Militant. Aggressive. Feminazis. And that’s just a mere dip of the toe.
Feminism is a loaded word, prolific with meanings that often undertake the extremes. For some, feminism may take the iconic form of Rosie the Riveter, heralding women with the stance “We can do it.” For others, a feminist is a man-hating lesbian who forsakes shaving and displays her middle finger for the whole world to see. Whatever the case may be, there is no denying the explosive nature of the title.
“There’s the whole joke that if you have 100 feminists in a room, you’ll have 100 different types of feminism,” says Kevin Johnson, publicity co-chair of the College Feminists.
A wry grin quirks his lips, indicating he’s a part of the joke as one of the few males in the organization, before the Weinberg junior continues, “For me though, it’s a lot about just simple recognition for how society works and how patriarchy is affecting society and how gender roles are different.”
While College Feminists may be just short of 100 members, the influence of the group at Northwestern University has steadily seeped into the fabric of day-to-day campus life. Originally established as the Woman’s Coalition in the late ‘80s, College Feminists has since evolved into an organization that aims to address the intersection of gender, race, sexuality and culture.
“If most people were presented with what feminist movements are doing today, many would identify as a feminist,” says Bonnie Alexander, a Weinberg junior who is co-director of the College Feminists. “But because that message isn’t out there, people aren’t using that word all the time.”
For Kelsey Sheridan, a Medill senior and Sex Week co-chair, these messages are what drive the organization’s events. “What we face as an organization is how to be relevant to students and how to make people think we are relevant,” Sheridan says. “Part of the problem is a branding issue, where a lot of people don’t even know that Sex Week is prepared by College Feminists.”
Whereas events like The Vagina Monologues may be a more overt appendage of College Feminists, the association also hosts annual activities such as Sex Week and Take Back the Night. All three aim to encourage dialogue regarding sex and misconceptions about sexual health. However, for the members of College Feminists, the movement is far more complex than just a campus enterprise.
“Even on a campus that is as enlightened, educated and progressive as ours is, things still slip through the cracks, and it’s not things people are entirely aware of,” Alexander stresses. “From the way we treat sexual harassment to issues that we’re going to deal with in the real world, like workplace equality, I do think there’s a real need for these to be addressed to make everyone on more equal footing.”
And that is exactly what College Feminists strives to do beyond Northwestern’s borders. Sheridan says College Feminists engage in writing campaigns to state legislators, participate in Walk for Choice and Slut Walk, as well as provide funds for a Kenyan student to go to high school in honor of International Woman’s Day. “We don’t exist solely to perpetuate feminism on this campus,” Sheridan says with a hint of a laughter in her voice. “But I think just because Northwestern is more liberal doesn’t mean that we have no problems with gender.”
Recalling examples of gender problems, Johnson, the group’s publicity chair, is further testimony to the gender stereotypes that still exist on campus. “Once I was wearing a shirt from the group that said ‘This is what a feminist looks like,’ and one of my co-workers was like, ‘I can’t take you seriously wearing that shirt.’ I was like, ‘I can’t take you seriously at all.’ What century is it?” Johnson says, his face contorted in a comical mimicry of disbelief. “We need to break down the image of the bra-burning feminist, not that it’s a bad thing at all, but it’s not the entire issue of feminism. The whole point is that people are different, and really, it’s about individuality and expression.”