Thankfully E.J. Graff keeps her response short & sweet:

Jessica, honestly, I'm not sure I fully understand the problem. Is there someone out there giving out feminist credentials? If so, they've forgotten to hand any to me. You're a nationally known feminist and a widely recognized up-and-coming pundit. Who's dissing you, and why does it matter?

I think all know that I'm half-joking when I say someone is going to revoke my feminist card. OTOH, while no one can revoke my card (it's tattooed on me!), they can limit my advancement. E.J. and Katha pish-posh the idea that if you piss off a feminist leader that it won't come back to bite ya.

Jessica replies to the why question in a comment, that this is not just about her, but about fellow young femnists. That's admirable. Seriously. There are organizations out there that I don't diss per say, but I do talk as honestly as possible with inquiring minds about warning signs. You might wonder why neither Jessica nor I are willing to name names. Well, what's the point? It's not like they are going to be put in a time out or shunned.

Maybe I am too old to really understand this gap between the generations. Maybe what is really happening is that there is a huge gap between the GenXers and GenYers. I feel like we still were struggling as girls. While we could play soccer, will still did it with some consequences. The women who are 26 right now had Mia Hamm and Dot Richardson as role models in high school.

I honestly believe we are coming up on the next feminist wave; more on this in weeks to come. But hey, if you have new ideas about how to make change, I'm with Katha. Count me in. If I disagree, I promise to argue--to show respect.

I agree that we're entering a new era of feminism. Let's retire the wave.

I have to admit that I fall into the group of people who think those in their 20s feel more entitlement than the rest of us. I know that's a HUGE generalization, but that's just how I feel. OOH, I see women in their 20s with way more fire than I saw in my own generation. They seem to really get it. But because of that, they want a seat at the big girls table. I know a lot of organizations have created young feminist boards/committees to include the young voice. That still doesn't seem good enough for some. I would have DIED if I had been asked to be on one in college.

Then again, maybe I'm already a grumpy old feminist.

Labels: feminism, feministcard