Thursday, November 8, 2007

Kansas City: MONICA

Monica (above): 25, was raised in Texas and Kansas, born to “free spirit” Mexican-Indian father and an immigrant German mother, former air force worker (kicked out and arrested for smoking pot), aspiring art teacher.

“I’m raunchy. I’m insulting. I’m sexually harassing. I exploit women. I want to grow up and make my house all pretty and plant flowers, just sit and drink and not have to bust my ass. Most of all, I’m not a feminist because I don’t view issues as a woman. I don’t separate things in terms of gender. Sometimes I feel androgynous…I really feel that I can live my life equally.”

Discussion Questions:
Question 1
Question 2

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dayum! This girl is a tough cookie. Well said, Monica, I agree with a lot of what you said. I can't believe, though, that being in jail with all these women didn't cause you to relate to women as a whole. When women are in such a base environment all together, how can bonds not be formed?

Just curious! And Emma and Nona, I think this is a simply amazing and courageous project.

--Maya

whatsername said...

"I’m raunchy. I’m insulting. I’m sexually harassing."

That's funny, because I consider all of those things part of my feminist identity.

I'm also curious what she means by she "exploits women."

M said...

So far Maya is definitely the girl I identify with most. Not in our experiences, but in the way, well first of all making rash decisions, but also in the way she says that she doesn't feel that she views things from a gendered perspective and how she's raunchy and wants to sit on her ass in a pretty house. I'm down with all of these things. But I really think that feminisim, much like other movements that stem from minority groups, is an effort towards creating a more whole perspective for everyone. Feminism is about contributing a point of view that is not readily incorporated into our lives. So when I feel that my opinions and beliefs are a result of an ungendered perspective, I feel that that in it of itself makes me a feminist.