This month's Snarl is by Jenn Lentz:

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The Importance and Relevance of Feminism

Here's something that's been on my mind,the IMPORTANCE and RELEVANCE of FEMINISM. What cringing? Why is it that at the mere meniton of that simple 8 letter word people become extremly uncomfortable....what is it? Hmm...maybe it's the fact that that simple word symbolizes everything a woman (or womyn as you will) is NOT supposed to be in our society. Strong, capable, perservering, intellegent, opinonated, forceful and of course not only asking for but DEMANDING equality.

I have over the course of my life come to converse with many a girl or woman who is more than reluctant to have the word feminist associated in any way with them. Their reasoning? It's connotation is too "manly"; it symbolizes something so unfeminine and alien to them that they would rather have nothing to do with all those who do choose to be called feminists.

Now I'm not one for labels but i think this is one that EVERY woman already bears....we're born with it... and wether you want to admit it or not at heart deep down you ARE a feminist. After all don't you want recognition, don't you want to be more than just an object, don't you more out of life and more out of the people around you then to be held up to some Barbie/ Betty Crocker prototype demanding that you be content as the Happy Homemaker (cira 1950) who's only function in life is to please her husband (who of course is the HEAD of the household) and serve as a "baby machine". Hmmm...I don't know about you but I sure do.

I've never in my life thought there was anything i couldn't do because of my gender... and yes I played with G.I. Joe and rode my bike and played sports and played with Barbie and played dress up and actually for a while in my young life was obssesed with the color pink. I was happy. I never thought there was a gender line, especially one that was insurmountable. And if wanting to be my own person and wanting to conquer everything in life that I can, and if standing up for these things which I see as undeniable puts the label of feminist on me... y'know what? I wear it PROUDLY.




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