Difficult Discussions: The State of Sisterhood
"The state of being female in America is fraught", said author, professor, feminist Roxanne Gay in a CNN interview (January 23, 2017) following the election of President Trump. Ms Gay is known for her books Bad Feminist (2014) and most recently Difficult Women (2017). In this same interview a number of women, from Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson to Ibtihaj Muhammad, trailblazing bronze Olympic medalist fencer, were asked if they identified as a feminist. The answers varied and seemed to indicate that women are “out of sync” over the word and the movement. Could this be a result of why 53% of white women voted for Trump? Or is there something more telling of women about how feminist and feminism is and has been defined? In this forum we will discuss the state of the sisterhood as it has been used by feminist to express the connection of women who are not biologically related but are bonded in solidarity. Just as the answers to “Are you a feminist?" vary so does the explanation of the term sisterhood. The sisterhood is a vibrant space to gather women of difference while bonding on the basic premise that gender equality and equity is necessary for our social, political and economic survival. As Gloria Steinem has said; “Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke…She will need her sisterhood.”
Where: EDUC 001
When: Wednesday March 29, 2017 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Sponsored by FMLA and supported by the Women's Studies Department
