There are countless definitions of feminism, but the main idea of being a feminist is the opportunity to have choices, said Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner, two activists who have worked for Ms. Magazine.

“It’s not what choices you make, it’s what choices are available,” Richards said.

More than 300 people attended the women’s lecture, “Braless Banshees vs. Brainless Barbies” in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union on Wednesday night.

“Feminism is the ability to make choices that are representative of who you are,” Baumgardner said.

The problem with feminism today, Richards said, is the confusion about what it means to be a feminist today as compared to the definition of a feminist in past generations.

“What our generation reacted to was the presumption there was only one way to be a feminist,” Richards said.

After visiting more than 150 colleges, Richards and Baumgardner said they see the same issues arise wherever they are.

“The issue that comes up is ‘what does it mean to be a feminist?’ What they’re really saying is they don’t know what it means to be a feminist,” Richards said. “What feminism requires of us is to be ourself … to make a range of choices available to ourselves.”

Although Richards and Baumgardner said they know there have been and always will be threats to the feminist movement, the only true way to remain a feminist is for women to continue with their lives.

“The things we do that are threatening seems to be an entire rejection to sacrifices our mothers made,” Baumgardner said. “We have no idea how [feminism] will play out in your life, but feminism carries its own responsibilities and justifications, and we’ll continue to carry feminism in our own way.”

The title “Braless Banshees vs. Brainless Barbies” was derived a year and a half ago, when some teachers and faculty at a college became concerned when they looked around their campus and saw lots of “brainless Barbies,” while they were trying so hard to teach about the choices of feminism, Richards said.

Richards said some of the students viewed the teachers and faculty who were talking about feminism as a bunch of “braless banshees.”

Both women have worked for Ms. Magazine. They also co-authored the book “MANIFESTA: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future.” Richards and Baumgardner said they decided to take their thoughts and beliefs to people all over the nation.

“Us traveling around talking about this is our way of thanking [previous generations],” Richards said. “We’re two individuals part of a much bigger movement.”

Matthew Lemons, a December 2002 ISU graduate in computer sciences, said he attended the event because the title caught his attention, and it sounded interesting.

“I learned you can call yourself a feminist, but still do those non-feminist things of wearing make-up and wearing certain types of clothing,” Lemons said. “I always thought those contradicted each other.