Mormon feminists do not really exist--not IN the Church anyway. And definitely not on feministmormonhousewives.org.
I think it's virutally impossible to be a true Mormon feminist and endure Relief Society for 20+ years. I think self-proclaimed "Mormon feminists" are much more likely to be orthodox believers in a patriarchal order. Real feminists would reject everything about Mormon patriarchy. Self-proclaimed "Mormon feminists" usually just defend their treatment and the patriarchy.
A Mormon woman cannot be a feminist in the Church any more than an FLDS woman in a polygamous marriage with 13 kids could be a feminist.
If an online "Mormon feminist" wants to walk on the wild side, she might suggest that Joseph Smith committed adultery, or she might even claim that Nephi committed murder.
But "feministmormonhousewives" take wimpy positions that reject anything resembling true feminism, and then they claim to be something they are not. That's my opinion.
About Me
Blog Archive
Favorite Blogs
3 comments:
How do you define "true feminism"?
Here's merriam's take:
Pronunciation:
\ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm\
Function:
noun
Date:
1895
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
How are Mormons precluded?
OK, not all Mormon women are precluded, except that they get excommunicated if they organize or say too much.
So in theory, a Mormon woman can subscribe to feminism without speaking out. I think it's nearly impossible for a Mormon woman to practice true feminism, because they get in trouble if they ask for complete equality.
Here's what I think: it's impossible to make a very strong argument because the definition of feminism is so nebulous. For example, there's an organization called feminists for life that works for pro-life causes from a feminist angle. Now, there are tons of NOW-type feminists who would say these women can't possibly be true feminists because they're pro-life, thereby supporting the abridged rights of women. The organization, of course, disagrees. The "feminists for life" say they're feminists because they work toward improved healthcare for women, especially underprivileged women, to render abortions unnecessary.
So who's right?
Post a Comment