Can Conservatives Be Feminists?

by Sara Lynn Dix

The possibility of conservatism and feminism coexisting in a single person would, at first glace, seem impossible. The media has historically pitted the two groups against each other with such force that most Americans would be baffled at the suggestion that conservative feminists really can, and do, exist.

The Office of Mission and Values at DePaul University recently invited Christel Manning, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, to speak on campus as part of their "Authors at Lunch" series. Mrs. Manning's talk entitled, "Beyond the Culture War: Women, Gender, and Feminism in Conservative Religious Communities" focused on religious, conservative women from the Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faiths, and argued that feminist values are very much embraced in their lives. While the women Manning interviewed for her book were either married, or expecting to soon be married, the general message can be applied to women across the board whether they be single, conservative, apathetic, or liberal.

In her book, God Gave us the Right: Conservative Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, and Orthodox Jewish Women Grapple with Feminism, and Religion and Sexuality, Manning makes a very important distinction-feminist values are not defined by the feminist movement. Just as many members of the feminist movement would sheer away from associating themselves with the religious right, so, too, would many members of the religious right shudder at the suggestion of being labeled members of the feminist movement.

Feminist values include respect, equality in the workforce, and equal opportunity. This distinction opens up a new third circle of women who are anything but anti-feminist but still try to embrace traditional norms. There are, of course, several ways of dealing with such a combination. One woman Manning interviewed for her book drew strict barriers between her home life and her work life in which traditional values still rule the home.

Whatever the response, religious, conservative women are not all alike. Different religious doctrines have undoubtedly affected their personal application of feminism in their lives. Overall, many are highly selective of which values they embrace and are careful not to overstep their church in matters such as keeping the priesthood strictly male.

This process of selection, however, is not uncommon among many American women across the country despite religious backgrounds. Women who would ordinarily consider themselves feminists on everything except abortion are seen to be going against the general movement and women who would otherwise be apathetic but are firmly pro-choice all of a sudden become part of the movement- so who is more of a feminist? What dictates being a good feminist? From student interviews around campus it is becoming increasingly apparent that many women are hesitant to call themselves feminists for fear of being seen as a stereotypical feminist activist; but, "feminist" does not translate to bra burner, radical, hippy, liberal, man-hater, or any of the other countless titles so recklessly associated with the word.

So, perhaps the laughs in a room after someone introduces themselves as a conservative feminist are not just because conservatives apparently cannot be feminists, but, also, that feminists apparently cannot be conservative. There is, however, a greater reason to advocate the existence of conservative feminists and this is it: everyone is, or should be, a feminist. The basic values that feminism supports are respect, dignity, and opportunity; they are such basic and yet vital necessities for every member of American society that no one should really be "anti-feminist." It is clear countless women have been able to adapt these values to fit their own lives, family life, and religion which can be understood through the distention Manning so strongly emphasized, feminist values vs. feminist movement.

Now, to all of those women already out there sporting the "conservative feminist" title or newcomers thinking they'll give it a try, "good luck and rock on!"

Sara Lynn Dix is a student at DePaul University. This article originally appeared in the Lincoln Park Statesman.