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Alison Piepmeier

My life is all about bringing down the patriarchy. I write books and articles about feminism, and I also teach and direct the Women's and Gender Studies Program at the College of Charleston....

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Fun feminist gifts

Alison Piepmeier

I may be a little late with this posting, but if you’re like me, you haven’t actually finished your holiday shopping yet, so you might be looking for ideas.  Here are some of my recommended feminist gifts.

Cool things from independent artists:  I love letting my money support creative folks rather than funding the increased expansion of big-box retailers.  Some of my favorites:  Buy Olympia is a great site loaded with funky gifts of all kinds, from t-shirts and bags to prints and soaps, all made by artists in Olympia.  Sticker Sisters is another fun site to visit, with a blog, tips on activism, and gifts like the “Brave Girl Adventure Pack.”  If you’re in Charleston, you can shop at Global Awakening, where you can buy handcrafted goods from third world artisans, all of whom get a fair price for their work (and if you don’t know the principles of fair trade, do have a look at their website--very inspiring).  There’s also Poe Studio, which offers an eclectic collection of jewelry, baby clothes, toys, and random fun things, most made by local artists. 

Political t-shirts:  Lots of feminist organizations, from the Feminist Majority Foundation to NOW, sell t-shirts that say things like “Girls Rock” and “This is what a feminist looks like” (you can also buy one of those t-shirts from the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at the College of Charleston).

Subscriptions to feminist publications:  I often give subscriptions to Bitch and BUST magazines.  Bitch I’ve talked about here before.  BUST is like a feminist Cosmo--glossy, full color, with fashion spreads and the sexy “One-Handed Read.”

Toys for grown-ups:  Speaking of sexy, feminist sex toy stores like Good Vibrations and Babeland offer loads of playthings as well as straight-forward educational information about safe (and adventurous) sex.  The websites and the stores are bright, shiny, and respectful--these are not the skeezy trenchcoated sex stores you’ve learned to avoid.

So there you are.  You can support feminist organizations and retailers while also becoming the favorite aunt/sister/coworker/etc. because of your excellent gift-giving.  Let us know in the comments section if you have other suggestions for feminist gifts skirt! readers might want to buy.