Reviving a 2-year-old poster campaign, a number of staunch feminists are hoping to show Ohio University that their cause is one men and women alike should support.
Seniors Emily Burns, College of Arts and Sciences senator in OU Student Senate, and Emma Wright, Women’s Affairs Commissioner, decided to bring back the “This is What an OU Feminist Looks Like” poster campaign to communicate their belief that anyone who is for equality should openly identify as a feminist.
“We really want to get the message out there that feminists aren’t just bra-burning, man-hating socialists,” Burns said. “You can (be a man) … and still be a feminist.”
Stemming from the campaign started by OU’s Women’s Center two years ago, the posters form a diverse collage of faces of students, faculty and community members — both men and women — who identify as feminists.
About 45 people came to the first photo-shoot for the posters held last Wednesday, Burns said.
“I really feel like I’ve come into my own as a feminist on this campus and I really want … (to) leave as much of a lasting impression as I can (here),” Burns said. “If (people) see a picture staring back at (them,) they can say ‘Hey, I know that person. They identify as a feminist; maybe I can too.’ ”
Though Burns believes OU is a liberal campus, she believes there is a negative stigma associated with feminism that has kept it from being widely accepted.
“I always try to support the initiatives that Senate has going on, but I also do believe in equal rights for women and I’ve always participated in stuff like Walk a Mile In Her Shoes and Take Back the Night,” Senate President Zach George said.
Senate is paying for a portion of the campaign, though the amount has not been finalized yet, Treasurer Evan Ecos said.
The posters will be unveiled on March 15 at the end of Women’s Week, a new initiative Burns says she is spearheading.
“We need continuous education about feminism and we need to take the blinders off people’s eyes,” said Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women’s Center, who is glad to see Senate reviving the campaign. “It’s good for people to identify openly as feminists because it’s still such a stigmatized word.”
If You Go:
What: ‘This is What an OU Feminist Looks Like’ photo shoot
Who: OU Student Senate Diversity Affairs Commission
Where: Baker University Center 341
When: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday
dd195710@ohiou.edu
