So here's the thing about feminism:
Most people seem to be under the impression that all of us are bra-burning, non-shaving, free-bleeding, man-hating, lesbian anarchists.
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Granted, some of us are (except the man-haters). But most of us are the exact opposite. I wear a bra, shave my pits, have a husband whom I love, and generally lead a normal life. The thing that makes me a feminist is believing that men and women people should be treated equally, instead of trying to aspiring this particular goal:
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In fact, this belief stands for more than just gender discrimination, stretching to encompass issues of race, sexual orientation, and more. Yet, more often than not it seems, feminists are stereotyped as overly sensitive, power-hungry harpies. When, in fact, the prototypical feminist is more like this:
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On another note, feminists--all women really (since they should all be feminists)--are expected to love and support one another. But that's an extremely unfair and implausible thing to expect. Are all men expected to like each other? No. Just because I don't like my co-worker and frequently make comments about her tardiness and poor taste in footwear, doesn't mean that I don't think she deserves the same rights, freedoms, and privileges as any woman/man/person. But men would have us believe we have to behave this way to each other all the time:
And though, Galentine's Day is infinitely better than Valentine's Day, we can't celebrate it every day of the year.
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So instead we are forced to admit this painful truth:
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And rather than snipe at each other (or, alternatively, sing Kumbaya), we choose to respect each other's differences. That includes stay at home moms and career women, or subscribers to free-range and attachment parenting, or even brunettes and blondes.
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Of course, we could dash all that and ascribe to April Ludgate-Dwyer's system of beliefs, which would probably result in something like The Handmaid's Tale.
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And just for fun, here's this:
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And remember that time that Leslie Knope gave us a mantra for how to live the rest of our lives for ever and ever, amen?
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And then they graciously accepted the boy rangers into their ranks, because that's how equality works.
