My mom has always been a feminist (thought at this point I'm much more radical than she is-perhaps than she ever was), so I never had a click moment. I've just always been a feminist, thanks Mom!

I've always been a feminist, but I never thought to call myself such. It was only after college that I ran into some feminist sites online. Their beliefs ran so perfectly along with mine that it was brilliant. It was then that I realized that I was a true feminist and that I had sisters and brothers by my side. I hadn't exactly felt alone in my thoughts and feelings of the status of women in society, but it was a very warm moment when I found thousands of others who held my beliefs.

I came to feministing.com through CNN. I was watching a news report, and one of the women being interviewed was a writer here.

I chose "A super cool feminist woman (or man!)" because I first came to feminism through my mom (and a subscription to New Moon!). But I could very well have chosen "Online feminism/activism" because it wasn't until I started reseaching and reading online in college that I started to talk about feminism and understand it a lot better.

In highschool I respected and looked up to feminists but never considered myself one because I wasn't part of some sort of movement or group. My history teacher/ advisor/ mentor completely changed this idea for me with one story. She told us about a time when she went to a JFK rally with her women's rights group and casually joked with a friend (who happened to be a journalist) about how cute she thought JFK was. She was mortified to see the quote in the paper the next day. With this anecdote I realized that feminists aren't just extreme activists, but normal women and girls who want the best for themselves and the world around them while still sometimes having silly crushes on celebrities and world leaders...

I was sexually assaulted as a 14 year old, and never reported it, and it screwed me up, but then I got over it. My click momemnt was at my first semester in college, the most innocent, small town friend of mine was raped by a guy she liked and took advantage of her when she was drunk. But she didnt want to report it because it would "Ruin HIS life" I was shocked. And thats when it hit me - I felt the same way when it happed to me. My assaulter was a millitary man who was a friend of the family. When I finally did say something, no one believed me, so i dropped it.

Another mutual girlfriend of ours who was in love with her found the guy and beat the shit out of him. We went and reported him together for her benefit, and helped her get counseling. Since then I've been an advocate for feminism. Yay us!

I took a Women's Studies class my Sophomore year of college, but it wasn't until I found myself a victim of sexual violence that the importance of Feminist really hit home.

Better than any sort of therapy is the lesson that Feminism had to offer; that it was not my fault.

I became a feminist through Girl Scouts and the constantly hammered message that girls could do anything. No kidding.

When I was a little kid, my brothers were getting ready to go on a camping trip with Boy Scouts. I was so excited for when I'd be old enough to to it, too! And then my mom had to explain to me that there wasn't something like that for girls.

I definitely have Ani Difranco to thank for my feminism "click" moment. She allowed me to realize that feminism was not a dirty word and was, instead, something I totally wanted to be a part of!

I chose "A super cool feminist woman" because while listening to Ani DiFranco and other female musicians I was aware feminism existed. The lyrics were so real to me and just fit for me. I looked up to Ani for her strength and bravery, and just being a proud woman.

I could easily have chosen "sexism" or "Women's Studies" because I was raped and leaned on feminism to help me through the healing process (which I'm still healing) and I did take a Women's Studies class in college. But I was already on my way on the Feminism highway. It's been an amazing journey that I will continue for a long time. *corny smirk*

I was 7 years old, At the time I had three younger brothers; two more were born later. We were practicing to receive our First Communion. Sensitive to slights to girls, I asked the nun why the boys were going up to Communion first. She answered, "because they are closer to God, they can be priests."

Completely from feministing.com. I remember about a year and a half ago I still had the idea that "Feminism isn't needed anymore! Women have everything they need! Sexism doesn't exist!" etc. etc., and one night I found Feministing and pulled an all nighter reading post after post, and by then I obviously knew I was a feminist. ;)

I've still yet to take a women's studies class, but what made it click in my head was playing sports with a casual group, with no "competition". It soon was apparent to me that though we were doing it for fun, I still had a hard time getting anyone to throw the ball to me or take me seriously, and when I'd do something wrong guys would get angry. Then I started noticing how few of the girls who'd started playing were coming back, and how many chose to sit and watch instead.

The first time I was on eHarmony, before I was a blogger, a guy asked me, "Do you consider yourself a feminist?" Well, I'd never really thought about it, so I looked it up in the dictionary. Where it says that feminism is about equality for all women. So I emailed him back and said, Um, Isn't everyone? I'm a woman; of course I want equal rights. He closed me after it was clear that I wasn't on eHarmony to get married, have kids, and quit my job. Or put another way, that my career was of massive importance to me. Which is fine; we were incompatible. What's gross is that he had to frame it as "Do you consider yourself a feminist?" And that to him, a wife and mother wasn't a feminist, but a career woman like me was. He clearly wanted a woman to submit to his will from what he said before he closed me.

Anyway, that was my first major click that feminism was something I needed to pay attention to, but it wasn't until I'd been blogging awhile that I discovered the feminist blogsphere and really started learning. It hasn't been that long, really. "Full Frontal Feminism" is the first book on feminism I ever read.

Mine was down to my English teacher in first year sixth form. Not sure if I could call him a 'super-cool feminist', but he certainly was good at explaining certain concepts. Perhaps he'd be more of a 'pro-feminist' or 'feminist supporter'...anyway, no matter. We were studying The Handmaid's Tale, and when we got to the part where Ofred is given the illegal women's magazine to read, he explained why this magazine could be interpreted as a symbol of a sexist, objectifying culture.
He said 'What do you see in men's magazines? Pictures of women. What do you see in women's magazines? Not pictures of men. More pictures of women.'
And I was like 'Woah. That's true. Why might that be..?' Clickedy click click!
I think I'd been feeling like there was something wrong with the stuff I saw around me for a long time, but that moment just gave me something to grab onto and analyse, and that's when stuff started to make sense.
Thank you Trevor Macgee!!

We watched a video in sex ed that gave some sort of very high rape statistic. I turned to one of the girls afterwards and said something like "Can you believe it?" She responded with "Well, yeah, but it's probably exagerrated. I mean, you can't get a guy going and then just say no."

Mine was more of an evolution. I think in the 7th grade, I heard about feminism in school, and I was telling a friend that I was probably a feminist. And she said "I would be a feminist, but then I thought, if I don't like men, who am I going to like?" (implying that she would have to be a lesbian to be a feminist). To my mind that made sense and I didn't really think much about it until college.

I think one of my "Aha!" moments was when I realized that my much older boyfriend at the time was treating me like a mattress with a hole in it. I didn't have the language to verbalize why being his meatsock made me feel so empty inside. I remember watching a movie scene with him, and the shot was an overhead view of a woman in bed with her husband. He was going at it on top of her, and she was laying there with this empty look in her eyes, just staring at the ceiling, and I knew *exactly* what that look was. I dumped him just before I became really feminist.

I actually had to do a project where I had to write a 20-page paper in German (for my Minor capstone project) and I chose to do a short history of feminism in Germany and how it paralleled to American feminism. Before then, I never knew how necessary and relevant feminism was. I thought the battles were basically over, but slowly my eyes were opened up to the extent of the patriarchy.

Considering the fact that I grew up being bottle-fed Rush Limbaugh and that everyone in my family still believes that history will vindicate the Bush Administration, I think I've done pretty well for myself. I've also become the black sheep of the family, but really, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I remember reading the assigned excerpt of Angela Davis book "Women, Race, and Class" for my first womens studies class. I was so blown away that I had to start at the beginning of the book and read the whole damn thing. It is still one of my absolute favorite feminist books.

Er, being born?

I picked the last option "other." It's just imppossible for me to narrow it down - I was that kid in a stroller at peace rallies, and in a snuggly while my parents knocked on doors during elections (in Canada). My mom sang in an a capella group that covered songs by folk singers like Judy Small and played at union rallies and women's events. I can't remember a time when progressive politics and feminism weren't part of my life.

I probably first used the word feminist to describe myself when I was 10. In the years since, I've certainly learned more about the history of theories of feminism and feminisms, and yes, I did a degree in Women's Studies. I still read feminist theory for fun.

My mom graduated medical school back in 1964 when it was still a man's game. I'm not sure when I first heard the word 'feminist' but, with my mum, it never occurred to me to be anything else. It's funny-I'm the only daughter who mum seemed to push in that specific direction, and who adopted the label. I remember in about grade 4 my mum telling me I was old enough to start going by 'Ms.' instead of 'Miss', yet it never came up with my sisters.

I was also 14 or 15 when the Canadian abortion law was struck down, and that really galvanized things for me. When I was maybe...16? 17? and Backlash came out, my mum gave it to me for Christmas. My older, male cousin jokingly sneered "Oooh, are you a feminist?" (in that voice older male cousins and siblings use for things like 'Oooh..do you have boooyfriend'). I replied, matter of factly 'Yes' and he realized I wasn't at all embarrassed by it, so there was no point in teasing.

It was definitely a process for me, starting with reading about Plan B in Bust, writing a research paper on injustices in women's sexual health, and putting on The Vagina Monologues.

For me, it was becoming the only male on staff at a women's crisis center for rape and domestic violence. I worked with amazing coworkers, and as one of the staff directors I was influenced daily by the issues, as well as by the people in the frontlines addressing them.

baphomet, you just made my year.

Oh--and I almost forgot. Marrying a super-cool feminist, reading Barbara Kingsolver, and becoming addicted to Ani Difranco's music all helped, too.

I remember having a moment when I was in 1st class in primary school. Unusually, our teacher was a man. When, we were all being asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?�. Anyhow, I remember clearly that the boys were encouraged to think about becoming lawyers and doctors and the girls, well let’s just say we were encouraged to be teachers, nurses, secretaries etc. My internal response was “why can’t I be a doctor too? I am more intelligent than (fill in boy’s name!).� When I got home, my poor mother received an earful. Which is when my suspicion was confirmed – we girls really were expected to become teachers, nurses, secretaries etc.

Later on (4th class) we were divided up – the boys got to make what were then incredibly trendy nail and string pictures (this was a while ago!), and we girls were taught to knit and sew. Despite conveniently ‘forgetting’ my knitting/sewing I never was allowed to play with a hammer and some nails! I did argue against the sexist nature of the activity, by then my teacher had a hearty dislike of me anyway!

When the boys started to accuse me of being a *gasp* ‘feminist,’ being the honest girl that I am, I always responded with “of course.�

I remember having a moment when I was in 1st class in primary school. Unusually, our teacher was a man. When, we were all being asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?�. Anyhow, I remember clearly that the boys were encouraged to think about becoming lawyers and doctors and the girls, well let’s just say we were encouraged to be teachers, nurses, secretaries etc. My internal response was “why can’t I be a doctor too? I am more intelligent than (fill in boy’s name!).� When I got home, my poor mother received an earful. Which is when my suspicion was confirmed – we girls really were expected to become teachers, nurses, secretaries etc.

Later on (4th class) we were divided up – the boys got to make what were then incredibly trendy nail and string pictures (this was a while ago!), and we girls were taught to knit and sew. Despite conveniently ‘forgetting’ my knitting/sewing I never was allowed to play with a hammer and some nails! I did argue against the sexist nature of the activity, by then my teacher had a hearty dislike of me anyway!

When the boys started to accuse me of being a *gasp* ‘feminist,’ being the honest girl that I am, I always responded with “of course.�

I've identified as a feminist for as long as I can remember, because in my family that's just what you were. But it became a hell of a lot more meaningful for me during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. Those experiences made me aware of my body and its rather magical abilities in a dramatic way; they made me understand what it means to navigate a more-than-full-time career and the more-than-full-time activities of raising a child; they reinforced my awareness of the importance of total equality with my partner (and how unusual other people seem to find that arrangement). And they sure as shit showed me how sexist and screwed up our medical system is, not to mention pop culture and random people's sense of ownership over pregnant women's bodies and babies ...

Both of my parents are feminists, but my father wouldn't call himself one. I've always felt like I was a feminist because my mom was. She talked to me often about double standards and sexism and more importantly how I could stand up for myself as a woman. Thanks ma!

I clicked "book," but its a little more complicated than that. I remember learning about Susan B. Anthony in like 3rd grade, and that was the first time I heard the word feminist and I remember thinking how crazy it is that we ever couldn't vote! So I just thought to myself, okay I guess I'm a feminist.

I didn't think about the term feminism too much after that. I would yell at people for saying abhorable sexist things, etc. etc. but the title and the actual activism wasn't a part of it until I read Full Frontal Feminism. My sister gave it to me fro my 15th birthday. I read it 3 times in a row, started checking feministing, and really embracing the title FEMINIST and all the inner power and self-love that came with it. So thank you Jessica, your book made me a feminist.

I'm 25, and I think that for a lot of women in my age group, when we were told growing up that men and women were equal, we took it to heart, thinking that feminism was a done deal. Part of becoming an adult involved being exposed to sexism both through life experience (being in the work force) and through an increased awareness of the experiences of others, and as I have learned more about how sexism still infects our culture and our institutions, it has become impossible for me not to identify as a feminist!

I've always been a feminist--my mom (and dad) raised me to be one. I called myself one from the time I knew what the word meant. My mom didn't go to college, she was a stay-at-home mom during the first wave of feminism, but she's one of the strongest people I know and a great influence on my life. My dad also raised me to think I was equal to anyone and I could do anything I wanted--there was never a question. I'm pretty lucky, actually!

I'm not so sure it was a "click" for me, but I did write a piece on it a few weeks ago on my blog, which you can read if you like:

Here it is.

I'm really glad you asked this! I was always a feminist (I refused to learn to cook when I was little because then I wouldn't be able to cook for a guy. A food network addiction has since changed my cooking skills), but I never called myself one because I wasn't "active", it was just beliefs. But I was in an abusive marriage and I met this girl on facebook who organized a rally for support for South Dakota a few years ago and it just snowballed from there. Which I'm really thankful for, being around other feminists (and reading this blog and others) gave me what I needed to to leave my marriage and I'm so happy now. So I have to say lots of thanks (and thanks, Emily)!

Dr. Juli Eflin's "Each of you is a feminist" lecture that lead up to the Helen Longino reading assignment in her Philosophy of Science class was the first time I had heard a coherent definition of feminisim that wasn't straight out of the most exclusivist corners of the 2nd wave. It was the click event, though it was a week or two after that when I was certain I identified as a feminist specifically.

I guess I always considered myself a "feminist" in that I tried not to be an actor in patriarchy and so forth in my own life, but I became really interested/tuned into feminism while dating a woman (who happened to be a gender studies student at the time) who would get cat-called on the way out of her apartment building EVERY SINGLE DAY.

But usually by different people. Which kind of opened my eyes to the prevalence of sexism in that particular context, and then once I started looking for it, I was really flabbergasted to find how pervasive it actually is, and how easy it is to spot if you pay even a little bit of attention to it. So I guess that was my "click." I'm a little bummed at how naive I was -- but its interesting that you would pose the question because it didn't really occur to me that other people had "clicks" too.

I always considered myself a feminist and was down with feminism, but I didn't have "click" moment until when taking a women's studies course in college, we were assigned some bell hooks readings. Everything I read by her made me want to get up and DO something...constantly saying in my head "Yes! Totally! Right on!" while reading her.

It wasn't really one thing. Learning about and seeing activism on the internet, being exposed to great bands like Le Tigre, certain books and things like that.

However, I selected "dealing with sexism" in the poll. The reason is because I think in the end what made it happen for me was growing up in a very rural town and going to the school there, as a male, I was expected to act a certain way and fill a certain role. I continually rejected the gender roles and got ridiculed and bullied endlessly because of it. This really opened my eyes to the problem of perceptions of gender roles. Then I became exposed to the feminist movement through the other things I mentioned above, and the rest was history.

Always was one, always called myself one. Thanks, Mom!

When I was very small, and I heard the preacher say some kind of nonsense about man being the "head of the family," woman being the "help-meet," and divorce being wrong.

My dad was a drunken abuser and my mom was good and smart. I wondered why it should be that a bunch of men from thousands of years ago should get to decide the purpose of every woman's life, when we women certainly don't get to tell them their purpose in life.

I would have to agree with hawkinme. I think a lot of 20-something women are raised to be "feminists," but always with the caveat that the fight is mostly over. It wasn't until an American lit class in college that I realized this opinion couldn't be further from the truth. Toward the middle of the semester, we read Margaret Fuller's "Woman in the Nineteenth Century," which was published in 1845. Fuller spends most of the book debunking ridiculous gender stereotypes, and as I was reading, I realized "women still have to put up with EVERY SINGLE ONE of these 150-year-old stereotypes." That was my click.