Wednesday, January 11, 2006

My Cunt Is Built Like A Wound That Won't Heal

Ah. Feminism. Gives you a strong mental pictures doesn’t it? Women who don’t shave. Bra burning hippies. Man haters. Those are feminists. But as Ka rightly points out, [or maybe it was Spins] there is a very negative connotation with the word "feminist". Groups at my local college call themselves "post-modern feminists" meaning they have evolved from what they used to be.
To me, it matters very little. I don’t know what I am. I used to think I was a feminist. As I said on Ka’s blog though, the more I settle down into the lesbian version of married life, the more I worry I am not the feminist I used to be.
I can tell you, in a little manifesto, what I do believe.
Women are beautiful. Absolutely amazing. They can create life. They hold it inside their bodies. And when I child comes bawling and screaming into the world, it is her body that lets it go. It is her body that knows the timing and it is her body that nourished that child. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
Looking at a woman, completely naked, is a beautiful experience. They’re soft. Curvy, Inviting. There is something mysterious and tantalizing about the way a woman looks, no doubt about it.
As far as dating goes, I think women should be able to chase the people they are attracted to. They should be aggressive and entice their lovers, if that is what they want. I think that a person (regardless of sex, really) should be able to pursue or be pursued as they wish. Are some women more likely to sit and wait for the right person to come along? I think so. Is it because they are women? No, its because it is their personality.
As far as rights goes, I think everyone should be equal, regardless. Plain and simple. Will it ever happen? No. But should it? Sure.
I think the thing that most feminists now do, and something I probably ought to do more of, is work to promote basic rights for women who cannot or do not have them, such as the women in third world countries who experience female circumcision. They help other women become more aware of their bodies and how they work. Help them to understand them and celebrate the parts of their body unique to them.
One feminist who really touched me explained to me that I should not dread my monthly cycle, but instead celebrate it as my body renewing itself should I choose to try and create life. I should appreciate it, and do things that make it feel pleasant, like eating cookies and chocolate or going for a massage.
I think there is a lot to appreciate about being a woman, hell, I have a tattoo that means as much. Still, I think there are too many women who do not appreciate their bodies or their own sex the way they should. I am one of them.
Still, that’s the beauty of being a woman, I always have more time to enjoy my body and explore it. Because its not going anywhere.

2 comments:

HistoryGeek said...

Very nice post!

adem said...

I think you've got a very sound understanding of 'feminist' and I have to say that most of what you have said applies to what I think of women.[from a male perspective]

They are amazing and I think that all people, both men and women, should be aware of how special they are, aware of their bodies, and be willing to celebrate their sexuality, however they choose to do so.

Everyone should be equal, but it will never happen, although it would be nice to see further inroads into this, and I'm sure that a lot of this will come from women empowering themselves and understanding their true value.

A good post.