Looking for Feminist Friends

justaspringhaze

I've been a member of MFP since December 2011 and have had a pretty mixed experience. I have made some great friends here, but when I come to the message boards I often get discouraged. I see a lot of jokes about sexual and domestic violence, anti-gay comments, comments objectifying women, etc. It's pretty discouraging.

I'm looking for some feminist/progressive friends on MFP! I'm always thinking about how to balance my weight loss goals with a feminist rejection of fat hatred and body shaming. It's hard to want a thin body while rejecting patriarchal standards of beauty - it's a daily struggle for me.

I'd love to find some friends and create a community where we can motivate, follow, and support each other while holding ourselves and each other accountable as feminists!

justaspringhaze

Anyone?

kimikinsx3

Well hello there! You found someone to help you out!!

Drenched_N_Motivation

You are woman. Roar!!

RaeLB

feminist here.

i feel the same way about the boards!

Nataliaho

me too:)

jenj1313

I don't know that I'd label myself a feminist, because I just live my life the way it makes sense to me (i.e. I don't see myself as having a "feminist agenda"), BUT everything you said makes perfect sense to me, so feel free to add me if you want.

I'm online almost everyday and try to comment as much as I can when work and a crazy schedule don't get in the way. I try to keep my comments positive but I'll call you out in a constructive (not bashing) way if I see something that looks like it's contrary to your goals.

I've got my ups and downs and sometimes I bash on myself, but never on other people!!

I agree with you about the negative posts so I just don't participate in those.

Hope you manage to make a better experience for yourself with a new group of friends!
All the best,
Jen

loriesch

Just signed up today and agree with your comments. Looking forward to this experience -- it's nice not to have to do it alone.

Sherbog

Count me in......Eugene, Oregon here....nothing like an activist communtiy to support the women. So sorry that your post brought out the negative "not funny" comments....

Feel the same way you do!

crisanderson27

Verrrry interesting!

I've got an eye on you Natalia!

:flowerforyou:

Sherbog

I love feminists! No-one does dishes and laundry as well as a feminist!!

NOT FUNNY

Siobhan69

I'm in, add me as a friend if you wish! My desire to lose weight is reconciled with my feminist ideology because for me it is about being fit, healthy and strong, not fitting the socially constructed projections of 'beauty' and 'sex appeal' etc.

focus4fitness

I am not sure why ALL Women don't call themselves feminists.

Another Oregon gal here

amphion

I am an ally in the LGBT community along with that comes some pretty strong feminist ideals. You are welcome to add me if you want some support in gaining a more healthy body.

Nataliaho

Verrrry interesting!

I've got an eye on you Natalia!

:flowerforyou:

Nataliaho

I am not sure why ALL Women don't call themselves feminists.

Me too:) even my husband calls himself a feminist...

crisanderson27

I love feminists! No-one does dishes and laundry as well as a feminist!!

NOT FUNNY

Not appropriate...for sure.

But anyone with a sense of humor probably thought it was funny.

Relax ladies...if you're truly invested in how you feel...how is one guy making a joke...and another (me) teasing a friend...even remotely an issue?

focus4fitness

I am not sure why ALL Women don't call themselves feminists.

Me too:) even my husband calls himself a feminist...

exactly!

trudefaith

I love feminists! No-one does dishes and laundry as well as a feminist!! :laugh:

hahahahahahahahah!

Hearts_2015

I love feminists! No-one does dishes and laundry as well as a feminist!!

NOT FUNNY

agreed!

reactor25

Feminist trying to get fit right here, friend me if you like

ashtonvv

I love feminists! No-one does dishes and laundry as well as a feminist!! :laugh:

LMAO.. this is epic!

TiffanyDeanee

Yeah lets burn our bras and end women's suffrage now!

Well I have already ceased shaving. And you definately won't see me making any man any kind of sandwiches.

diannethegeek

I'm a feminist and you're welcome to add me, but I'm very new to the site so I can't promise that I'll be anything more than a lurker.

wildboar1

I was going to major in gender studies back in college, but then I realized that I actually had to support myself after I graduated by getting a job, so I majored in engineering. I realized that, since I am a man, I couldn't get a worthless, self-aggrandizing degree like Gender Studies because I couldn't count on the patriarchy to support me, i.e. I couldn't count on finding a rich woman to marry and become a house-husband. So I majored in Engineering. My wife has a degree in womens issues though, so I still support you feminists though! Keep up the good work.

wordpainter09

I'm wouldn't call myself a feminist per say, but I'm definitely progressive. I'd like to see a world where "feminism" and advocacy is no longer needed, because different kinds of people actually DON'T hate each other and live in relative egalitarianism. Of course, that's not the reality of today. Hence the progressive view :laugh:

Feel free to add me.

focus4fitness

"Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions.. for safety on the streets... for child care, for social welfare...for rape crisis centers, women's refuges, reforms in the law." (If someone says) 'Oh, I'm not a feminist,' (I ask) 'Why? What's your problem?'" - Dale Spender, author of For the Record: The Making & Meaning of Feminist Knowledge, 1985

Rayman79

Whoa, lets not turn this into an attack on feminism, I don't think this thread is the place for that. I'll leave this thread after this comment so as to avoid further issues...

Wait, what's that? You want to hear my views on feminism? Oh, ok.

Personally, whilst I see there was a great need for the feminist uprising (labelled as such), I personally believe that this is an outdated term and just reinforces the mental image of an opressed woman trying desperately to seek independance and equality.

Whilst I grant that this is still a valid plight in many parts of the world, I believe that the majority of users of this forum have cast aside the shackles of male oppression, and indeed have more power than us mere males in many aspects of life. I fully support equal right (including equal pay and opportunities etc) for women and men, but the tag of feminism is counterproductive to the cause in my humble opinion.

There are a number of groups that are not given entirely equal rights in the world, including a range of ethnicities, and people from various religious and socio-ecomonic backgrounds. Surely we should be striving to be at a point in society where 'feminism' in its original sense is no longer relevant, but that we should instead be spruiking 'equal right for all'?

Anyway, my 2c... hopefully I've demonstrated that I'm not some uneducated yokel, and that my comment was meant entirely as humerous and not malicious.

:flowerforyou:

abberbabber

I love feminists! No-one does dishes and laundry as well as a feminist!!

NOT FUNNY

LIES!! :laugh:

I thought it was hysterical, myself.

bewitchinglife

Feminist in Washington here! Feel free to add me.

I'm all for people taking their power and running with it. There is a lot of power in taking your health and wellness into your hands.

Kenzietea2

I'm down for the burning of the bra's, as someone suggested.
I just came here to address something OP posted. As far as patriarchal beauty standards, screw 'em. It is healthy to be at a normal weight, and that is what you should strive for, health. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look a certain way for yourself. So long as you truly want to do it for you, you shouldn't worry about anything else.