No, thankfully, this will not become another mommy blog. Though I suppose in my explanation of who I am, "mommy" would most definitely be in to the definition. That tends to happen when you become the proud mother of twin boys.

For those who know me, or those who have read my writings previously, this has sometimes been a definition that has caused them slight discomfort. As I have previously been known to answer the question of  "do I like children" with a tersely executed "yes, when they are someone else's".

Fear not. My identity as a strange combination of a third wave / sex positive / radical feminist has not been forever tarnished by the addition of leaky boobs that feed hungry, oddly shaped, little male people. If anything, this new role has put a nice emphasis on my belief that feminism is a personal philosophy, as well as a social movement, with a theory base that has many forms. At its best, feminism manifests as an intensely personal combination of how women individually choose to know their female selves, and in turn honor that identity in their lives.

Still not entirely sure how my writings here will shape up, or how often I will post. At the moment I''m aiming for once a week, discussing the not so wildly divergent topics of motherhood, feminism, advanced practice nursing, my alternate identity as "Grace" to many "Wills", and random snippets of a life that attempts to integrate all of the above.

And while I work on my bio page that Al insists I have (sometimes he can be rather controlling, only child thing I suppose), here is a brief introduction to who I am.

My name is Karen. and I’m:

• a partner to a man so wonderful I sometimes think he must be gay.
• a mother to Benjamin and and his younger by a minute brother, Lucas.
• a feeder and shit picker upper to Abercrombie, a Lab / Poodle (Laboodle) puppy.

Five frequently asked questions about the feminist thing:

• Third Wave: I identify as a committed feminist of the third wave, in that I believe women's concerns need to always involve the intersections of race, gender, orientation and class, either directly or how they are ethically evaluated.
• Sex Positive: I would call myself sex positive in that I don't believe that there is anything inherently dirty or wrong about sex. Sex, sexual culture, or sexually based images and art, are not, in and of themselves, inherently anti female. I think often the way they are created, marketed, and the culture that consumes them, are what creates the negative issues that plague our sexual culture, and often, our responses to those issues. That is about as far as the sex positive label describes me however. 
• Thus, The Porn Question: Do I feel porn is anti feminist? The long, and guarded, answer? Not neccisarily. The short answer when the response does not allow for the long one? Yes, mainstream pornography is aggressively anti female and anti feminist. Simply, I feel porn can be pro feminist in so far as female sexual autonomy is positioned and described etc. Though the bottom line for me, is that is seldom, if ever, the type of porn that is made. Therefore, porn in it's current mainstream incarnation is something I cannot, and do not support.
  
• Radical: I use good old radical feminism in the definition because radical, in classical definition, is to get at the root. In the case of sexism, the root is clear. A patriarchal culture which is set up to reward itself on the continued dominance, subjugation and sexual exploitation of women. To be frank, I don't want a place at that table. I want to throw it over, and spill its rotting contents on the floor. If that's radical, I embrace the definition.
• "Fucking Man Hater". Do I hate men? Are you kidding? Boy crazy since the playpen days, I could never hate men. However the ones who assume my lack of a penis renders me inherently less human, when compared to their shining maleness, are the ones I have no time for. To those whom it applies, they will normally find that out very quickly, with no verbal effort from me. If only looks could kill.
  

In my professional life:

• I have a BA from Trent University in women & gender studies.
• I have found that employment as a feminist theorist sucks, and pays marginally more than a career saying "do you want fries with that". Therefore I ended up going back to school and gaining a BScN in nursing from Ryerson Institute.
• I have let Al's never ending life as a student rub off on me, going back to school yet again, this time gaining my MSN  in community and mental health nursing from the University of Toronto.
• I have worked as a crisis nurse for the Toronto Police Department’s mobile crisis team. I can tell you to please put the knife down in no less than five languages.
  
• I have worked as an AIDS / HIV activist and advocate for the Toronto PWA and the former ACT UP London UK and Toronto chapter. In this area, I need to write a book. It would be a long one.
  

What you can’t tell from this short bio:

• I am in my mid thirties.
• I have a personal style that is a cross between a San Francisco bohemian in sandals and peasant skirts, and a Burberry clad London Sloan Ranger. On rare occasion I have been known to be a girly girl who’s not afraid to show some skin, toss her hair, and otherwise tease the patriarchy.
• I would be independently wealthy had my hair not realized a lifetime of Aveda products.
• There is just no way to say this delicately; apologies in advance. The first time I met Al, as well as my current partner Dan, was fifteen years ago in an elevator. One which we shared with two appropriately gussied up transvestite prostitutes. One could say it was an awkward moment when one of the prostitutes, through a little accidental gas, lost the remnants of her last professional encounter, in a sticky glob, all over the floor. To relieve the awkward moment, I asked them for drinks (Al and Dan, not the hookers).
• The rest as they say, is history.
• Use this link to send Karen an Email.

For artcles by Karen, check out her author archive.

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