Summer of Feminista 2014: Girlfriends
Why yes my dear readers, it is that time of the year!
Memorial Day is in the books and as we wonder what summer will bring us, we do know it will bring us a conversation between Latinas about feminism. To facilitate that conversation, I am proposing this theme:
Girlfriends
And to clarify, I don't mean the romantic "girlfriend." But your friend who is a girl. The one who pop culture tells us we sit around drinking martinis with talking about our sex lives. Also the one that pop culture warns us about -- The catty woman in our lives who might turn on us.
What is Summer of Feminista?
It is my annual summer blog event where I ask you, yes, you! to share your thoughts on an idea related to feminism and being Latina. Although not all those who share consider themselves feminists or Latina. You write a blog post and I post it here. And if you have a blog, can post it there too. If you don't have a blog, that's ok! You can read about SoF 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010...Yes, making this the fifth annual Summer of Feminista! It's pretty simple. And it leads to some great conversations over the summer.
Back to our theme...In the realm of feminism, girlfriends are often synonymous with sisters or the sisterhood. Yet, as we know not every woman is a girlfriend and not every girlfriend is a sister.
As you can tell, the concept of girlfriends is a tricky one. One that changes as we move through our lives, especially in times of crisis when we need them the most. Sometimes they rise to the occasion, sometimes not so much.
When I think of my BFF girlfriends, for me, feminism is central to our relationships. One of them I met online on a feminist listserv back in the late 1990s. The second time I met another was at a Planned Parenthood volunteer orientation sealing her BFF potential. Others get how sports fit into my life and world view. They are the ones I fall back on when I am wrestling with ideas. In many ways they are my sisters.
Prompts to get you thinking...
How do your girlfriends fit into your life? Into your feminism?
Were you the girl who didn't get along with other girls growing up? How has that changed? Or not changed as you have gotten older?
Do you & your girlfriends actually sit around drinking wine & talking sex?
Is your girlfriend always your plus-one at feminist events?
Do you still have trouble trusting women? Do you think this impacts how you view feminism?
If you want to participate in this year's Summer of Feminista, just sign up for a week and ponder these prompts. Take the theme of "Girlfriends" anywhere you want to. I do reserve the right to not publish, but most of the time we'll chat before I say no.
Looking forward to this discussion!
Summer of Feminista 2014 is a project of Viva la Feminista. Link and quote, but do not repost without written permission.
