Katelyn’s Comments (group member since Jan 07, 2016)

Katelyn’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

Thanks, everyone! I'm thrilled to be helping out :)

No prob! I figured the more of us can get together in the same place, the better! Assuming it's not too far, there are probably going to be more people able to meet in metro areas. There's also a group meeting in Indianapolis, so there are definitely options for what's closest for people.

(Just throwing this out there, perhaps depending on how far NW you are, if you can't get enough people locally, you might be able to make it to Chicago? Someone made another thread for Chicago and hopefully there'll be a group of us!)

Me! I'd love to! I know there were a couple of others in Chicago who responded to the long Local Meet-ups thread.

Alexandria wrote: "Birch Berry Bunny wrote: "I'm only 3 chapters in, but I have a sub list of everything she's already inspired me to acquire. Her life is amazing."

I agree. The more I read the more fascinated I am ..."

She spoke at my alma mater last year, too! Unfortunately, I think I had a class at the time or something. I wasn't able to go, but I knew a few people who did.

I'm totally inspired by her participation in political campaigns over the years. I actually googled how to get involved in the campaign of the presidential candidate I favor, but I'm afraid I won't have the time to get involved. But I so wish that I did!

And what I would give to time travel to '77 in Houston. I just loved everything about that.

I'm only a bit over halfway through, so I'm sure there's plenty more to get excited about in the latter half of the book.

I just want to throw this out there: at least in the U.S., rape is most commonly perpetrated by a friend or acquaintance. You're much more likely to be "date raped" than the common conception of "man jumps out of the bushes and attacks woman." So part of the problem, too, is that if a woman is on a date, or has "put out" in the past, the rape allegation may be taken less seriously because consent seems somehow implicit. A lot of times, a woman may not realize until quite awhile after what has happened to her... Like she's on a date and all of a sudden things escalate and once he's gone, she thinks "how did I get here? What just happened?" and can't make sense of it for days or even weeks. And by that time there's the question of "well, why didn't you report this sooner?" and she's left with few options. Many women just don't report at that point. (btw, I hope I am not misrepresenting anyone's experiences. I've friends who have had this happen to them, and I've also read many accounts over the years. But I've not personally had this happen to me, so I just want to apologize in advance for essentializing this kind of thing. Not at all my intention!)

Target recently announced that they were going to do away with gender labels in their stores. While this doesn't change the manufacturing differences between how boys' and girls' toys are made (it's still going to be quite obvious that dolls and pink are meant for girls, etc.), it's a huge step in the right direction! At least in this sense, a parents can walk their child through the Toys aisle rather than [specific gender's] Toys aisle, and a child can express interest in a new variety of toys, rather than just in the gender-appropriate aisle.

Yet, it astounds me how vehemently opposed to this concept people are. They do not like the idea of even a suggestion that gender labels are unnecessary. I find it rather boggling that people are so dependent upon them.

That all being said, we have a long way to go. Even after announcing this rather progressive change, Target still sells some questionable items (in particular, shirts in the Juniors clothing section with sexist slogans on them come to mind). I'm not about to boycott a store over a couple of stupid items, but it does kind of make my skin crawl. If there's a market for these kinds of things, though, who am I to tell people they can't buy something because I find it offensive, right? Just don't wear it around me unless you're being ironic, I might have to make some jokes about it ;)

Here's a link to Target's corporate announcement, btw:
What’s in Store: Moving Away from Gender-based Signs

I'd still like to hear from James (and Jessica, if you have any thoughts about it) which feminist organizations you are referring to that do not represent current needs, or which ideologies you feel are not representative of contemporary problems. You make these general claims about how feminism is old hat but all around you on these boards there are feminists discussing current issues that are important to them and the world. So I am having trouble understanding where those claims comes from, because it seems to me that feminists make a concerted effort to maintain focus on relevant topics. And the evidence you need to see that is literally right here!

I hope I didn't misrepresent my enthusiasm for period talk: I don't go around talking about it to strangers! Haha

But if I am conversing with a person who I might also discuss other bodily functions with: parents, my partner, roommate, friends, even like-minded acquaintances, I don't hold back. I'll talk about how sick I got last night after drinking and describe the color of my puke, I'll excuse myself with "I have to pee!" and even comment on the frequency of bowel movements. So I'll also talk about my period without hesitation.

That being said, I obviously use discretion when necessary. But I won't lie: I do get a bit of a thrill out of making people uncomfortable about these things at times. I personally don't see that big a deal. If I'm getting lunch with a friend, and she is discussing something that takes a turn for the gross and says something like "I'll wait until we're done eating, I don't want to ruin your appetite," my response is, "No, go for it." I just don't find any of is gross, I guess! But I realize a lot of other people do, and I respect that when the situation merits it. However, if someone is just being immature along the lines of "ew, don't talk about your period," for no good reason... I'll probably go right ahead and give them the details. My personal little rebellion against the stigma ;)

Because women have them and men don't. It's long been an excuse to keep women out of certain places. Some doctors still refuse to operate on women who are on their periods (though they legally have to if there is no one else to do it instead, but even the fact that they have an option...).

I mean, we probably shouldn't talk about periods, or any other bodily fluids, in inappropriate professional settings, or while eating. But I try to combat this taboo but talking about periods, tampons, pads, menstrual cups, cramps, medications, color and consistency, ovulation, etc., to everyone who will listen regardless of gender. Because if someone asks me what's wrong, I'm not going to lie and say "Oh, nothing, just tired!" I'm going to say "My uterus hurts and I am craving all of the foods." And if they have a problems with that, it's their own fault. They asked!

I buy whatever I can be find cheapest, since which is usually either an ebook or second-hand. Sometimes it'll be cheaper to buy a new copy. Unfortunately, money is the great decider for me. But all other things being equal, I'd always do an ebook or second hand for environmental reasons.

I agree it is best to start with the individual, but there can be legitimate dangers to an individual who either defies the gender binary through dress or otherwise, or to a woman who wears certain items of clothing in public. So I don't think we can necessarily put the onus only on the individual. We need to teach people, starting from a very young age, that what someone else is wearing is not anyone else's concern. And this is why school dress codes are such a problem: it reinforces the cultural standards of dress that suggest that those who dress in a way that is somehow unconventional are deserving of ridicule or even should be subjected to violence.

An individual can wear whatever they want. As long as they are dressed "appropriately" for whatever event they are attending, they should feel free to wear anything regardless of gender. And just to clarify, I mean that if you're attending a formal wedding, you should still dress formally. But if that means a woman wants to wear a suit and a man wants to wear a dress, that's awesome!

I've definitely struggled personally with how to dress in public on occasion. I mean, literally just going out to run errands in the summer, in a humid Southern city, second guessing myself about the length of my shorts or skirt because of the attention I know I'm bound to receive. And I've come to be pretty self aware about the differences between negative and positive attention, as I think most women are. So I've taken it upon myself to call people out (when it feels safe!!!). I've yelled at men on the street a number of times for saying things to me, and even just looking at me in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. Usually, the other people on the street give him dirty looks afterward, not me. So that feels like a little victory.

There are so many problems with the fashion industry, sadly. I'm not personally up to date on all of the issues, but from what I understand, a lot of companies are making an effort lately to include diverse body types in ad campaigns and whatnot, so hopefully things are starting to look up?

Another fashion-related feminist issue is how much effort should a woman put into her appearance before she is betraying the goals of the movement? I believe that it is mostly irrelevant as long as she is doing it for herself. I'll admit that my motivations for my "primping" routine are mixed: I enjoy the ritual, I appreciate my appearance when it is complete, and I also know that in the classroom (as a student) I will feel more confident knowing that I am composed in this way. However, as a woman in academia, there is also a common trend by which women are taken less seriously if they are too girly or seem too concerned with their appearance.

That's a great question. I'm hardly an expert in the subject, but your question reminds me of a song that I studied last year in a class on transnational music. It's called "History 101" by the SongCatchers. The song combines Native American musics and jazz, and the lyrics explain the historical relationship between Native Americans and African Americans. I won't copy and paste the whole thing, but the relevant stanza says: "There were cultural similarities and similarities in the attitudes of the colonists toward both of these groups of people and this gave these two groups common cause. Together, maybe they could successfully resist, but the colonial officials saw this danger and they took steps to prevent an alliance. Hire Indians as slave hunters. Force the slaves to fight the Indians. Create fear, hatred, distrust. Subjugate both peoples. Divide and conquer. Now this strategy worked to a certain extent. But in some areas Seminoles and Africans joined forces and fought to the bitter end."

Anyway, like I said, I have no expertise in the area, so I can't confirm that this is all accurate, but it's an interesting piece of music. It basically seeks to create unity again, like there had been in the past, in order to overcome current oppression.

Rochelle pretty much said everything I was going to say.

The problem with changing the name of the movement is that any other term would fail to highlight the actual inequality that exists. While yes, we are fighting for equality, that equality can only be achieved by acknowledging the inequalities in place. By calling it "equalism" would suggest that one is for equality, but it doesn't really tackle the problem. Feminism is used because femininity is devalued, which disproportionately affects women.

Another important thing that feminism seeks to rectify is a disproportionate number of male voices in places of power. By changing the name to equalism, and making men and women of equal focus in the efforts, we again silence women's voices because until a balance of power is achieved, men will always be heard over women because they are valued and hold power that women simply do not have in the same quantity.

I have said time and time again how men can also benefit from feminism, but just because they also benefit doesn't mean that we need to change the name to reflect that, because the fact of the matter is that this movement does not seek to help men. It seeks to eradicate differences between the value of masculinity and femininity, and this imbalance is more of a problem for women than men. So we highlight that within the movement and in the naming of the movement.

Just like Rochelle pointed out with Black Lives Matter. Also, when we argue for gay rights, we don't also say "but straight people deserve rights, too!" because that would be ridiculous. I don't really understand why we feel so desperately that men need a reason to be feminists beyond "it's the right thing to do" or "it's about equality." HeForShe is the perfect invitation because it literally says, "Men, come support women. We value your support."

Feminism DOES benefit men in plenty of ways, but I object to the idea that if it didn't, they wouldn't participate. So changing the name, I think, would not just be trivial. It would be damaging.

I think the Internet is a great organizing tool. It's also useful for educating, raising awareness, sharing petitions, and connecting people who would otherwise never have had the chance. I think as far as intersectional feminism, it provides a lot of new opportunities to those who do not normally see many people different from them to make unlikely connections.

I was a graduate student in Baltimore in Aptil, and from that "ivory tower," I don't know if I would have been aware of what protests were being organized without the internet. People were posting information about meeting times and places and I was able to participates in protests I probably wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Also during that time, I used social media to post updates on what was going on, including images, articles, and interviews that were accurate, rather than the sensational nonsense being fed to the masses by the national media. I had a lot of friends who lived elsewhere thank me for keeping them updated on the truth of what was going on.

So the lesson I got from those experiences is that the Internet and social media can be used as an awesome tool to supplement real life activism. I don't know how it could ever replace it, but it is useful in its own way!

Heather, that's amazing. You're awesome.

Teresa wrote: "In response to Jessica's point, "I do not agree that we live in a rape culture." I somewhat agree here... Nobody I personally know has been raped. However, I know myself and my female friends will ..."

Well, the concept of rape culture does not necessarily refer to the number of people who have been raped. It has to do with exactly what you described. It's that women feel a need to be on guard in a way that men don't have to. It's that when a women comes forward after being attacked and she's questions about what she was wearing or what she did the provoke said attack. It's that girls in classrooms are told that their bodies need to be covered so that the boys in their classes are not distracted. It's people making comments on the internet and elsewhere condoning prison rape because the person headed there deserves to be violated as a punishment.

Jessica, it's your prerogative to feel that way. I just want to point out that your argument is ethnocentric and only refers to your experience, while feminism is a global movement. You might want to learn bit more about what the movement is working for worldwide before you write it off!

Yes, Women, Race, and Class is an excellent primer. In fact, I'd say it's essential reading for all feminists, especially American feminists.

Yeah, I've found my Kindle to be very worth it. It's rather common for me to find books for school way cheaper in ebook format than physical copies. This month's book at $13 was a bit more than I usually pay for an ebook, but it was still cheaper than a physical copy, so I went for it anyway.

Although I would agree that it seems like they should be cheaper, authors are already getting shortchanged on ebook sales (their contracts offer a different percentage of royalties). As it is, authors get paid so small a percentage given the hard work they put in, regardless of the format :(