Feminism

I had the pleasure of attending the Union Board’s Jessica Valenti lecture on Monday evening. Despite my identification as a feminist – one who believes in and works for gender equality – I have always faced a dilemma in this self-identification.

This conflict comes not from any internal unrest, but rather from a consistent external critique of my personal beliefs.

Let me explain.

I have spent much of my young adult life working in politics, arguably one of the most male-dominated realms of American society.

With every encounter I am challenged to prove myself as a worthy contributor to the discussion.

Rarely am I ignored, and I usually succeed in earning respect from my male counterparts.

Surprisingly, I have found most resistance in my life as a feminist from other self-proclaimed feminists.

You see, I oppose abortion.

In my contact with women in the collegiate world, I have found that being both pro-life and a feminist is a rare combination.

It seems my opposition to abortion sometimes trumps my advocacy for a host of other issues affecting women.

I hate that support for abortion is so intimately linked to the current profile of what it means to be a feminist.

Another strike against me is my identification as a conservative. This affiliation, too, seems to disqualify me from ever being fully accepted by a movement that has become unfairly and inextricably linked to liberalism.

I am not writing to debate this association, but rather to challenge the idea that feminism, in any brand, must be both liberal and pro-choice.

I do not deny that feminism comes in many forms and feminist society is not homogenous on the whole.

But I think feminist discourse, at least in academia, should include a discussion of how feminism and pro-life issue stances enhance and relate each other.

Women deserve the right to feel comfortable expressing their feminist attitudes – regardless of their political affiliation or perspective on abortion.

After listening to Jessica Valenti, I was excited to see a young woman attempting to educate our generation on the dangers of adhering to models designed to inhibit women’s expression and pursuits.  

But I am disappointed to see that so much of Valenti’s discussion of reproductive options centers around her staunchly pro-choice position.

As a popular and highly visible figure in the feminist movement, she would do herself a favor and improve her credibility as a progressive and open-minded women’s advocate by addressing the many forms that feminism takes.

With her high profile and great exposure, she has a unique opportunity to take on these issues and to dramatically affect public discourse on the issue.

Searching “abortion” on Jessica Valenti’s blog www.feministing.com yields hundreds of entries attacking the pro-life movement.

Many entries are indeed relevant and worthy of review, but there is by no means a well-rounded perspective that would make a pro-life feminist feel welcome.