i just sat down and read this whole thread.
i think: feminism is about validation.
as long as there is a swimsuit edition of sports illustrated we are not there.
as long as it is still generally acceptable to demean women, we are not there, and believe me it is - overwhelmingly and blatantly.

i am an aircraft mechanic - one of maybe a half-dozen women out of about 800 mechanics where i work. almostly exclusively white, american men. i actually feel a kinship with the black struggle, i believe i share some of their struggles. as for my male coworkers, they have no idea what i live with. no idea.

i agree with zen, there are only nurses. only feminists. and only mechanics.

i wish. this whole topic makes me sad.