When a queer student group and a feminist club teamed up at Harvard University to raise awareness about gender equality, the resulting 2010 campaign, Feminist Coming Out Day, brought together not only the two organizations, but also the campus community. Inspired by National Coming Out Day, a holiday which encourages awareness of issues affecting the queer community, our event was an opportunity for alliance, collaboration, bridge-building, and inclusion. This school year, we want to expand the Feminist Coming Out Day to high schools and colleges throughout the United States, so we’re partnering with Bitch Magazine and taking the campaign online!
Last year at Harvard, we put a face to feminism by donning buttons and t-shirts that said “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” and holding a photo exhibit called the Feminist Portrait Project. Now we’re making this merchandise available online to feminist and LGBT student organizations across the country, so that they can plan events like this on their own campuses. Bitch Media is helping us get the word out, and all the profits for this merchandise will help fund feminist media.
This project arose out of a frustration with the limited portrayal of the movement as straight, White, and cisgendered. We know firsthand that our allies are a diverse bunch. In the weeks leading up to the event, this website will feature testimonials from young activists on the issues that led to their individual feminist awakenings. What does a feminist look like? We want to give this movement your voice and face! So, put a “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” sticker on your laptop, snap a photo of yourself in our t-shirt, send in your feminist manifesto as a submission to our online Feminist Portrait Project, and tell your friends and colleagues about our campaign to show the diversity among supporters of gender equality.
All proceeds of this campaign go to fund our charitable partner, Bitch Media, the nonprofit organization that publishes “Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture”, a magazine which has subscribers in 46 countries and all 50 states. They’ll be rewarding our biggest campaign donors with subscriptions as well as shout-outs on their website. So make a pledge today to reserve your limited-edition merchandise, help us publicize this effort on Twitter, Facebook, and your blog, and start snapping photos to start your own Feminist Portrait Project.
The 2011 Feminist Coming Out Day will once again be celebrated on March 8, International Women’s Day, as a call to arms for young people who continue to recognize the need to fight for gender equality. We hope you’ll join us on-campus or online!
Lena Chen
Women’s Events & Outreach Chair Emerita
Harvard College Queer Students & Allies
Abby Sun
Co-President
Harvard College Radcliffe Union of Students
To learn more about the history and origins of the event, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
