Jenlillith Beta blogs at The Reverie and The Reality, What a brilliant header! She describes herself as an "opinionated weird girl fascinated by culture, whether pop, highbrow, or somewhere in between. She is 24 years old."

Do you mind telling me some basic things about yourself--age, sex, where you live, where you grew up, any siblings, any children, where you attended school. ? Feel free to say as little or as much as you like.

I'm a 24 year old grad student living in Louisville. I have a boyfriend, a cat, and a BA in humanities to keep me company.

 Do you think men and women are different? How much is biology, how much is socialization? 

It seems to me that while the sexes may trend certain ways, we nearly always make useless or inaccurate conclusions about these trends. Whatever identity is exactly, I believe it's an intersection of a number of things. And how much of gender is biology and how much is culture? I don't think we'll ever figure that out exactly! I would think it's different from person to person.

What jobs have you had? Please remember to  include all caregiving jobs--e.g, babysitting, parenting, elder care.

 I’ve done retail and tech support, the both of which I recommend everyone try sometime. You will walk away ever so much more cynical and conscientious. Presently I’m interning and volunteering (clerical work, basically).

 At what stage was the women's movement when you were a child and teen?  Were members of your family involved? Was it talked about at home and in school?

 I’d say I became aware of feminism during the third wave (are we officially in fourth now? I forget to keep tabs on these things… ). Feminism wasn’t a big deal with my parents, and certainly not in my school—actually, the occasional mention feminists got at the Southern Baptist school I attended was always in regard to abortion. Until I was finishing high school I was a bit averse to the label of “feminist,” which has a lot to do with being in a red state, I suppose. It’s an extremely misunderstood movement, which is why I’ve gotten so unabashed about it.

  When did  you first notice sexism, whether directed at you or anyone else? Do you  ever find yourself being a sexist? Has anyone else accused you of sexism?

 When I was finishing high school and going to college for the first time was really when it dawned on me. This had a lot to do with both rejecting the religion I’d been brought up with and being exposed to feminists—not just perceptions of feminists—for the first time. I personally don’t feel like I am a constant victim of sexism so much as I notice it on the systematic level—how can you ignore the pay difference, for example?

  Rather than sexist, I’ve been accused of having no sense of humor. I find this both frustrating and funny; these days I just try to remember that no one likes being called sexist/racist/etc., and often take an indirect tack if I’m going to criticize something as sexist.

 Do you think boys are as  constrained by sexual stereotypes than girls?  

Absolutely.

 What should we do to increase the number of men who are stay-at-home dads,  babysitters, nannies, day care, nursery school, and grade school teachers?

 I think that involves a massive shift in the culture! And time. Much more time. One of the ways men get stigmatized is that they have to be competitive, aggressive, etc.—and that attitude needs to go just as much as notions that women can be neither of those things.

 Do you identify yourself as a feminist or a masculist?Did you change your mind as you got older?

 I certainly identify as a feminist, and it saddens me that the label of “feminist” is perceived as exclusionary (though I can understand the reasoning). I’m not anti-man in any way, however! Just anti-misogyny and anti-stupidity (though misogyny is just a subset of stupidity).

 Do you think men need a masculist movement? Is the idea of "feminism" at odds with the idea of "masculism"? 

 Feminism would do well to combat the perception that it is exclusionary—I’m not the only feminist who’d like to see men free of prescribed gender roles, too. Feminism isn’t anti-man (other than perhaps as practiced as very extreme feminists). If there were a constructive masculist movement—rather than a “reclaim the patriarchy” thing—I would support it.

 Do you think the  US  feminist movement succeeded?  What battles still need to be fought?

 I don’t think it’s succeeded entirely, and keeping up with current events makes me think there’s still plenty of work to do. On the whole, yes, outright misogyny is less common and women have it far better than they once did. Until things are perfect, though, I think there’s a place for feminism. Certainly feminism will always have its place in terms of criticism—as a person interested in the humanities, it’s hard to imagine trying to understand the arts without considering how a piece handles gender. I don’t really care how hip it is to be “postfeminist,” either; the term is nebulous, whereas “feminist” is just very broad (pun intended).

 What about the condition of women around the world? 

 This should be, to my mind, the real big issue for feminists now. American feminists get a lot of criticism for being middle- or upper-class white women and for misunderstanding the concerns of women around the world (Muslim feminists come to mind in particular). It’s easy to get caught up in what goes on in America/the West, and to stereotype the rest of the world—something we really need to work against. More understanding is always a good thing.

  How much sexism did you perceive in the 2008 primaries and elections?  Was having a woman president important to you?

 To be honest, I tuned out of the primaries because, at the time, I wasn’t planning on voting for any major candidate (Barack won me over, though). It would be ludicrous to say Hillary faced no sexist attacks, however. On the other hand, I really, really, absolutely despise Sarah Palin and what she espouses/symbolizes. I would love to see a woman president, but not at any cost.

  If you have a partner or spouse, are they concerned with equality issues? How does that effect your day-to-day lives? Do you share housework and child care (if you  have kids,)?

 I think my boyfriend’s become a lot more aware since I’ve been around. The main effect on our daily lives is just that feminism is something I talk about—so he’s forced to think about it. I do actually have a domestic streak and do most of the housework and all of the cooking. It amuses us both when I’ll be ranting about some sexist thing I saw—while baking a batch of cookies in my just-scrubbed kitchen.

 What books shaped your ideas on sexism, women's liberation, men's rights?  What books do you love to read? Which women novelist is your favorite? What is her viewpoint on feminism and masculism?

 I’ve read excerpts from a lot of the greats, if you will, of feminism: Betty Friedan, Mary Wollstonecraft, Gloria Steinem, and from critics like Sandra Gubar and Hélène Cixous, among others. Really, though, my views have been shaped as much by reading and talking about current events and blogs.

  As far as books go, I’m all over the place. My bookshelves are pretty diverse, I like to think. I’ve definitely got a thing for 19^th century and early 20^th century writing. At the moment, my favorite women authors are Virginia Woolf (another of the greats, I’d say) and Margaret Atwood. I really love Virginia Woolf’s idea of man-womanliness and woman-manliness. Atwood has such a beautiful way with her subject matter, and always strikes me as extremely wise.