Feminist?
On April 10, I went to the Noon Speaker Series to see Patricia Priest speak on "Bringing Feminist Voices to the Radio Airwaves." I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about going. I talked one of my male classmates into going with me. Feminists are usually viewed as being lesbians, although I don't really know why. Men can voice their opinions about male oppression or reverse discrimination, in the case of white males, without fear of being called gay. Anyway, I guess that I was afraid someone would think that I was a lesbian because I attended this lecture. We don’t like to admit that lesbians are discriminated against, but obviously they are. And that is why I didn't want to be mistaken for a lesbian. I didn't want to be looked at, talked about, and treated as they are. Our culture assumes that if a woman doesn't dress in a sexual way to appeal to men, she must be a lesbian. It isn't uncommon for me to be with a group of friends and have one of them point out a person and ask my opinion on their affinity orientation. Why do we care so much?
Patricia Priest's lecture was mainly about how to effectively write feminist radio commentaries. I really have no plans to do this kind of journalism work. However, I think that the lecture was beneficial because it helped me to explore myself. My boyfriend has often called me a feminist because of my views that women should have equal rights. Unfortunately, he always means it to be an insult. Women are taught that it is undesirable to be a feminist because feminists are men-hating lesbians. Women are also taught that it is undesirable to have strong opinions and to express them. As a result, I am about the most passive person on earth. I am not comfortable expressing my feelings and views on issues. However, since the lecture, I am trying to improve this aspect of myself.
After the lecture, I realized that it is okay to have opinions and to let them be known I also learned that not all feminists are lesbians. Patricia Priest was married. Also, I agreed with the feminist views of all of the commentaries that she played on tape. I plan to look into what feminists really stand for and what they are trying to accomplish. I want to be more educated so that I can defend myself when I am "insulted" by being labeled a feminist.
LEGL 6500 student
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