FEMMY for Ms. Congeniality: Kutztown FMLA

For their consistent commitment to serving the Kutztown community and women across Pennsylvania, the FEMMY for "Ms. Congeniality" goes to Kutztown University's Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance.

Before 2008, I didn't know Kutztown, PA existed. Then when I joined FMF 2 years ago as a national campus organizer, our president Ellie was quick to sing the praises of the Kutztown University FMLA.

KU is a medium sized public university about an hour from Philly and Harrisburg. Ellie likes to emphasize Kutztown's roots as a teachers college - an empowering place for feminists to learn and change the world.

The FMLA, led by junior Caitlin Smith, is unabashedly political and does great work advocating for women on campus and in the community year after year. Caitlin, Jesse, and all of the FMLAers are the next generation of leaders for the feminist movement, and I know they will be lifelong activists from whom we can expect big things.

Their list of accomplishments is too long to list - the abridged version includes...

• Bringing iconic feminist Gloria Steinem to campus
• Successfully petitioning the campus president to reinstate sexual orientation in the campus nondiscrimination policy
• Contacting their senators to advocate for health care insurance reform
• Sending a delegation of 8 students to FMF's National Young Feminist Leadership Conference
  
• Pay equity bake sales
• Earth Day festivities
• Take Back the Night & Clothesline Project
• Vagina Monologues
  
• Love Your Body Day bra sizing, tshirts and posters
  
• and much more!

It's been my privilege to work with the FMLA, and I can't wait to see the things they'll accomplish next.

This article was featured in our May 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine.