March is Women’s History Month so I think it’s only fitting to write about something that has bothered me for a long time. It’s no secret that there are people out there who think the word feminist has some kind of negative connotation. People have coined the derogatory term ‘feminazi’ and there are way too many people out there that believe being a feminist means you hate all men. While many of these comments usually come from conservative men, the thing that troubles me the most is when I hear them from other women.
While some of my family members have called me a “raging liberal” I simply consider myself to be an open-minded person who has morals and cares about people other than myself. I consider myself to be a feminist because it is 2018 and women are still not equal to men, in many aspects of their lives. Key word: equal. Feminism is not about wanting to reverse the roles of women and men in society, it is about wanting them to be on the same level.
It blows my mind when I hear women say that they aren’t a feminist. It makes me want to ask them if they don’t mind that women are paid less than men for doing the same job, or if they like being catcalled on the street, or if they want men deciding what happens to their body. I personally don’t understand how you can be a woman and not support equal rights for women. What’s worse is I frequently hear women saying they aren’t a feminist in an offended tone, as if it is something bad.
Another thing that also makes me mad is when people say they are feminists, but only support women who are white and/or privileged. Feminism needs to be inclusive, which means you can’t pick and choose the women you support. Feminism means equal rights for all women, and that includes women of all races, backgrounds, and sexualities.
I think there is a stigma behind the word feminist and it needs to go away. In today’s society there are enough people that try to tear girls down, and other girls who claim to be anti-feminists are not helping. Girls need to support other girls. If you’re a woman and say that you aren’t a feminist, honestly, I feel bad for you. If you don’t feel like you deserve the same rights as men, I feel bad for you. Calling yourself a feminist should not be something that you’re ashamed of; it should be something that you’re proud of.
I’m sure there will be many more people in my future that will call me a feminist as an attempt to insult me, but I will never take it as an insult, I will take it as a compliment.