dinner because I am the woman and I would never expect him to cut the lawn because he is the man. We are joined and we share. It takes an accepting partner and although my partner has no education in feminism, he is a feminist.

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