Occupy Wall Street Holds First Feminist General Assembly

[boston bean]

“What took so long?” was the general sentiment among those gathered in Washington Square Park in Manhattan last night for Occupy Wall Street’s first ever Feminist General Assembly.

Despite being woefully overdue, May 17 was a beautiful and significant night: Not only was it the eight-month anniversary of our movement, it was also the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and the 181st anniversary of the First Women’s Anti-Slavery Convention. This intersection of issues created a perfect backdrop for discussing the challenges and importance of feminism to Occupy Wall Street–a movement often criticized for being stubbornly multi-issue.

I arrived to find a diverse crowd of around 300 people. Members of the Occupy Wall Street women’s caucus, Women Occupying Wall Street (WOW), were giving a shout of solidarity to Occupy Maine. The people of Lafayette, Ind.; Bend and Portland, Ore.; Chicago and a handful of other cities were also holding feminist GAs. The Raging Grannies sang “Evolution is too slow, revolution’s the way to go!” and things were off to a raucous start. I pitched in with a paintbrush to help record the shared values we were brainstorming–“Trust!” “Creativity!” “Justice!” “Humor!”–and, ignoring my friend’s smirk, embraced the consciousness-raising exercise as though I were encountering it for the first time. After focusing almost exclusively on women’s organizing for the first six months of Occupy Wall Street (OWS), I was happy for the chance to just participate. More importantly, I was happy to see so many new leaders and so many of the elusive “unfamiliar faces” we had spent meeting after meeting trying to attract to the movement.

When we broke into smaller groups to discuss feminist goals for the Occupy movement, the fresh spring air had a cleansing effect on issues that felt dusty and spoiled. One young person who had never been to an Occupy Wall Street event and didn’t identify as a feminist shared a concern about not being taken seriously when calling out sexist behavior. A woman in a wheelchair spoke about how her disability had led her on a journey of liberation from societal standards of beauty. A member of OWS’ Safer Spaces group reminded us that:

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/occupy-wall-street-holds-first-feminist-general-assembly.html#ixzz1vd5CTJkT

[BlueIris]

1. It's appropriate for OWS to have a feminist element. nt

[seabeyond]

2. this is so very good to hear.

I figured that for a first attempt at re-imagining OWS as a feminist community, two out of three wasn’t bad. A new world–a feminist world–was definitely possible.


but, i got to tell you, a young woman that didnt want to be labeled feminist actually speaking out against sexism.... gasp.

good. thank you. i am glad i read this. as a group should take ownership

[boston bean]

3. I just can't believe it wasn't done sooner.

Like I said, I went to OWS and it was male speakers.

There was one tiny little sign about a womens working group.

Glad to see it though.

[seabeyond]

4. i was trying to remember back to what poster had said that

while i was reading the article. thanks. agreed.

[CTyankee]

5. I was wondering when or if this would be happening...I was beginning to have the feeling

that I had back in the anti-Vietnam War days where all of the speakers were males.

We have to assert our place at the table. Just take it. It is ours.

[seabeyond]

6. " Just take it. It is ours."... *gasp*

you radical.

[CTyankee]

7. Yup. It happens when you get so old you just don't give a damn what anybody thinks...

[seabeyond]

9. i think, that was the hugest blessing turning 40. and that leaves me a lot

of time in life, to enjoy it.

[redqueen]

8. This is so good to see.

Reading about the experiences of some of the women who *attempted* to speak at these events... stomach-turning stuff (yet of course, hardly surprising).