I knew I wanted to be a feminist ever since I first laid eyes on Cindy Sherman's Film Stills in Mrs Rennie's art history class. That was almost three years ago, and since then I have fallen down the rabbit hole of feminism, gender, sexuality and queer theory. I moved from Christchurch to Dunedin in 2011 to begin a gender major, and despite facing constant trolling from pairs, disappointment and anxiety from my father (his biggest fear that one of his kids will be gay has been well and truly confirmed, despite the fact that I've never dated a woman in my life) and the general consensus from main stream society that my degree is completely useless, I know its the best decision I've ever made. But studying gender is not like studying economics or engineering; as your knowledge of gender issues grows, so too does your awareness of your own gendered and sexual life. And its not always an easy thing to deal with.
As my feminist politics and the world around me collide, I am slowly coming to terms with the way that feminism and life can be a tricky mix. Many difficult questions arise, such as, "to shave, or not to shave? To love shoes, or not to love shoes? To shag guiltlessly or lock up your box forever"? I hope to document my journey into feminism and into the world at large, and see where I end up. I suspect it will be a long, sometimes angering, sometimes saddening, and sometimes chuckle-inducing journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment