Letters: Young feminists keeping movement alive
USA TODAY's article "As NOW marks 45 years, is feminism over the hill?" perpetuates stereotypes about young feminists that are insulting. If USA TODAY is genuinely interested in exploring the future of feminism, it should interview those of us who keep feminism fierce and vibrant: young feminists.
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Contrary to the article's claims, we know our movement's history, and we are carrying it into the future. We don't just identify with feminism; we live it day to day. We fight for reproductive, economic, racial and social justice online, in the streets, and side by side with our friends and family members. We're questioning, bending and breaking down social norms, including sexuality, gender, age, class and race. We are abortion clinic escorts, online organizers, rape crisis center volunteers, radical journalists and sometimes even presidents of NOW chapters.
But don't take our word for it. Instead of making generalizations about young feminists, we invite USA TODAY to get the real story on young women creating powerful and, yes, feminist change in our communities.
Steph Herold and Shelby Knox; New York
The writers are feminist activists.
USATODAY OPINION
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Openly discuss issues of equality
The fact that young women who talk about the issues are stigmatized as "pushy" proves that there's still work to be done.
Why should it be taboo to talk about equal pay or a gender balance in the workplace? Young women today need to hear strong female messages more than ever if the message has become this distorted.
Alexandra Patterson; Bowling Green, Ky.
More work to be done
How interesting that the same edition of USA TODAY included two articles with conflicting views of the continued importance of feminism in today's society.
On the one hand, we see a record number, albeit a pitifully low number, of women assuming CEO roles in 2012 ("More women on tap to lead top companies"). On the other, young college women see feminism as a dead issue ("As NOW marks 45 years, is feminism over the hill?").
As we look around a world controlled largely by men and witness corporate greed, famine, war, poverty and economic decline, it is clear there remains significant work to be done to get more women's voices to the tables where critical decisions are made in all facets of life. When college students enter the "real world," they will no doubt realize that the need for feminism (regardless of what it's called) is very much alive.
Lois P. Frankel
Author of Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office; Pasadena, Calif.
Many care about feminism
This whole "you've come a long way baby" mentality so prevalent in today's thoughts about feminism is complete and utter nonsense.
While women have come a long way, we still have a long way to go. Feminism is not just about women. Feminism is about equality for all people, reframing our ideologies about gender, race, class and all the intersecting aspects of our lives.
If young people don't care about feminism, how can you explain the feminist blogs that have thousands of followers and the feminist magazines still in print today. Take a look at academic and non-academic feminist groups all over the country and the feminist zines being sold and then tell me that young people don't care about feminism.
Young people do care about feminism. It is not dead (or "over the hill" as your article put it) and is still very relevant.
Christina Gaza; Nashville
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