Feministing: Time to change.

Dear Feministing,

I like you, Jessica, Samhita, Jos, Courtney, et al. You're making an effort. You've made a difference in the fact that you are so visible and notable in the blogosphere (I hate that word). You have made inroads into Meatspace, getting on talk shows, being the go-to girls about our wave of Feminism. And you got there cause you said good things, and because people visit your blog and community.

Now is not the time to sit on your laurels, or to be content. There is a world of battles out there, and Feminism is involved with a truckload of them. If you're gonna wave that banner, you have to step up to the plate and accept the responsibility of being a better person. Isn't that the point of Feminism? To get true equality? What's true equality if the trans-folk, the disabled, the old, the WOC are all silenced, because their problems aren't YOUR problems?

These women are our sisters. They want to fight with us, they want to make the world a better place too. Don't we need every person we can get in this effort?

You're at least engaging with disabled women on this issue. That's a promising sign. But this needs to be the beginning. You need to strengthen your mod team. You need to call your commenters on their bullshit (Marc and Gopher in particular). You need to encourage a culture of acceptance and recognising one's own privilege. To be the best feminist space you can be, you must also be a safe space. The words "I don't like your tone" or "How am I supposed to know?" should NEVER be uttered there.

I think it's time to be the feminists you want to be. If you don't make the change now, when the feminist blog-space is shouting for change, then I will have no choice but to cease visiting your website.

Signed,
Nancy Lorenz.