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

[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.