So, today, December 13th it seems it is “Feminist Coming Out” day. The day is, supposedly dedicated to feminists declaring that they identify with the political label, and in addition are invited to: ‘Join the Revolution’.
So yes, everyone and their pet knows that I am a feminist. A pretty vocal one to boot. Feminism informs my politics. It is deeply intertwined with my ideology. In spite of all the problems that the label carries in certain circles (transphobia, queerphobia, ableism, racism, an ideology deeply tied to “whiteness”, etc, etc.), I still consider myself one. Because I haven’t yet found a better way to describe succinctly what I believe in.
However, I cannot, I will not be complicit in the misappropriation of the “coming out” narrative that belongs to one of the most collectively oppressed people in society: LGBTQ folks. My life wasn’t threatened when I “came out” as a feminist at a young age. I wasn’t “correctively raped” for coming out as a feminist. I didn’t face the death penalty for being a feminist. I didn’t loose my job for coming out as a feminist, nor did my congregation set to isolate me on the basis of my feminism. “Coming out as a feminist” had no more consequences than a few heated arguments with misogynists and bigots.
So, I won’t be coming out today. And I will not, above all, contribute to the erasure and dilution of the stories of those who did face serious consequences for coming out. I am afraid the “coming out” label is too sacred for me to trivialize it with my personal politics.
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