Are You a Radical Feminist?

Until recently, I'd never considered myself a "radical feminist," because I didn't think the rights I wanted for myself or for other women are all that radical. At least, I don't think they'd be considered "radical" if we were talking about the rights of men, so why should they be "radical" for women? It's easy to forget sometimes that it's been less than a century since we won the right to vote.

What's happening in the GOP, with its attempts to redefine rape, call rape victims "accusers" instead of victims, defund Planned Parenthood, allow hospitals to refuse medical care for women if saving them means killing any fetuses they may be carrying, defunding Head Start programs because women should be staying home with the children, and any number of other measures (I was going to provide links for each of the listed assaults on the rights of women, but they're all found easily enough on a Google search on "GOP war on women"), has led to such a limited view of what rights the right wing thinks women should have that it's becoming more and more difficult not to be a radical feminist. In fact, I think it should probably be embarrassing not to be a radical feminist.

So, how do you tell if you are a radical feminist?

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that women don't cease to be valuable human beings in their own right the second they become pregnant.

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that rape victims should be treated the same as other victims of violent crimes.

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that women who have sex and enjoy it are not by definition sluts.

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that a hospital should not be allowed to deny life-saving medical treatment to women if it means sacrificing the life of a fetus, regardless of the odds of survival for the fetus.

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that medical doctors are better equipped than a clergyman (any religion, any rank) to decide if an abortion is medically necessary to save a woman's life.

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that women have more to offer society than the constant use of their reproductive organs for the purpose of reproduction.

You might be a radical feminist if you trust women to decide for themselves what constitutes acceptable risk to life and limb.

You might be a radical feminist if you notice the irony in "small-government" politicians insisting that government try to control the reproductive options of half of the population.

You might be a radical feminist if you notice the irony in "pro-life" people not batting an eye at the loss of a woman's life.

You might be a radical feminist if you believe that rapists alone should be held responsible for the rapes they commit.




Does anybody have anything else to add?