What is feminism?
Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
What kind of people are feminists?
When most people think of a feminist, they may picture a fat girl with big glasses and red lipstick or a lesbian with hairy armpits.
Some feminists are fat girls with kickass style. Some feminists are LGBTQA+. Some feminists choose not to shave. Some feminists are men. A few of my favorite famous feminists are Emma Watson, Laverne Cox, Amy Schumer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Aziz Ansari, and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The point is that feminism isn’t an elite club or a cult or a radical political group, and it doesn’t have a rulebook. If you believe men and women are all human beings and should have equal rights, you are a feminist. Period.
If feminism is about equality, why isn’t it called humanism or equalism?
Straight, white, cisgender men are not victims. They are taken seriously by default because they are given strong, definitive voices in politics and society, and they are the most powerful demographic in the world. They are not the enemy, but rather #goals in terms of the treatment and opportunities they are given. To advocate for their rights would be like beating a dead horse.
Women, however, do not have the luxury of being taken seriously, even in America in 2015. Feminism is not about tearing down men or giving women more power than them—it’s about empowering women to show they are just as capable and deserving as men are. Women are the ones in need of advocacy, which is why it is called feminism.
Don’t women technically have the same rights as men do in America?
While women can vote and it’s technically illegal to discriminate based on sex, we’re nowhere near equality. Examples of everyday oppression and objectification include street harassment, victim-blaming in sexual assault cases, the wage gap (which is not a myth), society’s focus on our appearance and sexual activity rather than our accomplishments, the assumption that we’re less capable of understanding and enjoying sports and cars and action movies, and the expectation that we act and dress in a “ladylike” manner.
If you believe a trans woman or a woman of color or an overweight woman or a disabled woman or a young woman is given the same amount of respect as a 30-year-old white man, you are kidding yourself.
Aren’t there unfair expectations placed on men, too?
Yep! The cool thing about feminism is that it supports EQUALITY and the fact that there’s no right or wrong way to be a man or a woman. The ideas that men should always be expected to pay for dates and hold back their emotions and be “manly” are just as outdated as the belief that women shouldn’t show their ankles in public. As I said, feminism is about making sure everyone receives the same treatment and is offered the same opportunities regardless of gender, and the patriarchy that allows for the disproportionate power given to straight, white, hyper-masculine men is stopping us from achieving that equality. In Emma Watson’s now-famous speech to the UN, she introduces the idea that feminism benefits men and women alike.
Are all feminists against marriage and feminine things?
No. Feminists advocate for a woman’s right to make her own decisions without being frowned upon or invalidated. Some feminists don’t agree with the historically sexist aspects of marriage or the concept of marriage at all, while others are married with children. Some feminists don’t like wearing makeup or shaving, while others aspire to have perfectly sculpted eyebrows and feel more comfortable with smooth legs. Feminists don’t have a problem with cooking or the color pink—they have a problem with society’s unwritten rules that determine what is “ladylike” and what isn’t. If a woman prefers watching football instead of romance movies, she shouldn’t feel uncomfortable doing so, and vice versa. Again, there is no right or wrong way to be a woman.
How do I make sure the things I do and say aren’t sexist or misogynistic?
Feminism is a mindset, and respect is a practice. By understanding that women really do face sexism every day of their lives, even if you don’t see it or know what it feels like, you’re already halfway there. Feminists DO have a sense of humor (though many are unafraid to call out sexism/misogyny when they see it) and many are totally willing to have a good discussion about their personal views and point out why certain things are sexist even when they aren’t intended to be. Excellent websites and social media accounts with information about intersectional, inclusive feminism are Everyday Feminism, HeForShe, and Feminists United.
