Am I a Feminist?
I often get asked if I consider myself a “feminist”?
To which I always give a stock answer, “Yes, I am a feminist, and I can prove it. I always throw my dirty clothes as close as I can to the laundry basket.”
Then, after either giggles or eye-rolls, I give a proper answer.
“Well, it depends what you mean by ‘feminist’ doesn’t it!”
There are four “waves” of feminism and endless variations on the theme as to what feminism is, what are its goals, and how it should be advanced. And I have literally no idea what they all are and how I relate to them.
What I do know is that I’m not a fan of I Hate Men feminism or “I felt sick at the thought of something male growing inside me” feminism.
But I am a fan of theologies, practices, policies, and laws that:
(1) Protects the existence of women as a discreet biological category of human being; (2) Recognizes that our patriarchal past has been damaging to women’s welfare and rights; (3) Seeks to protect women from abuse and discrimination; (4) Treats women as equal before the law and equal in Christ; (5) Affirms the general complementary differences between men and women and how they contribute to human flourishing; (6) Recognizes the accomplishments of women in every sector of human existence; (7) Upholds a theology that believes that spiritual gifts do not come in pink or blue; and (8) Seeks to advance women’s rights in places where those rights do not exist or are under threat.
Does that make me a feminist? Perhaps. But there’s another important side to it!