To the self-proclaimed “anti-feminists” of the world:
I hope you one day realize how lucky you are; to consider yourself to already be equal and to be blissfully unaware of the issues faced by other women. Not to mention, thinking that because you yourself haven’t experienced them, that these issues are nonexistent. I don’t mean to sound harsh or overwrite your experiences, but in essence, you are doing just that by claiming your lack of need for feminism, just because you don’t personally have experience with said things. Correct me if I’m wrong, but by-and-large, most anti-feminists (sometimes referred to as “Meninists”) claim that very logic as the reason they don’t need feminism.
I think this general misunderstanding of feminism comes from two things: misinformation on the feminist movement as a whole and the select few radical feminists who give the rest of us a bad name. I’m not here to police your views or tell you that your opinions are wrong. I’m just trying to voice my views and maybe set the record a little straighter here.
The misunderstanding of feminism, I believe, comes from a broad scope of misinformation in the exchanging of ideals and beliefs. We live in a world so fueled by social media interaction, that a vast majority of what anyone says can be misconstrued as fact, or written off as false with a single click of a button. Once something goes viral, it’s easy to blindly follow the claims made without digging much deeper. Similarly, when one opinion gets shared continuously, it begins to be construed as fact because the masses are upholding it as such. However, it’s that exact system that can give so many such a bad reputation to begin with. People need to take such radical articles with a grain of salt and do their own definitive research before claiming another’s beliefs as their own; while many are usually very good about this, the few instances that fall between the cracks are what lead people to have such a gross misunderstanding of this movement as a whole.
Mary Chrzanowski, a freshman at the University of Georgia, says of how people often misinterpret the meaning of feminism: “If you have the time to read/share articles on why some women are ‘tired of feminism’ or how the authors are women who ‘don’t need feminism’, that means you have plenty of time to leave your bubble for long enough to learn that many people don’t come from places with the immense amount of privilege so many of us are fortunate enough to have.” Essentially, just because you do not experience some of the trials that other women go through, it does not invalidate their experiences. Similarly, just because you feel that you personally do not need feminism, that doesn’t mean there aren’t millions of other women out there in the world who do.
As a woman whose voice is so often heard, you can use your privilege and stance to help those whose voices are more often silenced. You have an opportunity to use your privilege to effect change, instead of perpetuating a belief system where womanhood is a burden. To this effect, Mary further elaborates that, “Feminism isn’t killing chivalry and feminists aren’t ‘man-haters’. It’s about fighting for marginalized people and making sure everyone in the world is given the same inalienable rights, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, economic status etc. That whole ‘women act on emotion’ rhetoric has been said for hundreds of years to try and prevent women from owning property, voting and working. Surprise! Women are very capable of doing all these things because it literally has zero scientific backing – it’s just plain misogyny. Women are extremely capable of holding positions of power, and anyone who has told you differently has failed you.”
I once had a mentor figure in my life say “if your feminism isn’t intersectional, can you still call it feminism?” Intersectional feminism is feminism that applies to people of all genders, sexes, races, religions, creeds, and beliefs. You fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. You see someone hurting or struggling, and you offer a helping hand. To this effect, I want to discuss radical feminism and the abhorrent light it has painted the feminist movement in. Radical feminism (and even white feminism, but that’s a whole other talking point to discuss) is where misandry and other inherently divisive policies are promoted under the guise of furthering the fight for equality, when in reality it panders to a self-gratifying cause of armchair activism that is generally malicious toward other parties involved. In other words, radical feminists get their jollies in by bringing others down and stomping on their beliefs, rather than rising up to the levels of those that oppress us and overcoming our differences in a respectful manner that can actually accomplish something. Every movement has the radical faction that paints the rest of the group in a bad light. What’s important to do is educate yourself so that you can know the difference between the two and better work toward a common resolve.
Because we live in a generation where the internet is so accessible and is our window out to the world, a large amount of subgroups have risen from the feminist movement. While there is no “right” or “wrong” feminism, per say, the certain “brand” of feminism one practices can become a little messy. At the end of the day, as long as your main goal is to achieve social, political, and economic equality of the sexes, you’re on the right track. Just remember to be respectful of others’ ideals and approach things with an open mind.
In light of the women’s marches held globally, I’ve been seeing a lot of people post on social media about how tired they are of feminism. I think they’re inherently misinformed as to what the movement is about. It isn’t about burning bras and listening to Beyoncé; it most certainly isn’t whatever brand of feminism people seem to equate with Taylor Swift and her squad. Feminism is the endeavor for equal rights and standards for women (and all other genders) on social, political and economic grounds. That means women of color, transgender women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. It means women outside of America and beyond our borders. It means that the wage gap is not a myth, we shold raise boys and girls the same, being tolerant and respectful of one another and it means having a say in your own healthcare, be it reproductive rights or otherwise.
It means my body, my rights, my rules. And no one else’s. No man or woman aside from myself can decide for me what I do with my own body on my terms, so long as I do not put others in harm’s way. It means respecting my gender and respecting other people for their gender identity as well. It’s the reclamation of our sexuality and the redefining of gender norms and stereotypes. It’s taking back words with negative connotations like ‘bitch’ and ‘slut’ and ‘bruja’ and ‘nasty woman’ and turning them into words of power and freedom of expression. It means I won’t tolerate another injustice done unto me or other people of color simply for the color of our skin. It’s NOT about bringing men down; it’s about working together in order to achieve the level of equality already afforded to those of higher station than us.
We don’t need your validation; we need your rallying support.
As a collegiette living in a millennial generation with an ever-changing narrative, I want to use my ability to contribute to that narrative to incite change for the better. If you still have trouble grasping the concept of feminism as anything other than a fight for the same basic human rights and respect to be afforded to people of all gender identities, sexualities, religions and races, I urge you to open your heart and mind and give this movement another chance.
Sincerely,
A self-proclaimed feminist and nasty bruja (and a proud one, at that).