The “F” word. Feminism. It is a concept, in today’s society, that has an incredibly large stigma attached to it. It is a controversial topic, one that every single individual seems to think they know anything and everything about. People either love the idea of feminism or hate it.
But as a whole, there seems to be this idea that this generation seems to have, that you are a feminist only if you refuse to shave, burn your bras, and parade around naked. But guess what? That is far from the truth.
The concept of feminism is that men and women have equal rights and choices. The concept of feminism is that, like men, women are allowed to make decisions about the way they lead their lives.
There is this radical notion that you have to be erratic, man-hating and judgmental of anything and everything in society in order to be considered a feminist. This view of feminism is not only silly and ignorant, but it gives the concept a bad reputation and makes people wary of calling themselves a feminist.
There are so many expectation for "how to be a feminist" and it's appalling.
Wanting to get married and be a traditional housewife doesn’t mean you cannot be a feminist, and refusing to ever have a family does not necessarily make you one either. The whole idea is that you get to have a choice, that you can do what YOU want without society telling you what is and isn’t acceptable.
Newsflash: if you, in any way, believe in the idea of men and women having equal rights... then you are a feminist. If you are against sexism and misogyny, you are a feminist. Be proud to call yourself one, rather than give into the stigma around the word. Make people realize that feminism is not such a wild and awful concept; it is simply people standing up for a gender's rights.
So, no, refusing to shave your legs doesn’t necessarily mean you are a feminist. Going bra-less isn’t the only way to fight for equal rights. I can shave every single day because I want to, and I can choose which undergarments to wear or not to wear. I don't hate men and I don't plan on being single forever just because I'm against the idea of a family. Regardless, I will still be a feminist for as long as I believe in and stand up for equality.
Next time you want to talk about "feminazis" or how the internet likes to state that "feminism is cancer," remember that not all of us hate men, refuse the idea of marriage or go around burning clothes to show our support.
