Who I am

[polerin]

This was in response to a a post over at womanist musings

I don't know what a "proper feminist" or "proper feminist issue" is. Nor do I really care... I am more than just a feminist, or an anti-racist, or any of the other hats I wear. It took me forever to find this quote but it really sums up why I find this division of issues into little sub-categories hurtful and absolutely wrong. Please excuse the use of Man to mean human. Bakunin does have his issues (among them the fact that he expressed several antisemitic views) and this was written in 1871.

The materialistic. realistic, and collectivist conception of freedom, as opposed to the idealistic, is this: Man becomes conscious of himself and his humanity only in society and only by the collective action of the whole society. He frees himself from the yoke of external nature only by collective and social labor, which alone can transform the earth into an abode favorable to the development of humanity. Without such material emancipation the intellectual and moral emancipation of the individual is impossible. He can emancipate himself from the yoke of his own nature, i.e. subordinate his instincts and the movements of his body to the conscious direction of his mind, the development of which is fostered only by education and training. But education and training are preeminently and exclusively social ... hence the isolated individual cannot possibly become conscious of his freedom.

To be free ... means to be acknowledged and treated as such by all his fellowmen. The liberty of every individual is only the reflection of his own humanity, or his human right through the conscience of all free men, his brothers and his equals.

I can feel free only in the presence of and in relationship with other men. In the presence of an inferior species of animal I am neither free nor a man, because this animal is incapable of conceiving and consequently recognizing my humanity. I am not myself free or human until or unless I recognize the freedom and humanity of all my fellowmen.
Only in respecting their human character do I respect my own. ...

I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.

I support the stated goal of feminism (even radical feminism) in that it aims to free women.
I support those who fight racism, because it aims to free people who are bound by racism.
I support anti-capitalism because it works to free us all from the shackles of wage slavery.
I support anti-authoritarians because in all of this, none of it will free anyone if it does not free everyone.
I support my human family because we are beautiful, dangerous, and strong.

Anyone who stands in the way of those freedoms stands in the way of their own freedom, my freedom, and the freedom of everyone else. They are my opponent, and I still love them, for to hate them is to hate myself.