Feminisms: Disagreements and Arguments

Abstract

“When do debate and discussion become a fight, a querelle and when does a disputatio become a dispute? At what point do argument and argumentation become entrenched antagonisms?”² These questions posed by Beatrice Hanssen condense a set of problems present in Latin American feminisms. This is why, when Gloria Careaga invited me to reflect on the challenges and perspectives of our movement, I thought about exploring the antagonism between selfdeclared autonomous feminists and those considered “institutionalized.” However, I did not want to expound on the usual problems brought about by the nearly religious political lifestyle with its messianic positions, schisms, and priestesses, nor on the typical problems brought about by rivalries between women with their narcissistic attention to the tiniest of differences. In this chapter, I would like to discuss two challenges that imply shortcomings of different orders of magnitude: the first, surmountable with a bit of self-critical awareness, while the other demands more substantial effort. In my opinion, these are the inescapable challenges we have to face.

I appreciate the critical readings of Marisa Belausteguigoitia, Sandra Lorenzano, Araceli Mingo, Hortensia Moreno, Jorge Nieto-Montesinos, Mabel Piccini, María Teresa Priego, and Blanca Rico.