A member of our blog team has a first hand account of the situation and wrote about is a few days ago. And as a result, there have been some crazy conversations going on over at Choice Words regarding the anti-feminist bakesale.

Ugh ugh ugh!!! Don't read any of the comments if you're in a bad mood. Those kinds of comments are exactly why feminism still exists. I really wish I can get that into people's heads.

It's always amazing to me how anti-feminists find the most obscure, old-school quotes to use in their "activism."

They pretty much all use the same list, which hasn't been updated since the 1980s.

BGSU is definitely my alma mater ('07) and I had many great adventures with the other amazing feminists there in our impromptu protests and debates with the College Republicans. Though I am embarrassed to have such immature displays on our campus as the CR's have held, I must say that I couldn't be prouder to be a BG feminist and Women's Studies grad. Their tasteful response to the CR's has done everything to show just how wrong the CR's are and, I think, ought to make feminists everywhere rather proud.

she’s apparently not against ALL feminists, just the ones that are “Anti-marriage, anti-family, and anti-children.�

So they're in favor of women being treated as equals as long as those equals are OK with being submissive wives and popping out babies. Glad they cleared that one up for me.

Totally OT, but what is with College Republicans and bake sales? At my college they held one to protest some plan by the university to enroll more people of color by charging white students $1 for a brownie, asians $.75, blacks $.50, etc.

As another (soon-to-be) Women's Studies graduate at BG, I have to say that a lot of times I felt like we were fighting a losing battle against the CRs. Joining this impromptu protest was one of my proudest moments at BG--particularly because I actually didn't know most of the people at the protest. I guess that's proof that all our hard work over the past few years was really worth something.

Oh, and we should mention that they were trying to raise money for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a fund for veterans (including women). Didn't make any sense to me.

It's always amazing to me how anti-feminists find the most obscure, old-school quotes to use in their "activism."

What's even more amazing is that the Marilyn French quote is said by a character in a freaking novel.

Yikes! I work at BGSU and was at a conference yesterday. Good thing I wasn't there!

But Jamie Napolski, another member of the College Republicans who organized the event, said that she supported mainstream feminism. "I like to vote and have a job," Napolski said. "But don't criticize me if I choose to stay home."

Translation: "I support feminism but went along with this anyway so as not to lose my honorary man status among the college replublicans." Sweetie? These men don't like you having a job. They don't care about your right to vote. And they'd like to take a bunch of other rights away from you too. Be careful about who you jump into bed with. (Err, I mean that figuratively, of course).

Awesome counter protest.

As a grad student at BGSU (hi friends!) I was horrified but not all that surprised by this. Unfortunately the College Republicans are mostly interested in shock and not dialogue. And their unofficial mouthpiece in the BG News, Brian Kutzley, is well . . . (I would post links to his ridiculous articles so that you could learn more for yourself, but I don't know how, so sad!)

What I am thrilled with though is the number of BGSU students on this blog! It makes me proud in a moment of such profound annoyance. I'm also sad that I didn't know any of this was happening until it was over. I would have been there to support you BGSU feminists!

Applause to the good folks who showed up the CRs. Good job.

And does anyone else find it funny that a protest with such a bigoted agenda was staged in front of the education building?

The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance at Hollins University holds an annual "Pay Equity Bake Sale." So the College Repubelickers at BGSU can kiss my feminist cupcakes!

^I organized a pay equity sale at my college too.

Someone above mentioned that there's a blogger over at Choice USA, a senior at BGSU who participated in the impromptu protests, who has also written about the bakesale. Here's the link for it: http://www.choiceusa.org/index.php?option=com_jd-wp&Itemid=80&p=577

Some pretty awesome (and not-so-awesome) dialogue going on there. You all should check it out (if you can hold back your frustration with ignorant statements... I had some problems with that).

That's pretty kick-ass.

A new political paradigm: Dueling bake-sales

Someone please pass the pro-choice pecan pie?

Further evidence that most College Republicans aren't really political, they're just jackasses.

"Oh, and we should mention that they were trying to raise money for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a fund for veterans (including women). Didn't make any sense to me."

Why the hell would they have an anti-feminist bake sale for a fund for veterans? Why don't they just call it a Yellow Ribbon bake sale or something?

Oh that's right. Because that wouldn't be ignorant and hateful, so it wouldn't stir up a bunch of controversy.

So...I had only read the title, and I managed to let slip a, "Fuck you!"

I hope my room mate didn't hear me.

I deal with anti-feminists a lot, but only the kind that hid behind anonymous comments on my blog. If this happened on my campus, I know that the feminists would put out their sale in a matter of minutes.

Yum. Feminism.

Our College Republicans (at University of Richmond) protested our production of the Vagina Monologues, saying it "reduced women to one body part" and was a destructive way of fighting violence. They said they would organize alternate forms of fighting violence outside our performances...yeah, that never happened. Although they did go through with their "Animal Rights Barbecue" later in the year.

In addition to leaving hateful comments everywhere else on the internet, the College Republicans also spammed the everloving shit out of my livejournal when I dared to post a public entry about the impromptu protest I helped start.

Well, Republicans ARE known for their class, tact, and also their knowing what's best for everyone else. The counter protest was absolutely delicious. Way to fight fire with water, folks.

As a proud, lifelong feminist who organized bakesales to support my chemistry department every year I was in college, I can only roll my eyes at the tired and ridiculous implication that feminists don't cook.

I'm totally going to invent a pro-choice pecan pie now. Maybe with a no-coat hanger logo sprinkled onto the whipped cream.

They were trying to raise money for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a fund for veterans (including women).

What a fucking insult to the many female soldiers being injured, killed, and raped in service. Ugh.

Rock on!

Yesterday the feminist group I belong to at Mansfield U (in PA) held a Free Hug day. We held signs in our mall that said "Hug a Feminist" just so people know we're not mean and scary and to brighten people's days. There was a lot of positive response and some negative but we tried to use those as teaching moments.

I'm glad to hear college feminists all over the country were doing awesome stuff yesterday!

So proud of the lady falcons!

Ahh my Alma Mater (2000). So glad to see so many fellow grads here!

The Education Building? Really I thought you had to use the "free speech zone" in front of the Union where the crazy preacher entertained me many an afternoon. Maybe they don't do that anymore?

And the yellow ribbon fund? Just a ploy to say that the ugly feminists prevented them from raising money for such a good cause (and it is a good cause so just have a damn bakesale for it and be done).

So proud of the lady falcons!

Ahh my Alma Mater (2000). So glad to see so many fellow grads here!

The Education Building? Really I thought you had to use the "free speech zone" in front of the Union where the crazy preacher entertained me many an afternoon. Maybe they don't do that anymore?

And the yellow ribbon fund? Just a ploy to say that the ugly feminists prevented them from raising money for such a good cause (and it is a good cause so just have a damn bakesale for it and be done).

There are LOTS of great guest columns in the BG News today concerning the College Republicans protest. I've posted a link to the one I wrote, but definitely check them all out! Also, if you are interested in a first hand account of the protest that ensued (complete with pictures of both the bake sale and protest!), check out my blog:
http://progstraighttalk.blogspot.com/

The Organization for Women's Issues at BGSU will also be contacting the Yellow Ribbon Foundation- we don't think they will appreciate what the College Reps did in their name. We will be sending pictures, as well as all of the BG News pieces. Even though the bake sale raised less than $20, feel free to join OWI in reminding the Yellow Ribbon Foundation that anti-feminism is NOT ok.
info@yellowribbonfoundation.com

How dare they trample gender boundaries by having a co-ed group organize a bake sale! What are they, some kind of feminists??

OT: That stock photo has totally got me craving bunt cake.

They only raised $19? Pathetic.
I held a bake sale all by my lonesome last year, with a few batches of cookies I baked myself the night before. It was to raise money for the West Memphis Three defense fund (www.wm3.org). I made $75 dollars to donate.

The quotes from members of the CR sound like ignorant 3rd graders repeating what their parents said.
"And they hate men. They're also poopyheads with cooties."

kamikazebirds--kudos to you for participating (and it IS harder to get involved when you don't know anyone) and send along my high fives to the other feminists at BG!

these college republicans seem like they're more interested in getting headlines and shock value anyway, but it's nice to see them get shown up.

Does this mean quoting Ann Coulter is a legitimate way of capturing the ideals and goals of the Republican party? And wow, their college Republicans sure are tasteful. How did they think "capture the illegal immigrant" was a good idea? I also don't understand why people still believe that feminists are man-hating crazies. It's like anything good that comes out of feminism is ignored and anything that is radical and extreme from decades ago is remembered and used to criticize feminism today. BAH HUMBUG.

white students $1 for a brownie, asians $.75

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Asian Americans not eligible for affirmative action?

Leave it to Republicans to completely ignore or be completely ignorant of the facts.

Wow, I didn't realize there were so many fellow BG students that read this one. Awesome!

How did they think "capture the illegal immigrant" was a good idea?

You know, I'm really not sure. I remember talking to someone I knew who was a member of the CRs that day, and he was unaware of the event. I also happened to be a fly on the wall when someone ran into the Student Organization Suite to notify the PR rep of the Latino Student Union.

these college republicans seem like they're more interested in getting headlines and shock value

agree.

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Asian Americans not eligible for affirmative action?

Not only ineligible, but in college admission policies, especially at the elite Ivy-level schools are held to much higher standards than White applicants. One relative and some friends who worked in Ivy university admissions offices admitted as much.

If the CR wanted to be accurate in terms of reality in college admissions, they should be charging Whites $.75 and Asian-Americans $1.50

"OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Asian Americans not eligible for affirmative action?"

Not necessarily. When I was in college (late 80's) Filipinos (and perhaps Hmong, but don't quote me on that) were considered under-represented in higher education in my state and thus were indeed eligible for affirmative action.

That quote is from a 1977 FICTIONAL novel (redundant, I know). Yarr.

It's always amazing to me how anti-feminists find the most obscure, old-school quotes to use in their "activism."

What's even more amazing is that the Marilyn French quote is said by a character in a freaking novel."

Wouldnt that be good a counter awareness tactic to use against their whole display? Why cant there be a counter display that holds signs up of quotes by anti-feminists.

I had one guy use the supposed quote from Andrea Dworkin that said 'all sex is rape.' She never even said that. These dupes find illegitimate sources on the internet and then use it because they dont know what the fuck theyre about.

"white students $1 for a brownie, asians $.75"

What if youre aesthetically brown? Do you not buy a brownie? That is Stupid.

maybe-off-topic for a moment:

"The College Republicans at Bowling Green State University - the same group that held a 'Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day' last year"

I heard of another campus group doing something like that but ending the event (and surprising some bystanders) with one of them dressed in a stereotypical Native American outfit catching someone dressed as Christopher Columbus. Anyone know where this version was?

"Their tasteful response to the CR's has done everything to show just how wrong the CR's are and, I think, ought to make feminists everywhere rather proud."

Yeah! :)

"How dare they trample gender boundaries by having a co-ed group organize a bake sale! What are they, some kind of feminists??"

Heh.

I am actually glad that these jackasses are doing this, because it gives feminism publicity and forces people to question where they stand, in feminism. If nothing else, it gets a conversation started.

I don't often engage jackasses like these, because, really, they're small potatoes compared to the stuff FMLA and other feminist organizations on campus are doing. But, if there is ever an opportunity like this on your campus, jump on it and milk as much publicity and raise as much awareness about our cause as possible.

These jackasses are actually doing a good thing for feminism.

Marc

I think that the Feminists who stood up for themselves deserve a huge pat on the back for protesting in a nice, but strong way. I think that by handing out the "quotes" the anti-feminists were just trying to continue the stereotypes that have plagues feminists for years. Also, I think that the anti-feminists think that by making the feminists look like man-haters then less people will want to call themselves feminists. I say, I am a feminist and I am proud of it!!

Boy, for an event that's so laughable and earned such a shamefully small amount of money, there sure is a lot of buzz about it on feminist sites. You've all brought way more attention to it than it ever would have had.

I love how the Republican women take advantage of all the things feminism has gained for women - including the right to attend college alongside men; to study in more disciplines than needlework, manners, and housewifery; to express their Republican political views in public; and, hey, to vote Republican - while simultaneously denigrating feminism by perpetuating absurd stereotypes of the radical lesbian man-hater. Are these students ignorant of women's history? I just don’t get it. Though I'm thinking there were probably a lot more men involved in setting up such an event than women.

On another note, the Women’s Center at my university holds an annual “Pay Equity Bake Sale,� during which men are charged something like 50 cents or $1 more for every item. Really funny. I bet that would make a good antidote for our clever Republican friends.

Yes Kelly, we're bringing attention to it because it was a victory for the BGSU feminists. Why wouldn't we want to bring attention to our own victories?

"I love how the Republican women take advantage of all the things feminism has gained for women - including the right to attend college alongside men; to study in more disciplines than needlework, manners, and housewifery; to express their Republican political views in public; and, hey, to vote Republican - while simultaneously denigrating feminism by perpetuating absurd stereotypes of the radical lesbian man-hater. Are these students ignorant of women's history? I just don’t get it."

Do not discount the influence of conservative family and church. To expect Republican women to be more supportive of feminism merely because of their genitalia would be biological determinism.

This is so stupid and it's only a matter of time before it happens at UT.

Let's keep in mind that the college republicans at UT and BG brought the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform to their respective campuses. They're taking ridiculous to another level.

Ugh...

When I was teaching at a big state campus with an active CR branch, who were always pulling stunts like this, I had plenty of mild-mannered, thoughtful students (I taught political philosophy, so this stuff came up fairly regularly) confess to me privately that, unlike the majority of their classmates, they actually politically conservative views on many issues. However, they were reluctant to "come out" as conservatives--not because of fear of dissaproval from the liberal majority(while most students are vaguely liberal, they are not terribly invested in politics), but because they feared they might get lumped in with the CR crowd. I actually kinda felt bad for some of these students; active CR groups with these kind of 3rd grade mentalities can make it a bit harder for thoughtful, decent conservatives on campus.

djw - i have seen the same thing. i have a good number of feminist friends who are republicans, whether because of fiscal or foreign policy issues. i think that's pretty brave of them, not only because there are a good number of republicans who are mainly "morally conservative" and anti-feminist, but because many democrats can't imagine a feminist republican. not all of them are ann coulter, after all. but i think that is healthy disagreement that can only add layers and depth to the current feminist movement - feminism doesn't have to come wrapped up in every other issue one person feels passionately about. i am a democrat, but i think it's equally important to accept and acknowlege republican feminists.

the point of my comment was, of course, to differentiate between the moron CRs at BGSU and all republicans. just to be clear. if i were there i probably would have thrown up all over their damn cookies.

I'll take my "creepy" with a side of "belong in the kitchen".