Face of feminism in 2004

Some of the young women preparing for Sunday's march laugh at the old notions of feminism - the combat-boot-wearing, non-shaving man-haters who probably never existed in large numbers but nevertheless fulfill a popular stereotype. Outside the National Press Club this week before a march press conference, attractive young women handed out march fliers and sported T-shirts that announced "This is what a feminist looks like."

For many of the women involved, it's not about looks, it's about the future of humanity - male and female, across the globe.

"To me, feminism extends beyond equality and even beyond gender," says Heather Bradley, who is majoring in women's studies and Latin American studies at George Washington University. "It's also about family planning globally, and LGBTQ rights," she adds, using the acronym for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people, and those questioning their sexuality.

But even at her college, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., Ms. Bradley admits "we haven't moved beyond" slamming feminists. "Among men here, 'feminist' is still a dirty word. It makes most of them feel a little insecure."

Sara Johnson, a medical student at the University of California in San Diego, will fly out to join a contingent of about 500 medical students representing the next generation of abortion providers. Ms. Johnson isn't sure if she will perform abortions as part of her eventual practice, but she's considering it.

Johnson also notes that even in that elite, educated world of medical school, there is no sense of urgency among most students who support abortion rights that those rights are being curtailed or could even be overturned. "Many of the students consider themselves pro-choice, but they think the issue is settled and don't need to worry," she says.

Such talk drives Ginger Purdy, a 60-something women's rights activist in San Antonio, Texas, right up the wall. But she acknowledges that analysis is correct. She will be among the many women coming to Washington who experienced first-hand life before Roe v. Wade and have the scars to prove it.

"I had an illegal abortion in my first marriage," she says. "My mother in law is the one who sent me to Houston for an illegal abortion. No one in their right mind thinks it's just peachy good."

One important point of evolution in the 31 years since the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade is the change in the way abortion is discussed. Some feminists used to speak of a fetus as a mere mass of tissue that needed to be removed like one's tonsils. One book published in 1975 was called "Abortion is a Blessing" - a characterization no one expects to hear this Sunday. Abortion used to be described as a good thing; it helped keep the population down and kept children from being born into bad circumstances.

The advent of technology that vividly shows fetal development from its earliest stages has contributed to the change in public perceptions. Since the Clinton years, the women's rights mantra has been that abortion must be "safe, legal, and rare." But march organizers this weekend are hopeful that they can move beyond the language of defense and give lawmakers, the White House, and the Supreme Court pause as they carry the issue forward.

Page: 1 | 2