Undoubtedly, the thousands of supportive emails we receive show how important feminism is to our generation of women, and how connected Gen X women feel to feminist issues, whether or not they identify these issues as “feminist.” (We frequently hear the I’m-not-a-feminist-but-love-your-zine response) Yet, despite three waves of feminism, coupled with other social justice movements,—which have inarguably given women more opportunities than they’ve ever had before,—and despite an entire generation of women and men who have come of age post-women’s liberation movement, our culture is still pathetically misinformed about what feminism is, and who feminists are.

I did some checking with other feminist web-editors and found that their “down with femi-nazis” letters are very similar to ours. The letters never reference any specific examples of our “immorality” or anti-male bias, or whatever the “atrocity du jour” might be. And, as you might expect, the person writing the letter is usually the one saying the misguided, mean-spirited things. Some make sweeping statements about feminism in general, once again failing to support them with concrete examples; while others, clearly looking for a more direct route, reduce themselves to personal attacks. (One guy wanted to know why so many “hot women” are so angry with men. Hmm.) It’s as if they haven’t read one cyber page of our zine and, mired in fear and anger, are doing the usual knee-jerk reactions to feminism. Same tactics, different generation.

Don’t misunderstand me. The support and constructive criticism we receive far outweighs the handful of negative responses. But these letters got me thinking about how feminism is depicted in our culture, and, specifically, how Gen X women themselves (both feminist and non-feminist alike) talk about and perceive feminism.

We’ve all heard women say things like, “I’m not a feminist, but…” and then proceed to make feminist claims—such as: women deserve equal pay for equal work; motherhood should be more rewarded; women should have the same opportunities as men; and so on. And, after two years of editing this zine and talking with Gen X people from around the country, I’m convinced that the actual concepts of feminism aren’t what bother them, it’s the word “feminist” and of course the horrendous stigma associated with it.

I think this dis-identification with feminism is, in part, a result of the four-decade cultural backlash against feminism. The origins of this backlash can be found in the mid to late 60s, when Baby Boomer feminists first began to work for: safe housing for abused women and children, crisis centers and better laws for rape victims, birth control, legal and safe abortion, affirmative action and sexual harassment policies in the workplace and educational institutions, the right to pursue a fulfilling career, the right to delay or reject marriage and motherhood, and so on. But the larger, unified social protests eventually stopped and Ronald Reagan got elected. By the early to mid-eighties the raging backlash against feminism was in full-swing. And many in our generation bought it, but not entirely.

So here we are, living amidst a bizarre political hybrid of progressive Generation X women who would no more call themselves “feminists” than they would identify as Al-Queda supporters. It’s an odd blend, when you think about it: Women who criticize Gloria Steinem for being a “radical, man-hater” have safe and legal abortions. Women who reject the term “feminist,” still benefit from sexual harassment policies in the workplace. Women who live as out lesbians refuse to participate in anything “too political.” Women who postpone (or reject) the option to have a family and instead pursue a career or an education blame feminists for being “anti-homemaker.” Assertive women, raised in a culture where generations of women have always had the legal right to vote, want to know what feminism has done for them lately. It’s enough to make this feminist’s head hurt.

And though some Gen Xers blindly buy into the anti-feminist propaganda, most see clearly that hypocrisy abounds in the backlash, both among the I’m-not-a-feminist-but… women, as well as the conservative groups and leaders who blame feminists for everything from the federal deficit to global warming. We’ve witnessed politicians who have been charged with domestic violence blame feminists for destroying the family. And married religious and political leaders caught in affairs, with everyone from their colleagues to prostitutes, blame feminists for the decline in morals and family values. And even our old favorite Newt Gingrinch, a champion of the so-called family values agenda, has himself been divorced several times. (Didn’t he leave his dying wife for a political aid twenty-three years his junior?) Not only do they fail to practice what they preach, their archaic views on women, family and morality do not serve us any better today than they did fifty years ago.

Intrigued by this topic, we would like to hear from our readers. We will print all thoughtful and respectful responses. Here are some questions to get you started.

How did/does the anti-feminist backlash affect your interpretation of feminism?
Do you identify as a feminist? Why or why not?
How has feminism helped your life? In what ways is feminism failing? What are you doing to change it?
What role does feminism play in your everyday life?

Please send us your thoughts and responses to sexingthepolitic.

And, finally, after many requests to incorporate Baby Boomer feminists into our cyberzine mix, I’ve added the column, “Boomerang,” a space reserved for the opinions of Baby Boomer (Second Wave) feminists. We want to hear about lessons learned, what Gen X is doing well or not so well, and your reflections on feminism, both then and now.

Krista Jacob, editor-in-chief and founder
Sexing the Political

To order Krista Jacob’s new book, Our Choices, Our Lives:Unapologetic Writings on Abortion, please go to barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, www.amazonbookstorecoop.com (A fabulous independent, feminist bookseller. Please support them if you can.), booksamillion.com, or order it from your local independent bookstore.

Krista Jacob, MS, is editor-in-chief and founder of Sexing the Political: A journal of third wave feminists on sexuality. She has a long history of involvement in women’s issues, from domestic violence and sexual assault to reproductive freedom and other women’s health issues. She presents at state and national conferences on issues related to violence against women, third wave feminism, motherhood, images of women in the media, abortion, and adolescent women's issues. At present, she is a writer, mother, and Reproductive Health Counselor.

Her work has appeared in Just Sex: Students Rewrite the Rules on Sex, Violence, Activism, and Equality, (Rowman & Littlefield), The Minnesota Women's Press, and numerous feminist periodicals. She is also the editor of Our Choices, Our Lives: Unapologetic Writings on Abortion.

If you would like to inquire about bringing Ms.Jacob to speak in your community or to set up an interview, please contact SexingthePolitic.

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