The Mormon Mystique- Dropping the F-Bomb

Betty Friedan rolled over in her grave this month as conservative cover girl Sarah Palin dropped the F-bomb on mainstream media. She isn’t the only one.  Female candidates in South Dakota and Arkansas, California and Nevada threw down the gauntlet last week in the primaries, declaring their wins a major triumph for women’s rights, much to the distress of members of the original feminist movement.

“It almost feels as if all these women winning are kind of a blow to feminism.”  Tina Brown griped on “Good Morning America.”

As a more conservative feminism emerges, it becomes obvious that the feminist movement not even about women’s rights anymore. Apparently, the only thing mystical about the feminine mystique is the stereotypical perpetuation of the bra-less anarchist begging for attention.

As women on the international stage play tug-of-war with the F-word, BYU-Idaho still struggles to remove itself from the mire of ultra-conservative Betty Crocker like ideals. 

The LDS church is known for strong ties to mothers in the home and divinely appointed gender identity. This does not bind the church to any kind of anti-feminist agenda. As of today there is no declaration on record stating that women are not equally competent as men in any arena, political or otherwise.

Nevertheless, women find themselves entangled in a self-inflicted and confining sense of womanhood.

Feminism means to believe in women’s rights right? Well then how can the LDS faith be anything less than a feminist organization? How can we?

When feminism started picking up steam in the 60s, a certain radical image was attached it. 50 years later, however, we should be more open to a less drastic definition. With our divine understanding of the roles of women and men, it is impossible for a member of the LDS faith to not be a feminist, without rejecting the inspired notion that we are all children of a heavenly creator.

We have become a people preoccupied with image. This preoccupation stunts our growth. We do not take the time to wade through the murky swamp of stigma, and instead find ourselves constantly on the outskirts of true controversy.

Unfortunately, in 2010 it appears membership to club feminist still requires not only sacrificing a bra and personal hygiene, but any political ideals without a radical slant.

Two definitions of feminism have evolved; the actual pursuit of women’s equality, and the perpetuation of a liberal agenda.
“Do you still cheer,” Slate magazine’s Sara Libby asked, “if the [glass] ceiling is crashed by conservative businesswomen?”
The notion that ‘business person’ and ‘progressive’ are oxymoron’s is on the same vein as the archaic ideals that kicked off feminism in the first place.  

According to Merriam-Webster feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”
Somehow Webster missed the Birkenstock, and VW van requirement. Not to mention that clause stating completely exempting anyone who owns a three piece business suit from the equal rights posse.

How is a conservative, politically active, stay-at-home mom who believes in equal rights anything less than a feminist? Women and men alike need to recognize this movement as an equal rights issue, and not as an attack on the family.