The question: do you, gentle reader, not want a Feminist Hanky Code, or do you just not have ideas to contribute toward the creation of it? Ruby and I were a bit discouraged by the lack of interest in Friday's conversation, but will forge ahead on our own and share our creation with you and the wider feminist blogosphere -- but only if you tell us you'll use it. We've already established (ruby & I, that is) that we're not going to date each other.
In other news, you'll notice that I've spiffed the place up a bit, the better to foster conversation and find new readers. (I've also added stats tracking, and discovered that in the last 24 hours, I've had not one but two readers in New Zealand! Welcome! Can I come visit you?)
I've also added a few folks to my wee blogroll, some of whom I found when they had the good sense to link to PFG. Welcome to The B List (home of the fab performance poet Cheryl B.), Feminist Allies (a lovely blog for feminist men), Chaos Theory, and The Hathor Legacy, two most excellent feminist-leaning pop culture blogs.
In completely unrelated news, did anyone watch the Golden Globes last night? I was so pleased to see so many of the female awards won by women who were, in at least one but sometimes two ways, not young, white and skinny. America Ferrara, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep all beat out their more conventionally starlet-y competition. Plus, Grey's Anatomy & Ugly Betty both won in their categories, both shows with diverse casts created and produced by women of color (Shonda Rhimes & Salma Hayek, respectively)! It's enough to give a girl a glimmer of hope for the world.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
An Important Question (and Some Other Stuff)
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11 comments:
Hi Ladyred, I just don't see the Feminist Hanky Code taking off so I didn't participate. I figure that flirting is too nuanced for such a code, plus to be honest, I wouldn't want to try to work a hankey into my outfit. I love your site though, don't get discouraged by this. You rock the hell on!!!
Wait, does it have to be a hanky?
I'm all for it (although, not so much for a hanky), but- at the risk of betraying my ignorance- I actually didn't know what the hanky code was. I had to look it up.
*blush*
So. Yeah.
It most certainly does not have to be a hanky -- in fact, I think it shouldn't be so it doesn't get mixed up with the already existing Hanky Code. We're taking ideas on all fronts of how it should work and what it should look like...
Perhaps some kind of ribbon pinned to a jacket?
I was originally thinking of buttons, because buttons have the benefit of being gender neutral, can be worn on all kinds of clothing, and are visable enough to be noticed, but then the problem is how to make it clear that it's a button being worn for as code (to those in the know) versus a button being worn as a button.
Maybe sandwich boards that say "Feminist And Free"? ;)
i guess in terms of the spirit of reclaimation, its fine for those who want to participate; my qualm is with the idea of taking a marginalized group and creating a special marker by which they are identified.
there is also the notion that this form of communication be intended as covert; as opposed to the freedom one should have to simply declare their status as feminists, or the freedom from heteronormative oppressive culture assumptions that would create space for people to engage in open communication without prejudice. Without acknowledging that the dominant culture is dominant and that we, marker-wearing subpop individuals, are trying to create a minimal existance within a larger patriarchal system sans any actual move to subvert the oppression.
will i in word and deed, work every day to thwart oppressive social constructs? hell yeah.
will i wear a coded marker of my beliefs? no.
so how will people know i'm a feminist? well, the way i live my life, how will anyone not know?
mia, I don't think the idea is to be covert, as feminists or anything else (at least that's not my idea - I live my feminism out loud every day, too).
The idea is to be able to identify, at a feminist event even, who's open to being flirted with. It's meant to be a marker not of your beliefs, but of sexual/romantic availability. An invitation, if you will. And it'll work best if as many people know about it as possible.
yes, i did understand that to be the idea prior to writing my response. so feel free to consider my post an answer to the question you pose today.
btw, i'm here via Feministe.
Hi from New Zealand!
Of course, you'd be more than welcome in our little neck of the woods...
Keep up the great blog, it's such a pleasure to read!
I honestly didn't know how to incorporate a hanky code, especially since I'm still not quite dating yet.
However, I love reading your exploits and ideas!
hanky shmanky. you already charmed a feminist-loving charmer so far. thus, i am waiting with baited breath for more information about you & the Charmer. pretty please with a feminist hanky on top?
Hi! Im also from NZ and have been following your blog since feministing mentioned it a while back :) Not so sure about the hanky thing either, although im certainly very curious about its development!
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