Frankly, it can be exhausting to feel I must always tow the p.c. Walker is giving us some breathing room inside the definition of what it is to be a good feminist and activist. I can claim and support my feminist convictions with every ounce of passion within me, but still just be myself rather than worrying about who I should be as a good feminist. If someone makes a sexist, racist, elitist, heterosexist, etc. comment around me, I m going to call them on it, but by the same token, there s a point where I m going to look out for my own sanity. I refuse to allow every choice that I make to be held up to a litmus test that rates my feminism.
Feminism is about choice, after all.
That fact should be an attraction to young women today, not a deterrent because one has to worry about making the right choices. In preparing for her upcoming lecture at Vanderbilt on March 21, I was thrilled to be able to ask Ms. Walker several questions about her feminist activism. Her answers only added to my anticipation of her visit and my interest in her message. I went to Yale at a time when there was a lot of campus activism. My freshperson year I was involved in the divestment from South Africa movement and continued to be involved in speak outs and rallies on several issues, from retaining faculty of color to date rape.