I think that conversation would be a good one for all the rest of us who call ourselves feminist – or don’t.

I stopped calling myself a feminist recently — my entire relationship to the movement(s) consists of posting sarcastic blog comments. I don’t even blog about feminism myself (or about anything, recently) and I don’t want to cheapen the term by applying it to someone as uninvolved as myself.

I notice two things: other people share that definition, and (possibly different) people misapply labels, all kinds of labels, all the time.

So if someone says, “I am a conservative feminist”, I have certain doubts. Because I don’t see how one can want to “conserve” much of the status quo, and still expect full equality for women.

Which boils down to this reduction: Sarah Palin and others may say they’re feminists, but I might say I’m the pope. I think it’s useful to point out the inconsistencies. I’m not with s.e. smith on this one, I’m more with PS.

She has the right to do so. She has the right to call herself whatever she wants. That doesn’t mean she’s correct.

I also believe Sarah Palin has the right to call herself a liberal, a Buddhist or a space alien if she chooses, but that doesn’t actually make her one.

But Palin isn’t a feminist. What she is is a woman. And any time a person tries to explain to me what makes her a feminist (female politician, working mom … um, I think that’s it), what they’re really saying is “She’s a woman, and if you don’t embrace her then you don’t really want to make things better for women, because she’s a woman, you see! Which is a load of crap. She charged rape survivors to pay for their own police investigations; opposes reproductive autonomy; walked away from her job as governor (where she ostensibly could’ve done real good for women, not that she would have) to make more money on teevee; and spends the vast majority of her time either actively trying to bring about the right-wing Dream Race War or taking money from, giving speeches for, chumming around with, and lionizing those who are trying to bring it about. Words have meaning. Actions define character. In no sense is Palin a feminist. Fin.

My feminism has room for everyone, even those who do not have room for me, and I am actually pleased that feminism is to a point once again in the cultural mindset where conservative women like Palin feel comfortable claiming it without censure.