Q&A with Feminist Club Co-President Natalie Beary, Class of 2021

How long have you been a part of the club?
I joined the Feminist Club at the beginning of my sophomore year, and I have been an active member ever since.

How would you describe the club to your peers?
The Feminist Club is a group dedicated to advocating for equitable treatment, rights, and opportunities for women and girls in our local communities and on a broader scale. We focus on topics like understanding what feminism really means and why intersectional feminism matters today, as well as promoting the idea that all people are equal regardless of gender. As a club, we attend the San Diego Women’s March each year and create posters for the march together, have discussions about current events, hold a workshop for the Day of Understanding, and meet with other identity-based clubs to talk about current topics and ideas. The Feminist Club is a really great, vibrant community with over 100 students and several teachers as members.

 What is the club up to this summer?
This summer, the Feminist Club Board is working to organize and plan for the club’s activities and presence on Campus next year, no matter how the upcoming school year might look. Since we cannot currently meet as a club in-person due to COVID-19, the board compiled a really fun list of movies and books with strong feminist themes for our members to enjoy over the summer. 

What is your favorite thing about the club?
The Feminist Club is really a fun environment, and my favorite part of the club is how connected and enthusiastic the club is. It is so wonderful to come to our meetings and meet with so many like-minded people and have a great time discussing topics that are important to all of us. As a board member last year, it was so exciting to see the incredible support of the student community; in all of our meetings, the classroom was completely filled with students looking forward to hearing from one another. It is empowering to see the supportive group we have cultivated together, and it amazes me to hear the incredibly thoughtful perspectives of the members. I think it is really cool that we have both underclassmen and upperclassmen coming together to learn and improve the school and our communities.

Why should students join?
The Feminist Club is a strong, connected group, and I know students would have a wonderful time joining and contributing to the club. We prioritize making sure everyone’s voice is heard, and the club is a really fun way to spend time with your friends and make new ones. There is not a large time commitment associated with the club, so students can really make their experience with the club fit in their schedules. I have learned so much from my peers in the club, and I highly encourage and welcome students to join us in standing up for equality and for women.

How can students join?
Students can join the Feminist Club during the club fair at the beginning of the year, or if students want to get involved before then, they are welcome to reach out to me ([email protected]) or any other board members they know to get on our email list. Of course, students are welcome to join at any point in the year, and they can do so by coming to a meeting, or reaching out to any board member on campus or via email.