The F-Word

The new Feminist Collective tackles gender stereotypes on and off campus

October 7, 2008

Members of the Feminist Collective gather for their weekly meeting. Clockwise, from top: Katherine Veil ’12, Keely Farley ’09, Glenda Garcia ’09, Jessica Altshuler ’09, Shannon Sullivan ’09, Caroline Radesky ’09 and Diantha Jones ’12.

Can men be feminists?

That's a question that will be asked on Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. at Masculinity and Men in Feminism, hosted by the Feminist Collective House, formerly the Zatae Longsdorff Center for Women.

The discussion will introduce the ideas of male privilege, the social construction of gender and how they intersect. And yes, men are invited to join the dialogue.

The student-led center was named after Dickinson's first woman graduate, Zatae Longsdorff Straw, class of 1887. Created in 1984 as a support and resource center for women, it also sponsored annual events such as Women's History Week.

This summer, the Office of Student Life established a new Women's Center and appointed Susannah Bartlow as its first director. Located in the Office of the Dean of Students in the HUB, it most likely will move to Landis House next year.

The Feminist Collective is affiliated with the Women's Center and continues to coordinate events, though with a different slant. Members see the name change as an opportunity to refocus their mission and reclaim the controversial word and attitude.

"When we were the Women's Center, we couldn't really be a feminist organization, because not all women are feminists," says Caroline Radesky '09. "Now we can focus on an inclusive agenda that addresses gender, race, class and sexual orientation."

Glenda Garcia '09, for example, says that she's interested in exploring all aspects of her identity—her social class, her mother's Guatemalan background, her sexuality—and how they make her a unique woman.

Shannon Sullivan '09 agrees that increasing global awareness changes how feminism is defined. "When I say that I'm a feminist because I want to help women—what does that mean? You realize it's a loaded statement," she says, pointing out that women of diverse ethnicities, cultures and countries have very different ideas of self-empowerment. For this new generation of feminists, according to Sullivan, that's a good thing.

Located at 135 N. College St., the collective has a full calendar of weekly events, including the film I Shot Andy Warhol, a discussion titled U.S. and Global "Third-World" Feminisms and a No-Diet Day party and dinner.

For more information e-mail feministcollective1@gmail.com.