If this:

“…feminism is still only for middle-class white women.”

is what you took away from baraqiel’s comments, I am not sure what either of us could say to elucidate our views.

It’s interesting that you read “feminism is still only for middle-class white women” from “Feminism is trying to end gender-based oppression.” I didn’t know women of color or poor women weren’t oppressed because of gender! But I’m very glad to hear that, I guess the situation isn’t as bad as I thought it was.

Alternately, you could stop misrepresenting what I said. You believe that feminism is a political movement aimed at ending all oppressions. Fine, whatever; that’s not what I believe. I believe that feminism is a political movement aimed at ending all kinds of gender-based oppression, including those that are amplified by intersection with oppression along another axis. But oh well, I guess that third-wave feminism is all about everyone having the same concept of feminism and not being able to define it for themselves, huh?

Anyway, barring extensive citing of sources from someone qualified to define exactly what the mission of feminism is at present and proving that your understanding of third-wave feminism is the only true, valid way to practice feminism now, I’ll just keep on having my understanding of feminism and you’re welcome to yours. I don’t consider myself to be a purely third-wave feminist. I don’t consider myself to be a wave-oriented feminist at all, actually. But the next time I have a spare five years to get a PhD in feminism, I’ll be sure to drop by UCLA, since apparently that is the only way to get an understanding of contemporary feminism that is accepted by…you, I guess.

I believe “IK” was making his/her comments in response to the early comment from baroquiel that “I also don’t believe that feminism is trying to end all oppressions. Feminism is trying to end gender-based oppression. ”

This is simply not true anymore, and if you had taken a women’s studies class from any reputable institution in the past 20 years (and paid attention) this would be clear to you, baroquiel. It may be (and seems to be) your opinion that this is not befitting of feminism, and you seem to think that each of the individually repressed groups should fight their own battle. Bear in mind that this is just your opinion and in actuality feminism has indeed branched out to include all of these topics (and *gasp* the white men have yet to take it over as the result!).

Also to all the men who were purporting to be pro-feminist but felt uncomfortable calling themselves feminists: third wave feminism encourages you to join the movement, vagina or not! Being a feminist simply means that you believe in the inherent equality of all people, don’t need specific genitalia to do that. It doesn’t ask that you somehow transport yourself into the body of a woman to understand her life, this is impossible even for other women! Feminism doesn’t require you to “tell women what their role in society is” (@ Terry… it’s quite the opposite). All it asks is that you believe in the equality of all people, are willing to acknowledge that systems of power exist and that you may be a part of them, and that you LISTEN to the viewpoints of others. Being a feminist is a continual process of learning.

@BeckySharper acknowledging other points of view (different races etc.)does not exactly amount to “stewing in liberal guilt and bemoaning the fact that I got lucky by being born white in Western society.” The guy railing against you has a point. Would you feel the same way if a man said there was no point in trying to understand a woman’s perspective because he will never be a women? Of course you will never fully understand it, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try or equate the effort to some kind of frivolous pseudo-humility!

anyone who has a problem with my definition of third wave feminism please come to my class at UCLA (Ph.d. student) to get an accepted understanding of contemporary feminism

Women have been brainwashed into thinking that ‘women’s rights are human rights’ in the very widest sense… so women are to stop focusing on issues that effect ‘only’ women and deal with those which effect ‘everybody’.

To hear the Conservatives talk about abortion, forty years after we struggled to gain that right proves we haven’t achieved anything.

I can not believe that my children and grandchildren still have to fight for control over their own bodies…how is this possible?

It is because women have been guided away from the feminist ideals, taught ‘humanism’ and now have the mentality of the 1950s.

Blacks no longer have to fight to sit anywhere on the bus, attend any school, or apply for any job. They are not still fighting for the right to vote.

Why are we still having to fight?