Ken Davenport has a brutal piece in TWS this morning on the frankly rather embarrassing opposition of the National Organization of Women to Sarah Palin’s candidacy. It still astonishes me to no end that an organization which would be splendidly placed to speak as the pluralistic voice of the majority demographic group in the country (women=51.1% of US population), is so eager to consign itself to speaking only for a fantastically smaller band of Democratic Party partisans.
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Meta
One of the authors at the SF convention I attended last weekend, a young, obviously bright, and attractive lady, mentioned as sort of an aside (I don’t recall why it came up) that it made her crazy when someone says to her, “I believe in equal rights for women but I don’t consider myself a feminist.” My understanding of her statement was that she felt that those interested in women’s equality were wrong to refuse the label. I was sitting out in the audience and she was up on the panel, but I wanted to say… if you actually want to know instead of just complain about it, I could tell you why.
And this thing with NOW is exactly it.
I do not identify myself as a feminist because THE FEMINISTS DON’T WANT ME.
It’s as simple as that.
Though these days I’m tempted to start claiming a label. I’m thinking that “authentic feminist” might fit very well.
I do (to sort of change the subject) like that Palin has praised and thanked Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro. Particularly Ferraro, who I’d seen nothing of for years and years who was utterly trashed for pointing out the fact that Obama was doing as well as he was because he was black *just as* she would never have been picked to run as VP if her name was Geraldo. SHE is comfortable with that truth and also with the fact that it didn’t mean she was unqualified, only that it was what got her to the top of the list.
Palin most likely wouldn’t have been picked over Pawlenty if she didn’t have anything additional to bring to the ticket. Though the reputation for reform and ability to speak to energy issues may have put a Sam Palin right at the top of the list… it’s still the Sarah that put her over.
I think it quite likely that a good number of women (and men) like me who have been dissed by feminists for so long will truly enjoy the opportunity for authentic feminism to win the day.