You might refuse to prescribe to a label that advocates for equality of both genders and I can completely respect that opinion because, as human beings, our individual beliefs are always valid.
They cannot be formed or manipulated by anyone else but you.
I am not here to judge the words you've expressed, but I am here to clear up any misinterpretations and voice my own thoughts on the matter. It is not a debate because social issues like these require us to open a dialogue and engage in a civil discussion.
Let's take a dive into the history of this movement; the ultimate goal of first wave feminism was suffrage, among other things. Just because the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920, this did not put an end to the cause.
Why might you ask?
Because despite the indisputable victory, there was still a need to fight the system.
The second wave of feminism proceeded to bring issues such as rape, sexuality, workplace and reproductive rights into the limelight.
And so on, the third wave of feminism attempted to include women of all identities, understanding the fact that there are many colors, cultures and economic backgrounds.
These years of activism were a product of systemic and social oppression that did not give women a choice. Just because women like conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly led an anti-movement did not mean advocates would put down their protest signs.
They were inching towards a society that would allow them to make the choice of whether or not they wanted to be a traditional, domestic mother figure. If you were content with that, you were not deemed as weak – you simply choose your own path and there is nothing wrong with that.
This is what feminism is working towards.
The need to fight the system continues to this day, whether you are refusing to accept it or not.
The few powerful female figures that stand in the front lines are a great form of representation, but they are also an illusion to cover up the fact that women are still being raped, trafficked, discriminated against and catcalled.
Can we talk about the fact that colleges and universities provide free condoms, but we must pay for taxed sanitary products for our menstruation cycles?
How about the fact that if a woman has casual hookups, she's called a slut but a man is glorified?
Ironically, the media portrays women as hyper-sexualized. If a woman ends up pregnant and the father disappears, she's shamed for having an abortion but looked down on for raising her child as a single mother.
When a black woman embraces her natural hair, it's seen as unprofessional but Becky's fine straight hair is completely acceptable.
Where is the sense in any of this? Frankly, I don't see it.
While a white woman in this society might feel like they've reached a point of equality and justice, it is unfair to dismiss the idea of feminism because you fail to recognize that these issues clearly still continue in minority communities and other countries.
Countless victims fail to have their voices heard and we cannot reject them because we are ignorant to their situations.
I understand you feel insulted and pressured, but I completely disagree with you if you think feminism is dividing our sisterhood. If anything, it is bringing us closer together.
You plead for us to stop waving our protest signs because you are content with a white picket fence, but let us choose our own path and do the same with yours. You can choose bake sales and soccer mom vans, but you can also choose to advocate for women's rights.
They're not mutually exclusive and I would know because while I support my fellow sisters in their journeys, I also hope to take my future husband's last name.
I can acknowledge the fact that there are radical feminists and conservatives on both ends of the spectrum, but what needs to stop is tearing other women down. Like you stated, "I'll support you in your endeavors."
Support me in mine.
