The F Word: Feminism

“I’m not a feminist, I just believe that men and woman deserve equal rights.” Is something people say even though Merriam-Webster defines feminism as: “The theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” So why are so many people hesitant to brand themselves as feminists, well here are some reasons.

“Because I don’t hate men.”

First things first, feminists, by definition, do not hate men. Feminism is just like any other activist group there are radicals there are vegetarians who hate meat eaters and environmentalist who hate anyone who does not recycle. But at the end of the day, most vegetarians and environmentalist just want to leave the earth in better shape than when they got here and find a more sustainable less harmful way of living. Most feminists believe that anyone, identifying with any gender, or otherwise, should be treated equally. Also, feminism means equal rights for all sexes, men included.

“Because I believe that everyone, not just women, deserve rights.”

Feminists do not want to take any rights or privileges away from anyone. If they do, then they are not a feminist, plain and simple, as the definition states that feminism wants equality for all the sexes. It is simply that easy.

“I just wish it didn’t have the first part, feminine, in it.”

It is true the feminism was first created to give women the same rights as men, and in many ways is still trying to achieve that. But, much like any social construct, feminism is subject to change as the times and generations change. One way to look at it is that it is called feminism because it is the feminine qualities that people are ridiculed for. It is a little boy liking pink or a high schooler who finds himself to be absolutely ‘fabulous’. Because masculinity is so often equated with power while feminism relates to weakness. Because a man coming forward with a story about how he was sexually abused by a woman and receiving justice in the courts is feminism. Could the fear of joining a feminist cause be scary because it is, well, feminine? Because it is girly and, by association, weaker?

There are problems in the Feminist cause and, as of late, it has been on the receiving end of quite a bit of ridicule for being sexist about men. But can anyone really think that standing on the sidelines, saying they believe everyone should be equal and yet claiming their not a feminist is really going to change anything. Because it is not. A million people make up a cause, and their million voices make up the voice for that cause. So backing down because what has been heard about feminism is not ‘good’ is the best solution. Why not tell the world what feminism is really about? If more people did this, feminism could actually get the reputation it needs to actually do something in the world.