I'm so growing up

[caramelsilver]

I've officially become a feminist. Like for real. While at camp this week the kids where given an assignment about looking at different pictures of Jesus, and pick their favourite. Then our priest were talking about the pictures and then he said... well, I can't quite explain it in English, but I'll try. He said that he thought all the pictures of Jesus were very femi which is a Norwegian expression, it's short for feminine. And he said this, "I think those pictures are kinda femi." and I couldn't believe my ears! I gave him this incredulous look and kept mouthing "you can't say that! You can't say that!" and he saw my reaction and said, "Caroline, do you have anything to say?" And I said, "You cannot say that!? You can't use femi as a derogatory term. Being feminine is not something that's negative, that's an insult to women and boys who identify with that term!" and the entire room were staring at me.

But he withdrew his statement, and then went on to mock/tease me for the rest of the week. BUT! he checked the way he used those words again.

Comments

[sgrios.livejournal.com]

Go you! Wooh! \o/

[caramelsilver.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you!

[zempasuchil.livejournal.com]

oh man go you! that sucks that he was mocking you about it afterwards, I mean ugh not very tactful there, but I'm glad he's checking the way he speaks!

Since I was young, I felt that it was very hard to be feminist in a Christian community, even though I couldn't really point to why. But sometimes there are just bad attitudes that come out in moments like that. Christ is very loving, nurturing, uncommonly gentle, passive in that he says to turn the other cheek AND give the coat off your back, so it's understandable that these kids might portray him in a softer way. But for your priest to call their portrayals of Christ "femi", that is just super not on :/

[caramelsilver.livejournal.com]

I guess mocking is the wrong word. Gently tease maybe. He really did check his language, it was just... well like we were talking about the two fish and five bread thing and how Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children and he said "sorry, Caroline that's just how they counted back then." and stuff like that. But he really did later say to me that he was happy that I spoke up and that sometimes he needed people to check him too ;)

I don't know if it's harder to be a feminist in a Christian community... I just suddenly were very aware that I didn't want these teenagers to think like that, and that we do need to check the way we speak early on! And it was just kind of a epiphany for me. Because I've never really thought all that much about my stance on it. But now it's something I really believe in. I think God might have had something to do with it ;)

[zempasuchil.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you two aren't at odds :)

It depends on the church and family in the community, of course; it was silly of me to assume we've had similar experiences there. I like your story a lot. :) and, yes! epiphanies have a lot to do with god, amirite ;)

[13oct.livejournal.com]

You goooo girrl! *claps* I consider myself to be a feminist as well. :)

[caramelsilver.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you.

[lizzie-marie-23.livejournal.com]

Good for you and figuring out more about yourself and your viewpoints! But are you sure he was using it in a derogatory way? I mean, it probably depends on context and I'd have to have been there to see how I reacted, but is the word itself an insult or is that how it's been portrayed in pop culture or whatever? (Hi this is me, wannabe linguist)

[caramelsilver.livejournal.com]

It's a word boys use about things that are perceived as weak/ unmanly/ for girls only. Like: "You use sunscreen? Isn't that a bit femi?" And yes, he was definitively using it as a derogatory term, I could tell by the way he said it. He squinted his eyes, and drew the word out. He later changed it to weak, and since I didn't want to start a fight or derail the lesson entirely I let him do so. But I don't think describing most pictures of Christ as weak is quite right either.

[animus-wyrmis.livejournal.com]

Go you! ::claps a lot::