Feminism is seen by many as a negative thing but this is not a real reflection of feminism. Extremists have tainted the hard work that many inspirational and caring women have put in. There are many misconceptions out there that need to be cleared up, and that is exactly what is going to happen in this article.
First of all, many people are confused about what feminism actually is. Feminism is the want for equality of all genders and sexes. A common argument that is made against feminism is that it is just about women and women trying to dominate society, this, however, is not true. Feminism is called feminism since it was a movement started by women who felt oppressed and suppressed by the male population. This does not mean that women are trying to beat out men, but rather be equal to men.
Secondly, there often controversy about feminism as being only for white women. This is a terrible thing that has been placed on the name and reputation of feminism. Feminism includes all races. Women fight together to gain equal pay, the right to make decisions over our own bodies, and the right for equal representation. Take, for example, Louisa Jenkins. There is a popular photo from 1957 of her smoking a cigarette in front of white male police officers. She can be seen as a feminist and she is a woman of color. Though this is not a fight against any sort of oppression directly, taking into consideration the time, this was a big step and activism on her part. We thank her for this iconic photo and bravery.
Thirdly, there is an argument that feminism does not include transgender women. However, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, trans women are simply women. Therefore, feminism does include transgender women. This one is hard to debate unless you are an individual that does not accept trans women as the beautiful women they are.
So there you go, three misconceptions that make feminism so controversial cleared up. Remember, you are always valuable and have a lot of worth. If there is something oppressing you, use your voice and whatever platform you have to speak up and hopefully, spark change!
Xoxo, Rye