Hey hey, fellow feminists!
As our we have the first couple weeks under our belt, we are making our way quickly to another semester of posts!
We have a wonderful group of bloggers with very diverse backgrounds, majors, interests, voices, and experiences. This semester, you should be looking forward to perspectives you may not have heard before, and we are ecstatic to be able to say that. Below we have our answers to “how I came upon feminism.” We are so excited to introduce the new bloggers and their voices. We will begin posting this upcoming Sunday, and will post every day aside from Tuesdays and Fridays! Mark your calendars, y’all. We are comin’ in hot.
| “I came to feminism at a young age simply by being raised by a single mother. Her sister is a lesbian communist, most active during the second wave of feminism but keeping active with the changes in the movement. I realized I am a feminist when I was in high school, and through education and involvement I have learned to wear the title proudly. I am on the executive board of the JMU Feminist Collective as Social Media Director and an active facilitator in the club. Every day I learn more and become even more passionate about intersectional feminism.” |
| “I really started learning about feminism when I was a senior in high school. I became friends with a girl who had lived in Europe most of her younger life and she and I would become enveloped in these discussions about a woman’s body. She talked about how sexualized it was here and how that reflected what society thought about women and their place culture, and then would compare it to what she was used to. I started educating myself about feminism, through my high school teachers and literature. Until that, I had only known then extremist stereotype of “man hater” that had been given to feminism and I knew that I needed to know more. I’d like to think that my mom helped me in a way too, when it came to learning about feminism. She was a single mother, raising two daughters. Although I didn’t recognize it then, I am old enough now to see that every word she spoke, action she took or decision she made, was done with the purpose of teaching me and my sister to be unapologetically strong and confident women. I will never be able to thank her enough for this lesson, and for making me a feminist as well. In my opinion, if you’re human who believes in the equality of all mankind, than you better consider yourself a feminist. I surely do.” |
| “Feminist issues were never topics I considered as a kid, but through my experience in all-female high school, I became empowered through feminism. I recognize strong women as a force to be reckoned with, and I am proud to identify as a feminist.” |
| “I remember from a very early age understanding that women could do absolutely anything men could do, but it wasn’t until high school where I found myself diving deeper into the issue of sexism. I do consider myself a feminist and I have considered myself a feminist since my freshman year of high school. I remember being angry when the girls in my grade were being shamed for partaking in sexual activities while the guys only received an applause and I think this is really where my passion for feminism began.” |
| “I don’t remember the specific moment I decided I was a feminist. It was a gradual transition that came with growing up. I would spend a lot of time on the internet, which is where I learned the beginnings of the foundation of feminism.” |
| “Heck yes – I am a proud feminist. I came to feminism when I found my leadership skills and talents being undermined and questioned. I sought answers from many of my peers and mentors and realized that it just didn’t add up – I was skillful, tactful, smart, and charismatic, yet still lacked trust and respect from certain members. Feminism helped me realize that I should trust my intelligence and instincts and know that if I am undermined for being a woman, there is an opportunity to be a role model to those who are in a similar situation, and educator to those who need it.” |
| “I became a feminist when I was a freshman in high school. I have written for ShoutOut for this past semester and I believe interacting with the other bloggers has really helped me form my identity as an intersctionalist. I now am more aware of how excluded non-binary and trans people are and I have helped change other orgs I am in to accommodate and become more inclusive and safe. I hope to keep writing for ShoutOut to help other become more aware.” |
| “Feminism was something that was taught to me from a young age, my family structure involved many important powerful women being in my life. I was always raised to see the value I and other women have in society and to never allow anyone to say otherwise.” |
ShoutOut! James Madison University 