Q&A

These are some questions I answered for a “Sociology of the Women’s Movement” class. They were doing presentations on alternative cultural productions that have risen out of the women’s movement.

1) What age group are your products geared towards?

I always say I've got stuff for girls of all ages. A lot of my stuff is geared towards young girls (elementary school age), but some things like the "This Insults" stickers are geared towards teenage girls and adults. Sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint the exact age groups though. I made the "Brave girl-aids" for little girls, but I use them and so do many of my friends (I'm 24). And I have a customer in her 50s who's a quilter and constantly nicking her fingers. She buys the "Brave girl-aids" in bulk and is practically always wearing one. So this question is tough!

2) Do you think that youth today are more aware and supportive of feminist
goals? If yes, do you think this is an important step for feminism?

It's hard to generalize young people as a whole. I think people are more aware of the term feminism these days, but don't necessarily know about the goals/movements behind the word. I'd like to think that most people are supportive of the idea that men and women should be equal. But equality is a vague, safe idea. And I see it as only one small part of feminism. I like bell hooks' definition that "feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." But I don't think that notion is all that popular with youth (or people in general) today.

3) Your products both advocate feminism and are sources for creating feminist activism. Do you see your products more as a tool for advocacy or for activism, or perhaps both?

I definitely see my products as advocating feminism as well as being tools for feminist activism. I think these excerpts from a piece I wrote for the book "We Don't Need Another Wave" give examples of both:

A lot of the time it’s hard to speak up. But you can still say "action not glamour" or "my body is mine" with a well-placed sticker until you work up the courage to yell it in the streets.

Magnets and stickers give big sisters, aunts, and mentors tools to help girls speak up and be strong. One young woman used one of my "A Feminist Was Here" stickers to bring up feminism with her teenage sister. The stickers broke the ice, and led to a long discussion about body image and being a feminist.

There’s a long tradition in political movements of using stickers and buttons to make opinions known and start discussions. Stickers aren’t going to change the world on their own, but when girls feel strong and connected with each other, they’ll make improvements and demand respect.