Now that I’m on the precipice of wrapping up my undergrad career, I’m left with the question: what next? I don’t mean jobs, though certainly there’s that to consider. But what happens when we step outside the campus’ feminist community, this safe space we’ve created with other like-minded women? What then?
I took Introduction to Feminist Theory in my first semester at UC Berkeley, and even then I was plagued with the issues of praxis, action, and activism. Of course it was theoretical, being a theory class and all, but what was the application of what we learned? How do you take Judith Butler’s gender/sex manifesto to the streets?
There was also The Vagina Monologues, in which I participated in 2007. Our production centered itself around a cunt community, a safe space of women. FemSex, too, posits itself in this space. They have both been life-changing and empowering experiences, but neither have shown me how to deal with the real world outside our circle.
Often in FemSex we bash on what society does to women, how it perceives women, how it discolors sexual experiences and sexuality and self-expression. What we don’t talk about so much is how we are apart of this very social fabric. OK, so we say “partner” instead of “boyfriend/girlfriend.” We ask people what pronouns they prefer. We eliminate “hey guys” from our vocabulary. But most of the time we’re already preaching to choir or at least the people who are willing to be converted.
How does one take what we’ve learned and apply it the world outside the campus, outside the community? I’m not trying to be cynical here. Throughout my career at Berkeley, I’ve only ever been in discussions about what is fucked up with the world in which we live–never what we can do to change it or how we can implement a feminist, sex-positive agenda.
Attending FemSex’s Queer Porn Panel today, I see a way to shape society into a more queer-positive (and feminist, sex-positive) state. But how much fucking and orgasms do we have to film? Will saturation of the market alone (and frankly, right now it’s mostly local) fight the prejudice and hate?
Maybe a sex blog is enough. Change the way we have sex, change the world? Queer it up, and the world will be rainbows and cupcakes. Maybe I have high expectations, maybe I’m rather impatient, but the work I’ve done doesn’t seem much at all. I’ve considered my sex columns feminist, but activist has never crossed my mind.
More than three years have passed since FemTheory, and now I see safe space as a safety net that won’t always be there for the Real Deal. Still it’s hard to re-read the sex column emails and comments calling me slutty and dirty and horrible. I put on a brave face, but when I’m left to confront what’s really out there, I can’t hide behind a mask. Sometimes what’s still left to change inspires me. Other times it keeps me down. I’m still teething.
Awesome post!I did not know you were still posting on this blog!
I feel the same in many respects. There was some famous feminist who argued that the more we accomplish, we more work we have ahead of us. Reforming ancient and entrenched perceptions of women’s worth will take a fucking long time. With each problem we speak out against, we reveal all the sources of sexism that contributed to that problem, making for a great challenge indeed. At times, like when I watch TV (holy christ!), I feel so incredibly overwhelmed with how sexist and bigoted our society is and that feeling can be crippling. However, I have to remind myself that only 30 years ago, it was acceptable to rape your secretary, etc. etc.
I think that just by participating in the safe spaces like FemSex, Sherman, VagMon, etc not only are you empowering yourself (which I would like to think has some type of ripple effect) but you are helping to empower other women to demand equal social power in their lives. If I had never seen Vagina Monologues two years ago (which YOU were a part of!), I would not have the feminist consciousness that I have today. Seriously, it was that show that did it for me. And hopefully my feminist consciousness can influence some other women (and men) on this campus and abroad.
I feel that by participating in these spaces, I am more empowered to demand equal social power in my personal and professional relationships. Hopefully when I enter the workforce or a relationship, I will demand the same respect, right to speak, etc as “the man”.
I guess my point is that while it does seem hard to translate feminist theories and ideas into positive social change, your personal empowerment is, I would argue, one of the most important contributions to the social change we want to see.
Comment by Natalie — January 16, 2009 @ 10:16 am