There are many different expressions of what people believe feminism to be, but so many of these things go against the true identity of feminism. The word itself has gained such a bad reputation that often times when feminism is mentioned, people automatically tune out.
So, let's clear this up.
The definition of feminism according to Merriam-Webster is, "the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes." This means that feminists are those who support this theory; people who believe that the sexes should have equal opportunity politically, economically, and socially.Breaking this down even more, let's look at some arguments for why people don't consider themselves feminists. One is that some people are turned off by anti-men propaganda. However, if someone is anti-men, they are not a feminist by definition. Hating on men does not support social equality between sexes; it's just hating men. That's not feminism.
Another argument, popular with women who want to live stereotypically feminine lives, is that they feel looked down upon by feminists and as such do not feel included in the movement. However, true feminism does not look down upon the woman who wants to be a stay-at-home-mom. It does not look down upon women who do not go to women's marches. Hating on the different life choices of women is not feminist.
Yet another reason I hear is, "I don't have any issues that the feminists are fighting about, so I'm not a feminist." Just because you aren't struggling with something, doesn't mean that you shouldn't support those who are. Whether or not you believe that the feminist issues apply to your life, home, or country, does not mean that it isn't important. For example, feminism isn't just applicable in the USA. The idea of equality should not just apply to one portion of the globe, one skin type, one gender, etc. Equality should be global.
Feminism is not about being anti-men. It is not about degrading different life choices. It is not about hate or the color pink. Feminism is about equal opportunity across gender, sex, race, etc. It is about freedom of choice. It is global. It is possible to be a feminist and disagree politically with another feminist. People disagree on so many things, but we should all agree that being a feminist is not a bad thing. In fact, it might be just the revolution that we need right now.