Conservative Feminist... Wait, What?

By Elena Novak

    Think of the word "feminist" for a moment. What connotations does it conjure up in your political brain? Disgust? Tingly feelings? Nancy Pelosi? Sarah Palin? It's most probable that you were thinking of feminists in the liberal sense: women who are pro-choice and push for equality in the home and workplace.

    These things are all well and good, but have you ever considered the word in the conservative sense? Most likely, you haven't, and that's because it sounds like an oxymoron.

    What conservative feminism is, however, is a movement promoting the figurative rights of women to be housewives, to reject abortions, and to respect their husbands. These values isolate conservative feminists from the liberal feminists' "battle of the sexes." However, both promote the intellectual and emotional strength of women and push for women to strive for great achievements.

    I should clarify that my use of the words liberal and conservative refer only to the set of ideals that define each particular feminist movement. It is not an attack on political views, but merely an assessment of the social concepts encompassing each movement.

    Before the 2010 mid-term elections, self- declared conservative feminist Adrienne Royer and liberal feminist Karen Bojar discussed what meaning they thought the elections held for women. According to Royer, "women vote with their checkbooks, not their reproductive organs." But according to Bojar, you can't be a feminist if you're not pro-choice.

    A similar argument to Bojar's was made against Sarah Palin. Back in 2008, the National Organization for Women responded to John McCain's appointment of Palin to his presidential ticket by declaring that "she is a women who opposes women's rights." It seems as if abortion is the major issue these days.

    But does being pro-life mean you aren't a feminist? Or is the conservative feminist movement actually gaining speed?

    Mary Kate Cary, writer for U.S. News and World Report, thinks that ―there's a new generation of women my age who, while chauffeuring the Cub Scouts and Brownies, have silently watched out-of-control government spending, massive deficits left for our children, bailout after bailout of bankrupt industries, shady deals to win healthcare votes, and ethical and moral lapses from all types of politicians."

    Perhaps Royer was right and women do vote with their checkbooks. More than that, many women of the conservative viewpoint are now running for office, so much so that the Los Angeles Times has dubbed this year the "Year of the Conservative Woman." Conservative women are noticing the issues and opting to change them.

    Whatever your political views may be, there should be no doubt that the conservative feminist movement is speeding forward.