Feminist moods

Sometimes I get into them.

I mean that makes it sound like feminism is something that only affects me temporarily, when in reality it's pretty much always in the background at this point. I thought about it today when I was sitting outside the lecture hall for bio, eating my lunch and doing a sudoku puzzle (how do you spell that? Goshdarnit) in the paper from Wednesday, this couple in front of me were talking to each other, and then they said "see you later", gave each other a quick kiss (at least that's what I thought I saw, and definitely what it sounded like) and then they walked their separate ways. And no one pitched a fit or said anything and actually I don't think anyone really cared any more than they would have if it had been a heterosexual couple. But it wasn't. It was two girls. AND I WAS SO FUCKING HAPPY BECAUSE THE ONE GIRL WAS SMILING AS SHE WALKED AWAY and I just thought, what a time to be alive. What a country to live in. People can be openly gay and no one gives a shit, and I walked around in short-shorts with my unshaven legs very clearly visible, and no one treated me any differently.

This is what I usually talk about when I talk about cultural differences between the US and Canada. I've heard stories from the US, and they are horrifying. Not only the idea that gay marriage still isn't legal (like, it's legal up here and I don't think anyone really thinks it's that crazy of an idea. Up here the feeling I get is that if people want to get married, they should get married. The end.
I'm not going to say Canada's a world leader in women's rights- I still think it could be doing a bit better in terms of representation. But compared the US, a country which presents itself as a land of true freedom and opportunity, Canada seems a lot freer to me. I'm not saying it's perfect in every respect- I definitely wish we had better rules for elections because I'm not sure if Harper could actually run for office and continue winning indefinitely and also I think we abolished the long-gun registry, which I always thought was a good thing because look at how fucking violent it is in the states where getting a gun is a lot easier and everyone seems to have one. So Canada's not perfect but I think it's got a few things right. The lack of any legislature on abortion... personally I think that's the only way to go. People are going to get angry no matter which way you try to legislate that- I'm totally cool with the idea of them leaving it alone.

But I just... my mother worried that cute guys would judge me because of my leg hair, and it turns out that nobody even notices because you know what this is Canada and until it is proven to me otherwise I am going to continue to believe that the place I am going to school is fairly liberal and open-minded. It's certainly very international- I see a lot of students from a wide variety of backgrounds in the halls, and there's a lot of students from Asian countries as well (like the girl next to me in English who just moved from Beijing 3 weeks ago... actually I think a lot of kids in my class who are Asian have just moved here recently. I can't imagine how difficult that must be). But the idea that it's totally fine to be gay or queer or bisexual or whatever on campus warms my heart. I like the fact that nobody said anything today when a couple kissed goodbye in the halls. It made me happy.


Then I was thinking back to halloween and when I and three other girls dressed up as our favourite avengers- Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Hawkeye (obviously that was me). We looked badass and awesome and took so many cool group shots and there was even a girl dressed as Loki who we took photos with as well, and I supposed the idea that I got confused as Katniss is something I can take as a compliment EVEN IF IT WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I WAS DRESSED AS SOMEONE ELSE LIKE AUGH. It was just... something about dressing up like a male character, and seeing other girls dressed up as male characters, was cool. There's not a lot of female superheroes and I like that we didn't give a shit. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I just know that I felt fucking powerful in those boots I borrowed from mom. Seriously, I need to get me a pair of tough, kick-ass black boots. Like black ones, with thick soles. I would love to have a pair of ass-kicking boots. Actually a pair of boots at all, considering winter is coming up soon and I don't have any since my old leather ones (which were pretty kick-ass) started smelling funny. Probably has to do with the time I spilled milk on them...

Anyway. I probably should get some stuff done. It's just that typing doesn't aggravate my current case of tendonitis (that's the most likely diagnosis, anyway, according to dad and he actually went to medical school so there) so I like doing it. Not that that means I want to write my response paper for English or anything...

yer pal,
swegan :)