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Listen, I’ve heard it all before:
Feminists are all angry lesbians.
Feminists want to have more power than men.
Feminists hate motherhood, think kids are a burden, and have rejected all things feminine.
Feminism is a white, upper-middle class movement that is just taking focus and energy away from real problems.
And don’t even get me started on what people say in everyday conversation:
“I’m not a feminist because I’d still like a guy to open the door for me.”
“I’m not a feminist because I’d like to be a mom someday.”
“I mean, I believe in equal rights and civil rights and stuff, but I’m not a feminist or anything.”
I even have a friend who introduces me to people as “THE FEMINIST”. What is that? What does that even mean?
Whelp, I’ll tell you what it means. I am a feminist, definitely not “THE FEMINIST” (but only because I’m not certain who THE FEMINIST would be — maybe Elizabeth Cady Stanton? Oprah?) but I am one nonetheless. And most of the time, I’m pretty sure it’s not that big of a deal. Because even though feminism is a big deal – it’s not all that crazy of a notion.
Because get this, the standard, dictionary-approved definition of feminism is: “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes; organized activity on behalf of women’s rights.” Yep. Equal rights. That’s it.
So why has feminism become such a scary topic? Why is it so taboo to call yourself a feminist? Why are today’s women shying away from feminism? There’s no short answer for any of these questions, but I think its important to talk about them. So – tell me your thoughts!
Plus, I really thought you should have a clear-cut explanation as to why I call myself a feminist. It’s because I believe in equal rights.
I think people shy away from the term because there is this notion that our society is supposed to be at a point of total equality. I don’t believe we are (look at something as basic as compensation rates for men and women), and I think you would agree, but using the term “feminism” means admitting that things are not actually equal. Maybe you’ve noticed that people don’t typically identify themselves as “pro equal/civil rights” these days. It sounds outdated and unnecessary to the average person. Using such a term to identify yourself or someone else would, again, be an admission that we are not living in total equality. We, as a society, are supposed to be beyond those issues now. The headlines this week (ie: the 9th Circuit decision, state of Washington passing same-sex marriage, Komen/Planned Parenthood funding issues, and birth control/health care reform) prove that we are not living in an idyllic state of equality. I was just saying in conversation the other day that Brown v. Board really wasn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of history.
In any event, the fight rages on; we, the warriors are just using different words. Words are power, and my concern is that we’re tempering the vernacular and weakening the argument by not using the bold terminology.
I think you’re right on the money here. As a society, we would like to think we live in a post– state… post-feminism, post-racial, post-classist, but you point to the issues that prove otherwise.
Also – I am in love with your language here “the fight rages on; we, the warriors are just using different words.”
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