What's Right and What's Feminist

I have recently begun a paid internship with a feminist organization. That's right, I'm no longer unemployed. Still uninsured but who really cares about me....

As I was saying, I have recently begun a paid internship with a media-based feminist organization. Part of my daily responsibilities is to go through all of the organization's (general) e-mails, most of which are comments in response to news briefs the organization puts out to its subscribers. Many of them salute the work of this organization, some are trying to promote their own work, and then there is a fairly substantial amount who write to voice their disappointment at this organization for being a feminist media organization and yet still bashing Sarah Palin.

I stick to my beliefs fully and I expect others to do the same. Which is why a large part of me sympathizes with these commentators. As a feminist, media-oriented organization, what are our goals? Sarah Palin, for all of her faults, is a woman in a position of extreme power and media-attention. She is the first woman to be a nominee for a GOP presidental position. Whatever the motives behind her selection and no matter how much she may or may not be qualified for her proposed position, she is still a woman in an incredible place. Without really thinking about it, you could say that she is a breakthrough for women. No Hillary Clinton, who really earned her position in politics, but she's still there none the less.

As a feminist organization, where does that leave you? Ok, Palin doesn't support abortion at all, for any reason, but she does still consider herself a feminist. Why, I'm not sure, but she apparently does. And even if she didn't, she's still a woman. What does a feminist say to this? How does a feminist organization deal with the fact that our country's first female Vice President does not agree with its values? Do you not support her because you tend to be a liberal organization (as many feminist organizations do and many feminists are) and she is very conservative? Do you shun her because her values are not the same as yours? If you do, aren't you going against the very fiber of your beliefs?

This is surely a very troubling spot to find oneself, as a feminist, in. I am all for women's rights but have never waved the feminist flag too much myself, so I have the pleasure of not being faced with this problem. Plus, I am a single person, allowed as many opinions and hypocrisies as I please. But as an organization...with a motto....with a code of ethics....with RULES....what do you do? Support a woman in that position simply because she's a woman--the organizational way to approach the issue-- or shun her because, despite her gender, she just does not believe in the same things as you do--a much more individualistic way to approach the issue.

This is a sticky subject indeed and, to be honest, I can't help but nod my head to those e-mails I read shaming us for our anti-Palin actions.