Hey there, ladies!
No, that was not a cheesy pick-up line — I’m really just saying hi!
My name is Eric Roy, and I’m an undergraduate student at Boston College. I study Finance, Philosophy, and an assortment of other subjects I find interesting. I am a member of Boston College Students for Sexual Health, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, and the volunteer program Peer Health Exchange. And recently, I became a feminist.
Well, technically I’ve always been a subscriber of “feminism” — I just didn’t know that my beliefs coincided with the definition of the term. I’ve always believed that women are really important people who deserve to be respected and treated with kindness. During my adolescence, I had no idea about the “feminist movement” and didn’t really notice the disparaging way that some women were treated in this world. I just thought everybody was supposed to treat everybody else as an equal. When I first became exposed to the term “feminism,” I was exposed to the type of “feminism” which consisted of (a) members of the female population, and (b) loud, obnoxious angst against men for their patriarchal ways.
But during my time in college, I learned that feminism doesn’t require either (a) or (b). But if feminism is not simply the encapsulation of the angsty women with body hair often portrayed on TV, then what is feminism?
During the past year, I learned that one could be a feminist by simply showing respect for women around him or her and by acknowledging that women are fundamentally equal to their male counterparts. A feminist is someone who lets a woman know that she is special every time he or she is with her. A feminist is someone who supports a woman’s equality in the workplace, in the job market, in her school or town. A feminist can be an ally for lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer women — they are often subject to the stigma of being female and LGBT. And most importantly, a feminist can be a bystander to women — especially if alcohol is involved. You see a girl who had too much to drink and is being dragged away by a guy… ask her if she needs a ride home. You’re not only respecting the woman, but you’re supporting her in a situation which she may be scared to say “no.”
Anybody on this planet — male, female, or transgender; gay, straight, or something in between; black, white, or mixed — can be a feminist by being respectful of the fact that women are beautiful human beings who deserve the same love and respect as any other person. And I believe that it is especially important that men feel empowered to stand up for the women in their lives because if men join women in the rally for equality, everyone will be in agreement that gender equality is a good thing for society.
I know that some guys — myself included, at one point — may hesitate calling themselves a “feminist” because there are men who view the movement as some sort of “de-masculinization.” But I have this to say: being a feminist does not make you “less of a man,” it doesn’t mean you hate your own gender, and it doesn’t mean you’re “gay.” It means you care about someone you love — your mom, your sister, your cousin, your best girl friend. Being a feminist means you admire women.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can support the wonderful ladies in your life, there are several resources for you! If you attend Boston College, you could visit the Women’s Resource Center and speak with someone who works there. The Women’s Resource Center is a comfortable environment for both men and women to learn about how they can support the women in their lives. And if you are in the general Boston area, there are several other resources for people who wish to learn more about topics that feminists are concerned with, including legal issues, sexual assault, and pregnancy. Below you can find links for the Boston College Women’s Resource Center and several other resources in the Boston area.
Much Love!
Eric
Boston College’s Women’s Resource Center
Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC): 24-Hr Hotline: 800-841-8371