The article “Chicks Goin’ At It” written by Anastasia Higginbotham describes the development of feminism within herself over the last few years. She emphasizes the stereotype of feminists as lesbians and their actual role in the feminist movement. She argues, that people who are afraid to be named a lesbian, don’t deserve to be called feminists. Long before she realized her own sexuality she was accepting this stereotype for the feminist cause.

Higginbotham describes her own experiences of feminism and her emerging sexuality as evidence to support an equal acceptance between all women of feminism, this equal acceptance is not accepting the stereotypes, but not being afraid of them. Her ideas of feminism change as she develops from an angry seventeen year old who is sensitive, passionate and angry at patriarchy to a woman who has accepted and embraced these parts of herself. Prior to her realization of feminism and ultimately her lesbian identity, Higginbotham enjoyed promiscuity and sexually alluring and taunting the men around her. Once she found the source of her anger, a new world opened up to her.

Women and feminism are defined in very radical terms. Higginbotham accepts no part time feminists, they must not be afraid of the cause they are fighting for and they fight for equal rights among all women, whether they are gay or straight. Males represent the patriarchy, which oppress her and other women like her. She says it is “bullshit” when women claim to be feminists, but separate themselves from lesbian feminists.

Her definition is limiting because some women who may claim to be feminists are scared away by this radical lesbian feminism. Feminism is supposed to be fighting for equal rights for women, however there is also the possibility that this fight will continue, and instead of gaining equality, the tables flip and women being to oppress men. This article and the rest of the readings for the week dealt with women excluding other women within feminism. This is where class and race enter into feminism. It seems that while we struggle with one battle - women’s equality with men, we are still treating one another in a degrading manner. This behavior is not bringing the movement any further, but bringing it back. This echoes the question asked for the class discussion whether or not there is a universal “sisterhood” among women. According to these readings, women are dividing among themselves to prevent this from happening. In “Betrayal Feminism” Veronica Chambers makes the point that within the black community it is important for the men and women to be together to strengthen one another. They are fighting much more than “black patriarchy” because the real patriarchy is white and it oppresses black men just as it does women. Therefore her experience of feminism requires a different aspect then that of the white women, who like to have her present as a ‘token’ member at their meetings.