feminists | The Frugal Portlander

Let me just say first and foremost LOUD AND PROUD I am a feminist. And you should be too. But that is a whole other post!

Today, I’d like to discuss the way we can be a feminist without “buying into” everything feminism. Literally buying. You can Google “feminist apparel and accessories” and come up with thousands, hundreds of thousands of sites and Etsy shops solely dedicated to cute feminist proud stuff. Shirts? Yup. Bags? You bet. Shoes, keychains, jewelry, lunch pails? Literally anything can show the world what a proud feminist you are.

But, at what cost? Is it really necessary? Let’s talk about that for a minute.

Sometimes I see a shirt that I decide I ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE. It’s adorable and perfect and everything I have ever wanted in a shirt. Stop, take a breath. Let’s talk about it, lady (that’s me). Who makes this shirt you are suddenly coveting? Is it an enormous corporation or a small independently run shop? Is it an online retail giant or perhaps the adorable little shop down the road that supports local female artists? Do a little research. Because, though there is nothing wrong with supporting a national retailer, I am (almost) always in favor of shopping local.

There is a shop in Portland that I absolutely LOVE called Project Object and let me tell you, I love all of it. The strong/powerful/badass WOMAN owner is kind, thoughtful, creative, and as previously mentioned, a badass business woman! The about us section of the website doesn’t even mention the owner, because her sole focus is empowering and helping those in her community. A portion of all sales go to Bradley Angle, a non-profit that focuses on placing women and anyone facing domestic violence with support and services. She also supports local artists, does features, and is generally an awesome human being.

That is the kind of shop and community engagement that I am all for supporting. So I take my time. I will buy a “girls support girls” shirt from this shop any damn day (or Daisy Natives the female run company that makes the shirts).

I am so happy that you are a feminist! And I think that we can all go a little farther with it. Wear that shirt/hat/keychain/backpack loud and proud. But consider getting it from a female run organization. Make it yourself! You don’t have to BUY all the pro-feminist swag just to look cool. Feminism is trending after all, but don’t get me started.

Support your friends. Stand up together. Be the amazing woman I know you are. Be the amazing man I know you are! Be the amazing individual that I know you are, regardless of gender or what the world thinks of you. If you are going to spend your hard earned money showing the world what you think, support others who feel the same. Shop local. Shop female. Shop like a badass (and be mindful of the prices compared to your budget! this is a frugality blog after all *wink wink*)

Let me say this, loud and clear, COY JONES IS THE BEST KIND OF FEMINIST.

“Do you want me to drive you to the market?” he asked.
“I can drive the van!”
“I know you can, but if I drive you can keep working on those labels on the way.”
“…good point. Thanks Coy”

Coy knows I can drive the enormous sprinter van. He knows I have a lot of work to do. Like, never ending work to do. So he offers to help. I’m no damsel. We are equals.

Coy Jones is the best kind of feminist.

Coy is one of the kindest people I have ever encountered. He isn’t fussy. He isn’t pretentious. He just opens the door. Or helps you carry the heavy load. He says please and thank you. He remembers how you take your coffee in the morning. He will sharpen your knife for you (in the weird world we live in, we carry knives for our job.) He always has a pen. He sends his emails on time.

Coy Jones is the best kind of feminist.

Speaking of emails, yesterday Coy couldn’t figure out how to send an email. He asked our coworker Hailey, then he asked me. We fiddled around on the computer until we got the email to work for him. And we teased him when he thought it was any different than exactly how he sent an email the day before. He asked Hailey for help. He asked me for help.

Coy Jones is the best kind of feminist.

Coy and I have the same Carhartt jacket (granted mine is probably a few sizes smaller). He loves that we have matching jackets. I earned that jacket getting snowed in in Wyoming with a friend last May (with a 65 point pit bull along for the ride). We also have matching tactical boots and pocket knives. We may have the same multi-tool.

Coy Jones is the best kind of feminist.

Coy is one of my favorite people on earth. You see, we work in animal welfare. It is messy, complicated, awful, draining, frustrating, and difficult. It is also beautiful, rewarding, magical, exceptional. We are all in this together. We are a family. Coy is my family.

This afternoon I am going to ask Coy to teach me to drive the forklift, and I’m pretty sure I know what his answer will be. Thanks for being the best kind of feminist.

Ladies and gentlemen, Coy Jones