Is it acceptable to use "womyn" or "womin" instead of "women"?

I have often seen/heard the two terms "womyn" and "womin" in many articles and speeches about feminism or women's rights issues. I couldn't find them in any online dictionary except for the Oxford Dictionary which describes it as

non-standard spelling of ‘women’ adopted by some feminists in order to avoid the word ending -men.

And Urban Dictionary, which has (second definition):

This is a term used by feminists who feel that having the word "man" in the word "woman" makes women a subset of men. So, to make themselves a non subset, they changed the letter 'e' to a 'y'.

Is it acceptable to use these alternate spellings in my writings and conversations with natives (educated/uneducated)? Does it sound strange, aggressive, or odd in the modern English language? Is it likely to prejudice the minds of my audience against me? Is it illegal to use it in writings and conversations? Which kinds of danger can threaten me?

That is, are these alternate spellings seen as uneducated? Are they used solely by strongly feminist groups who are looked down upon? Or are these spellings seen more positively?

Now, what is my motivation?

I thought it might prejudice my audiences regardless of their ideas about feminists, or even an ordinary woman/womyn who likes to avoid sexism at least in her talks and writings. Furthermore, if I wanted to work with a group of people who hate feminists or these kinds of considerations in language, it would help me to decide about changing my workplace or hiding my ideas!

Solution 1:

If you use the spelling womyn your readers will assume you are drawing attention to the oppression of women. The spelling womyn has a definite connotation of social purpose: it is an example of consciousness raising (it “makes you think”). It challenges the prevailing belief that women are created to serve men. The challenge hinges upon a widely circulated story in the scriptural text Genesis. The story is that Eve was made from Adam’s rib to create for him a suitable servant, and that Adam named the new “species”, saying

“… This one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of man this one has been taken.”¹

This false etymology has been taken for true for so long that it is not even questioned or thought about by most people.

(Etymologically speaking, the spelling womyn is equally false. If one wanted to raise consciousness consistent with etymology, one might begin calling men and women weres and wifs.)²

Your use of womyn is not likely to be perceived as uneducated: the spelling is used in books and academic writing.³ But you are likely to prejudice some of your audience against you. The spelling womyn is readily recognized by Christian fundamentalists as a challenge to the literal truth of Genesis, a challenge not only to their belief in the primacy of men but in scriptural inerrancy and by extension their entire religious system.⁴

Solution 2:

Is it valid? Valid as what?

As standard English spelling, it certainly is not. But since the point of it is to deliberately not use standard English spelling, that is rather irrelevant.

As something that has any ties to etymological history in some way? No, but again that's beside the point—if you're fighting a whole complex of issues that are the legacy of a long history, why feel constrained by that history?

As an attempt to express an opinion and to adjust the opinions of others? Yes. Whether it's likely to succeed is another question again, but it's certainly valid.

Is it invalid since woman is not originally a variant of the word for male adult humans, but rather as wif-man a complement to wer-man?

No. Believe it or not, many of those Feminists who use such alternate spellings (which is certainly not all Feminsists - most just use woman/women, at least most of the time) have considered looking up woman and man at some point in the course of their thinking about how the words are considered. That doesn't stop them considering how the words are considered in the current age.

So in all, it's invalid in a bunch of ways that the people using either don't care about being valid by, don't accept the restrictions of, or actively rebel against. It's valid by other grounds such as what would be covered by many laws protecting freedom of speech and expression.

Whether it's productive or not is a question of Feminist analysis, both political and tactical, rather than of the English language.

Solution 3:

Is it acceptable to use these alternate spellings

It can be acceptable to some people as a normal substitute in a very narrow group of people, however, it is certainly not considered normal practice with the very large majority, including many who would call themselves feminists. For general writing the use of these alternatives marks the writer as taking a fairly radical view of various subjects including patriarchy, and the social oppression of women.

Does it sound strange, aggressive, or odd in the modern English language?

Yes, it sounds all of those things, except amongst a fairly small, nepotistic group.

Is it likely to prejudice the minds of my audience against me?

It will certainly brand you as holding fairly radical positions regarding patriarchy and the social oppression of women. It may very well be efficacious if that is your intent.

Is it illegal to use it in writings and conversations?

No of course not, not in liberal western democracies.

Which kinds of danger can threaten me?

The only danger is to your reputation; though then only if your goal is to seem mainstream.