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Feminism and Animal Welfare

rogy | 06.12.2007 16:42 | Social Struggles | World

Recently, there was a debate on the excellent and always lively Vegan Freak Forums between what may generally characterized as “postmodern feminists” and “radical feminists.”

Postmodern feminists acknowledge that a woman’s choice to commodify herself sexually may represent an act of empowerment and cannot be assessed in any definitively negative way. These feminists are often pro-pornography, or are at least not anti-pornography. Radical feminists reject the commodification of women as inherently problematic. They are generally anti-pornography and are particularly opposed to pornography in which women are depicted as recipients of violent or abusive treatment. They regard most gender stereotypes as harmful to both women and men and seek to undermine these stereotypes. Postmodern feminists often argue that “feminine” stereotypes can help to empower women.

This debate has some interesting and important parallels with the debate on abolition vs. welfare. Indeed, postmodern feminism and animal welfare are the same theory applied in different contexts.

For more:-  http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/?p=133

rogy

Comments

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Yes Yes Yes

06.12.2007 21:18

Totally agree.
It's the difference between actual women's liberation and animal liberation, and a feminism/animal rights movement starting from the point that it's ok for women and animals to be commodities to be consumed by the oppressor.

Charlie
mail e-mail: charliegrrl@gmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.charliegrrl@gmail.com


radical feminists or the Whitehouse brigade?

06.12.2007 21:57

Iam a vegan who was abused as child & now have avoidant personality disorder & depression.I rather have been diagnosed & helped sooner , but havent been due to things being swept under the carpet of depression & stigmas in society.
I have tried hard for many years to but never been in a relationship, Ive never been able to iniate intimacy.I had a few flings,some "radical feminists"& found some very
physically violent. I know this isnt the norm, but it is more accepted in some of
activist circles & anglosaxon society than porn.
After the violence & abuse Ive had no sex for many years as I know feel more intimidated than ever, loosing relationships with those I loved deeply.

I know it hasnt really helped me I need love & therapy but I watch porn, never sexually abusive porn & try to encourage the international sex worker union that has a GMB branch. Have you had this discussion with women there? capitalism degrades everything & forces people to work on organic farms too.
 http://www.iusw.org/
I hope that sex industry becomes more regulated by unions & members & that porn can decategorized as therapy & educational as well as stimulating for couples. It should definetely be taken out of the hands of the majority of exploitative
male & some female bosses.

Why has it always got to do with men being abusive? or by by feminists do u include some men as feminists? the term feminism can be very spikey

As radicals shouldnt we be supporting sex worker unions & looking at radical therapies including sex surrogacy for men & women which is often derided
by right wing & some "feminists" even though it has been shown in large tests
to cure 90% of people with severe relationship disorders & is used extensively in some countries.

anarcho


morale crusades,fairtrade& intellectual categories

07.12.2007 00:25

Proffessor GARY L. FRANCIONE whoes website this article links to calls PETA sexist for it campaigns that commidify women , but famous women doing campaigns are doing for free out of love. At the moment pictures of nakedness are mostly categorized as porn, what is porn?
why is sex work any more worse than millions of other areas of work that without fairtrade are equally bad?
Why are feminists who support sex workers postmodern feminist & those against radical?radical sex workers & unions have existed for many years before this term was invented in some university.
Sex workers & unions dont want abuse, they dont support it,
they are the ones who report it, stamp it out & get laws to protect workers made.
They are realists, they work on health & safety not morales.

Following the proffessors logic maybe everyone who keeps pets is an abuser? killing something is far different from watching someone in a mutually pleasuable act

Again why is this just a feminist issue? these are humanist issues, why is the exploitation of the cleaner at a porno studio getting paid minimum wage
worth less to proffessor Francione than an actor or actress getting paid 500 pounds an hour?

We live in age of homosexuality, transgenderism & sex workers rights"radical" feminism goes against & seems to be black & white.
If men& women want to join a defence force to stop fascists is that pro war?
If the nazi army had turned up at Franciones uni what would the pacifist do?
This guy & radical fems seem to live in a black white ivory tower, if we are to ban sexual abuse, exploitation & meat industry,nuclear bombs we have to use health & safety law & regulation based on science & facts.

anarcho