Comments on: I don’t know who Gloria Steinem is

By: MadamaAmbi

MadamaAmbi — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:21:26 +0000

The last thing I want to do to another woman is to make her feel that she doesn’t “get” feminism, and yet, because I’ve been trying to reconcile my feminism with staying alive for a few decades now, I can speak from a depth of experience and study. Some younger feminists don’t want to look through my lens, and that’s ok. My feminism began in the 1950′s when I began surviving my own patriarchally disordered family. Even after I had finished my MA in feminist psychotherapy, I had no idea how I could possibly reconcile my feminism with being a therapist. What needed to change was getting more in focus but how to get there was a gigantic question mark. Fortunately, I’m patient and “get” the creative process.

Nobody owns feminism and nobody knows how to heal from patriarchal trauma. What I mean is, no one person, or one organization, or one agenda, or one skill set is the answer. We all bring in valuable insights. What I’d like to see more of is real women being real in public space; I happen to think that this is a good way to change consciousness. But maybe I think it’s a good way because I have the skill set for it! As I always say, if you go see a brain surgeon for a hangnail, he’ll (she’ll) recommend you get brain surgery, and sooner than later!

I really appreciate your post, Katie.

By: Marcia Yerman

Marcia Yerman — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:26:26 +0000

Feminism is a personal experience before it becomes a political experience. Knowing that sometimes
you feel out of sync with the popular culture, not laughing at the joke made at some woman’s expense that everyone thinks is funny, wondering why certain images in advertising and the media are pervasive…and questioning why no one else is annoyed.

We all get there in different ways, and it can’t be measured by what icons you know and what books you haven’t read yet.

You got it on a personal level in 2003. Complete awareness of anything doesn’t happen overnight.

So glad you are on the ground working on the conference. We all have much to learn from each
other’s questions and insights.

By: Gloria Pan

Gloria Pan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:23:13 +0000

Wow, Katie, you’re certainly much more “aware” than I was at your age in the 80′s. I guess the Chinese imperative of getting a prestigious job (doctor, lawyer, banker), combined with the Reagan era, was for me too thick a soup from which to extract myself. And about that Chinese cultural thing (Fathima – perhaps you and I have more in common in this regard), having a “safe place” for thinking or experiencing was totally alien to me. For a family newly arrived from a radically different country, we pretty much left behind that particular aspect of “safe,” though our efforts were more about fitting in rather than exploring and testing limits. As for taking action, it was very black and white: I remember going with my parents to demonstrate for the boat people; in college, I went to rallies to get companies to divest from South Africa. But all the intellectual preparation that made such events possible? I never was involved at all. I guess what I’m driving at is, for many issues, and especially for something like feminism, there is a gray area that requires curiosity, open-mindedness, learning, a comfort-level with engagement, where ideas are forged and shaped. As a young Chinese-American woman, I had a long way to go to reach that gray area. As a not-so-young woman, I often think I am still making my way.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:37:03 +0000

Thanks, Katie, It’s good to know that younger women embrace feminism, whether or not they totally “get” it. You inspried me to write the above post about my longer herstory with feminists and feminism. I look forward to meeting you at the conference. Stephanie

By: Loren

Loren — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:01:44 +0000

Katie – Loved your post, thanks for sharing. I think your point about not knowing “what to do” with feminism (i.e. how to translate theory into action) is vitally important. And I think you nail it on the head when you pinpoint empowerment, communication and expanding our concept of a “safe space” as the keys.

It’s inspiring to hear your voice on these issues. Keep up the great work.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:49:07 +0000

Katie — thanks so much for expressing yourself so eloquently and honestly. And thanks for all your hard work making this conference happen.

By: Fathima

Fathima — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:56:36 +0000

KT…Awesome post. I totally identify with understanding the importance of Feminism, but not quite getting it. I’m so glad YOU finally get it because I’m still not sure that I do. I’m still bouncing around the edges of the issue kinda scared to delve into it.

While I know who Gloria Steinem is, it’s only because I heard her name in a movie when I was in middle school so I looked her up. And me being who I am, the first thought that popped into my mind was how fabulous-looking she is.

Clearly, I have a long way to go before I understand the way you do, but I’m aware enough to know that it’s still relevant even though it’s definitely not the same as it used to be. The idea of Women’s Studies classes kinda throws me into a panic, so I’m hoping to learn as much as I can by being here, being at the conference, learning myself and learning from YOU.