Yes. And it’s tempting to leave it at that, to avoid coming anywhere near the infamous stance, “I’m not a feminist, but…”
However, there are some good reasons to complete the sentence, “I am a feminist, but…” Many of these have to do with a history of exclusion in the U.S. feminist movement. In the 1960s and 70s, for example, many in the mainstream feminist movement disavowed any interest in LGBTQ rights, for fear of being stereotyped or tainted. That’s not our feminism.
Similarly, the mainstream feminist movement in the U.S. has been accused of failing to recognize the role of race and class in women’s oppression and of focusing too closely on the concerns of White middle-class women. That’s not our feminism either. We think it is vital to recognize the intersection of race, class, and gender bias, and we select cases for our litigation docket with this in mind.
