Monday, February 16, 2009

Feminism should not co-opt "abortion"

The issue of whether life starts at conception is a medical issue, or a theological issue, or a spiritual issue -- but I don't think it a gender issue. Certainly, as a man, I will never know what it means to become pregnant. But I also know that plenty of women count themselves among the ranks of the pro-life movement.

(Personally, I have no position on the abortion issue. I am forever "undecided." Blame it on Peter Singer.)

Organizations like N.O.W. (National Organization of Women) should be at the forefront of the fight for gender equity. Instead, their divisive stance on the abortion issue alienates pro-life women. Part of me thinks this could be part of a divide-and-conquer strategy that benefits male hegemony. By causing a rift on this front between pro-life and pro-choice women, a comprehensive movement towards women's rights gets thwarted.

Feminism would be better served to leave that particular hot-button issue off the plate for the doctors and the preachers to figure out.

So radical, it hardly looks like feminism anymore?

I am a radical feminist, and a man, inspired by two key texts by Wendell Berry. These are must-reads for any serious feminist, especially male feminists.

The first -- a prequel, of sorts, to the main feminist treatise -- is simply about why Wendell Berry does not want to buy a computer. Read it here. Things get interesting, not during his main essay, but when readers sent him angry letters. He responded, but then he took a closer look at the issue in his lengthy sequel: Feminism, The Body, and The Machine. This is a must-read, as I said before.

I am tempted to excerpt, but that would do the work injustice. Read them, and let me know what you think!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Call Me Feminista!

I am a man that has begun learning about how our patriarchal society is having devastating effects on our world. Gender inequality is an important issue that needs to be discussed more, but too often people think of feminism as being all about hating men. In the interest of dispelling this myth and saving our world, I have decided to start my own feminist blog. I call it The Feminist Workshop. My name is Feminista, now hear me roar!!!