The following is in response to the Odyssey article, "I Am Female And I Am So Over Feminists."
You start the article saying you are "all for girl power," but you want the feminists to "relax" because you think we are "okay?" We should never "relax" while women are still behind men, and we are barely okay.
Your argument seems to be targeting the misconceptions of feminism that you just so happen to believe, that we are all men-hating women out to get revenge. These feminists you speak of are so fed up and filled with anger; can you blame them? Don't you think that's the same anger that got us to where we are today?
Yes, women that you are surrounding yourself with that act out their feminism in this man-hating form need to be stopped, but this is what it is truly about. You only talk about American women, but feminists want to fight for all women, not just for the ones in their country, race or beliefs. We are fighting for every woman in this world. You are only thinking about first-wave feminism motives during the current third-wave feminism.
You say, "There is no 'dominant' gender. There’s just men and women, women and men. We coincide with each other; that’s that." Feminism was never about putting down the male gender and I think you are interpreting angry feminists incorrectly. Also, isn't the point of coinciding being equal? Yes, a woman or two or hundreds have probably put down the other gender, but I don't see the point of being upset by that, as that just simply isn't even close to the years of injustice women have endured from men. Maybe these angry women shoving all this down our throats feel like the only way they can be heard is by putting down the male gender.
By the way, have you heard of Trump? Can you really blame women when that misogynist has the potential of being the president? Someone that continues to put women down and that has zero respect for them. Some women will never stop being angry, and honestly, they should be shoving it down our throats, especially to people like you that do not have an understanding of today's feminism.
As you don't mention a thing about women of color, transgender, lesbian or lower class women, I'm going to assume you don't have a single clue that they are way behind, even the white woman. Women in America have come a far way, yes, but the white woman has more "respect," as you say, than any other woman. Even saying respect in itself is far fetched.
Are you really going to tell me that transgender women have respect in this country right now, especially during this current uproar over gender mutual bathrooms? You seriously are not thinking about the fact that someone born as a male that now identifies as a woman doesn't have an ounce of respect. By you not addressing them is not respecting them. You do realize that same sex couples just received the right to adopt in all 50 states, right? You can't say that any woman of color has respect when people of color don't even have the same respect as the white population yet. You need to educate yourself because I'm not sure your views on feminism are even backed by anything accurate.
Also, you say you are for girl power, but then later on, you state that these two genders are "not to be equal or to over-power." You just said you don't want equality among men and women. You also say to not put down men but then say, "We are not equals. The male is made of more muscle mass, and the woman has a more efficient brain." You claim that this is simply science? I'm sorry, but your complete argument is filled with hypocrisy.
Yes, men being gentlemen and chivalry is great, but if a woman does not want that man to do the "dirty work or pay for meals," then leave her alone. What is so wrong with not wanting that from a man? According to your profile picture, you are a white woman, and as you say that women have never been more respected than today, I am going to assume you have felt respected most of your life. That is truly amazing, and I think you should realize the privileged you have in that.
Since you write for The Odyssey, I am also going to assume you also go to college. You also must know that one in four women in college will be sexually assaulted in some time in their college career. Maybe woman are fed up with the "science" of men being "the stronger ones" and their "delicate" and "vulnerable" bodies, leaving them to be "dominated" through rape. You must have just typed in "feminists" into google and picked the first photo you saw of "radical feminists."
Did you do any research on what that photo is from? First off, that photo is of a protest of women in France. Second of all, they are protesting for the FEMEN movement, which is an international movement for women. Their goal is the following, taken directly from their website: "Separated from the woman, her body is an object to monstrous patriarchal exploitation, animated by production of heirs, surplus profits, sexual pleasures and pornographic shows. Complete control over the woman’s body is the key instrument of her suppression; the woman’s sexual demarche is the key to her liberation."
Simply put, the photo has nothing to do with your argument. You agree with equal pay but then say something about how women entering the workforce so late in history, so it just makes sense why we don't make the same amount. Are you kidding me? Don't you think if we had any "respect," we would get that by now? I don't think you do. If we had respect, getting that equal pay would be a lot easier. Based on history, the male population has been in the workforce longer, so they should be paid more? That makes zero sense. Women are never going to stop fighting or being angry as long as they feel inferior, and there are women like you, telling them to calm down.
Don't continue to go around and think feminism is about putting down men and that we should "relax" because "we're ok." Everyone knows the definition of feminism is "equality of genders," and feminism should be what we all fight for, men and women. Look a little deeper into what we want than just the surface and what you judge from what you hear. Please, watch or read some form of accurate information of feminism and the history of it, so you can respect the women that fought and died for where we are now.
Emma Watson is a good start for you.
Sincerely,
A feminist that is fed up with ignorance.
