I'm sitting with a friend, engaged in casual conversation when the topic of sports comes up. Naturally, the conversation takes a turn towards the recent 2015 Women's World Cup, so I chime in, "did you hear how large of a wage difference the women's team earned versus the men?" And I was met with silence. "Wait -- You're a feminist?!" It took everything in me not to explode and scream at him that (of course) I was a feminist, and promptly list all of the reasons as to why that's perfectly okay.
The thing is, nowadays feminist is the new f-word. It's a label used with a deeply condescending attitude because there are just too many common misconceptions about what true feminism stands for. Knowing this, I often answer the question with "Yeah, but I'm not a radical or crazy feminist, if that's what you're implying." Addressing the misconceptions of feminism is only part of the struggle in gaining support for the movement, but Louise Belcher, a young, headstrong female character from "Bob's Burgers," may be able to help fight these preconceived ideas.
A lot of people make the false assumption that feminism is about bringing down men and that feminists are male-hating, lesbian witches who, in their free time, kill children.
But that is definitely not the case. Feminism is defined as the "theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes." Nowhere in that agenda does it entail the complete and utter destruction of the male population. We don't hate men, but instead the implicit bias our culture has created around the superiority of them. And contrary to popular belief, we can still think men are attractive (which doesn't make anyone less of a feminist).
People often fail to take issues seriously and dismiss remarks of inequality with the excuse that we are paranoid. It's frustrating to think that people don't believe that women experience everyday injustices, especially when females themselves deny it. You live in a western society, just be grateful. Just because you may not see it, or it doesn't happen to happen to you, doesn't mean it isn't occurring. Women suffer inequality socially, culturally, and politically almost everywhere across the globe.
Anti-feminists will counter that feminism does nothing to help men, but in fact feminism aims to help everybody. We do realize that in certain situations, men are not receiving the same social acceptance women may have. What?! Mind blown!
Hyper-masculinity is rampant and forces men to comply to typical male stereotypes or suffer social ridicule. How many times have we told guys to man-up or for girls not to be so intimidating? Feminism exists to attack these boundaries for both genders. True feminism is inclusive and intersectional, integrating multiple aspects including but not limited to economics, race, and sexuality.
Speaking of boundaries, let's not forget that feminists aren't all sluts because we believe in sexual empowerment. We would just like to acknowledge that it takes two to tango, so why women should suffer the backlash while guys receive praise from their peers?
After all, if mass media and culture is going to sexually objectify women, then at least let us own it. That's not a permission slip for sexual assault -- just because you have your phone out in public, it doesn't mean you want it stolen. Similarly, just because a girl wears a crop top, it doesn't mean she is begging to be raped.
Finally, one of the biggest misconceptions people have about feminism is that the wage gap is a myth. However, according to a study conducted in 2013, full-time year-round female workers were paid 78 percent of what males in the same professions made, and it's even worse for Hispanic women, who averaged at about 54 percent of his earnings.
Hey, America:
Oh, it's because women are more likely to take time off of work. Yes, that's a valid point, but considering the cultural emphasis on the women to be the primary caretaker of the home, what else is a woman to do? If she plans on choosing her career over her children, then she is ridiculed. If she decides to take care of most of the household chores and children, then she sacrifices her livelihood and perhaps goals that she has been working on for years. But men are not given this same pressure, because they are the bread winners.
He. Makes. More. Money. That's what we've been saying this whole time! Let women who want to be in the household take that position, and let women who want to take up a profession, take up a profession!
Overall, being a feminist is nothing to be ashamed of. Believing in gender equality, rights for both women and men, sexual empowerment, and so forth isn't equivalent to witchcraft. Feminism isn't a thing of paranoia; the justice that feminists stand for is very real and important. It's not about blaming a certain group of people, but instead gaining support for social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.
The next time someone exclaims, "You're a feminist?!" you can just reply, "Hell, yeah, I'm a feminist and I'm proud."
