Femomist

Editor’s Letter and Response to Some FAQ’s.

I am thrilled beyond measure to have a new and improved website for Femomist this month. We have finally figured out how to add “comments” directly after the articles. Hurray! Please indulge in giving the articles you enjoy a brief “Word!” or “Atta girl!” and click the rating button above the title. Our contributors are hard-working, putting-out-fires moms just like you, so spread a little love. It matters a lot!

Or disagree and get pissed off. Whatever turns you on.

Speaking of our contributors, we now have a page in which to acknowledge them and their contributions. Please check it out. Lots of our contributors have blogs and websites, so you can continue reading more of their work elsewhere.

There is an embarrassment of riches this month in what our contributors have come up with. No kidding. I had to push the post date on Femomist three times, there was so much interest and so many great submissions.

This month we are proud to introduce you to our new natural health and autism treatment contributor, Gina LaVerde. She and her husband Doug McDermott, will be appearing here singularly or as a unit throughout the following months. I’m also quite proud of the work from all our new contributors as well as day-one FeMommies proving how dedicated the women are that work on this zine.

Before we discovered the magic formula for the “comments” addition to the articles, I received a shit-ton of mail; some of it inspiring, some of not. Here are my answers to a few of the recurring questions that haunted my inbox:

Like a lot of women, I dislike the term feminist. It sounds dated and separatist. I don’t know what sounds better. Egalitarianist?  Momist? We have to create our own lexicon.  

Still, when asked, I say I am one. It’s just easier. 

Some folks have written in asking about the title, Femomist. Femomist started as a contraction of femme, mom and terrorist which I thought sounded powerful. I liked that it sounded like the answer to a question: Are there such things as feminist mothers? And it sounds like fist. ;) 

Some of our mamas have written asking what other feminist causes we support and will we be featuring articles about such-and-such? We support ALL oppressed peoples everywhere. But our agenda is really 4 da moms. Daily human rights issues occur in America specifically and the world in general. The ones that happen to women and families are what we cover here. Our focus is narrow, not our minds.          

This is a site to support mothers, not just a call to arms. In fact, some items are strategically not included in publishing, because they are gossipy, sensationalist or just all-around bummers where no action can be taken, to letters can be written,  no calls can be made. I think great change will not be a gradual process but one colossal act. Revolution is exhausting. And lonely. That’s what we’re here for. 

Now, a shout out to the dads. We value our mammarily-challenged brethren at Femomist. To conclude that we do not is a slight against our children and the role their fathers play in their universe, an offense to the work our baby’s daddies put into parenting and an insinuation we don’t have the ability to choose marvelous partners to breed and/or raise our children alongside. There are many auxiliary groups that Femomist supports whole-heartedly: Homebirth Dads, NOHARMM, Vegan Dad. Rock out with your (uncircumcised) cock out, fellas! 

I would like to respond to the one gentleman who asked why he would want to be associated with “a group that is exclusionary by its very name.” I would like to say that I enthusiastically support your insurrectionist notion to create your own organization for championing the role of men in America and the world and protecting, entertaining and educating people about issues that affect men and challenge men. Oh, wait. I believe there is already some media devoted to that: it’s called EVERYTHING-FUCKING-ELSE. Cheers, mate. 

The next time someone tells you that feminism is exclusionary and asks when “enough” will be enough, tell them when women are playing in the World Cup you’ll shut the fuck up.

We give equal time to all perspectives of parenting that women play, which includes single moms, double-mom families, triple-mom families, step-moms, aunties, grannies, trans-moms. Single moms comprise half of the women that write for and read our lovely stories, matched closely by the queer mom contributors, half of which also happen to be single. So there you have it. 

We hope you enjoy the diversity in our content this month and our new site. Write us and let us know your opinions, suggestions, how the weather is where you are or what you ate for breakfast.

Yours in Solidarity,

Heather Cox

Founder, Femomist.com

Predator-in-Chief