I am a female and I am a feminist.
This statement and belief shouldn't be so hard to grasp. I simply believe in equality of genders-- the exact definition of feminism being "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men."
So... what I don't understand is why this is even bashed against. How DARE I want to be on the same platform as men! How DARE I wish for women all around the world to be treated equally and as human beings. I'm such a monster, right? A complete "feminazi," as some would say.
That is a load of bull.
Unfortunately, yes, there are some people who take things too far. I will not deny that, but I also won't put them down for their beliefs that women should be treated as equals.
I mean, for crying out loud, there was a hashtag started a few days ago on Twitter called #RepealThe19th. THERE ARE PEOPLE SO SCARED OF WOMEN HAVING THE POWER TO VOTE ANOTHER WOMEN INTO OFFICE THAT THEY WANT TO REPEAL THE 19TH AMENDMENT! A right that feminists before my time had worked so hard to gain! A simple human right! Can you believe that?
I mean, this is blatant sexism, clear as day. But that's just my opinion, isn't it now?
Something funny I've noticed about people who are against feminism is that they say things along the lines of "women should let men pay for meals like the old days instead of complaining and paying for it themselves," "women put men down and want to be more powerful" (which I mean says right there that they KNOW men have more power), and "women are too focused on stupid issues when there are REAL issues in the world." Why is this funny, you ask? Because I don't know any feminists who even contribute to any of these things.
I've never met a feminist who believes that men should all die. I've never met one who thinks that women should overpower men and take over the world or whatever.
Of course, there's a difference between a good feminist and a bad feminist. As I said earlier, I won't deny that there are bad ones, who believe in putting men completely down and not caring about other issues.
This is why I'm an intersectional feminist.
If you don't know what that is, it's basically feminism as it should be. This is the recognition that there are more levels of oppression than just between sexes-- it's also between race, religion, culture, physical and mental aspects (ability), and etcetera. It's recognizing that feminism is not a one size fits all ideal. In our culture, though, there are many feminists who don't keep this in mind, but we are getting better slowly.
The thing is, people take feminism and bend it to something that it's not. No, we're not all men haters. No, we don't think we're better off without men.
As simple as it can get, feminism is about letting women be who they are without any obstructions from society.
It's breaking gender norms. It's allowing for women to be comfortable in their bodies, no matter their body type, and letting them reclaim their sexuality. It's recognizing there are problems in the world affecting women, such as rape and assault, genital mutilation, acid throwing attacks, and so on. It's not only lifting up cis able-bodied middle class white women, but helping women of color, women of lower classes, women of varying sexualities, women with physical and mental disabilities, and women of different religions become equal as well. It even helps men by telling them they are allowed to have feelings, they are allowed to cry, that women can be breadwinners as well, that they're allowed to like traditionally feminine things. It's helping those who have suffered from abuse. It's supporting LGBT+ women. It's wanting equal rights for all genders, for everyone, for every reason.
If you honestly have a problem with any of the above being solved or even discussed, then you must have a twisted view of what good feminism truly does.
