Steinem criticizes Palin for using feminist brand

LA TImes ^ | 6/23/10 | Michael Muskal

[reaganrevolutionin2010]

Gloria Steinem, an icon of the women’s movement, has criticized Sarah Palin for trying to brand herself as a feminist.

In an interview with @katiecouric, Steinem argued that a woman who chooses not to have an abortion can call herself a feminist, but “you can't be a feminist who says other women can't have an abortion."

To be sure, Palin’s role as a feminist has been an issue ever since she made history by becoming the first woman to run on the Republican national ticket. Unlike the Democratic side of feminism, however, Palin is a conservative and opposes many of the issues such as abortion and gender rights that fueled the women’s movement.

Palin, who is strongly anti-abortion, reignited the debate over who could call themselves a feminist and what that means in a May 14 speech for the Susan B. Anthony List, a PAC for antiabortion female congressional candidates.

Using grizzly bears as a metaphor, Palin seemed to imply that feminism need not apply only apply to liberal supporters of abortion rights. Conservative PTA moms can be empowered in their positions as well and can call themselves feminists, she argued.

[reaganrevolutionin2010]

Gloria...honey, sweetie, baby... it's over.

Go crawl back under your rock.

There's a new sheriff in town, and her name is Sarah.

[The Wizard]

Isn’t it funny that this old fool thinks it’s up to HER who is a fem and who isn’t.....

welcome to a new world order......(couldn’t resist)

[LibLieSlayer]

gloria... your vagina atrophied and you are no longer in the “club” sweetie.

LLS

[Carley]

This dumb hag married a German gigolo who used her to get US citizenship.

She should talk about feminism.

Time to crawl back under your rock tramp.

[dforest]

The feminist cause was a loser. Still is because it is defined by these leftie woman this way

acceptance of killing one’s offspring

lesbianism

Palin should disavow the failed Women’s Lib movement as limited and confined to only certain women.

maybe Empowering Women Movement

[friendly_doc]

Sad. Very sad.

Steinem was an attractive and reasonably intelligent young woman back in the day. Unfortunately, like many women her generation, she used “feminism” as a response against her own personal and emotional problems, and chaotic family history. As a result, what you see is a woman in her 70s who still thinks, talks and sounds like a hurt 13 year old girl.

[Dr. Sivana]

Steinem argued that a woman who chooses not to have an abortion can call herself a feminist, but “you can't be a feminist who says other women can't have an abortion."

How very 1970's. Here is the new formulation:

A woman who says other women can have an abortion can call herself a feminist, but you can't be a feminist who says that other women who say that women can't have an abortion can't be feminists.

C'mon, Gloria, let's reintegrate, deconstruct, etc. We have all day!

[misharu]

HAHAHAHHAHA!! That was great, RR2010!

[Oceander]

Why, how paternalistically sexist of Steinem - seriously, who is she to start suppressing and repressing a woman with an "alternate" narrative to the accepted mainstream discourse? Isn't that precisely what the core of feminism seeks to defend - the alternate narrative that women, qua women, bring to the social mileu?

Certainly, anyone with half a brain (ergo, no-one who's a liberal) must appreciate the rather striking ironies here.

[Wpin]

There is a new feminism about...and this one has high ideals rather than gutter politics...get over it Gloria. You are a washed up has been.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

So, there is actually a feminist “brand” now, and you have to be liberal to claim it?

OK, got it!

[Dr. Sivana]

Palin should disavow the failed Women’s Lib movement as limited and confined to only certain women.

But feminist is a sacred word to them, like "marriage" is to us. They need us to help refine their definitions a bit!

[oblomov]

Right. Steinem should stop being so patriarchal, stop trying to craft metanarratives about feminism. Anyone who has a “God’s eye view” of feminism shouldn’t be allowed to call herself a feminist.

(I learned all of the jargon in 6 years at a liberal university)

[grellis]

I'm a femininist, a broad who digs being feminine. I never could figure out exactly what "feminist" means--to me it will always just be a mangled word.

[Oceander]

Right. Steinem should stop being so patriarchal, stop trying to craft metanarratives about feminism. Anyone who has a “God’s eye view” of feminism shouldn’t be allowed to call herself a feminist.

(I learned all of the jargon in 6 years at a liberal university)

Hey! Same place I learned the jargon, too!

Ain't college grand!

[Ge0ffrey]

The left has, contrary to their stated relativism, one absolute: the right to kill an unborn baby.

[BilLies]

“Gloria Steinem, an icon of the women’s movement, has criticized Sarah Palin for trying to brand herself as a feminist.”

Steinem??? is she the one with a mustache?

[Scotswife]

They sure talk themselves into a box don’t they?

They always feel like outsiders looking in - anti-establishment rubbish.
And then when they become the establishment - they won’t abide any outsiders.

[silverleaf]

When did Sarah ever say other women COULDN’t have an abortion? Has she advocated making abortion illegal?

just curious

[Neverforget01]

Gloria Steinem, an icon of the women’s movement

Says who?