Feminism: What it really means and why we need it

When the word “feminist” comes up in conversation, many people automatically assume that a person who considers herself a feminist, is anti-men. They assume this person, and all other feminists, want women to take control over men and gain all of the power. They assume feminists want to isolate themselves from men. They assume only women can be considered feminists.

How does that saying go? “When you assume you make an ass out of you and me,” right?

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in talk of feminism and who is or is not a feminist. There are constant negative connotations that go along with feminism and the people, women mostly, who consider themselves feminists. If a man considers himself a feminist, because yes, a man can be a feminist, he is considered progressive and the world of feminists seem to have a better outlook on this particular man. If a woman considers herself a feminist, she is thought of as aggressive, ugly and intimidating.

Another assumption is that feminists hate men. That is not true at all. The definition of feminism is Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities; the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.”

Last September, Emma Watson gave an empowering speech for the HeForShe campaign at the U.N. HeForShe is the solidarity movement to get men involved in feminist actions. She said the same thing, feminism has become synonymous with man hating and that is not true.

“I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me,” Watson said in her speech. “But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word...Why is the word such an uncomfortable one?”

According to Time, the Miss America Pageant protest in 1968 in Atlantic City, New Jersey is one of the reasons for the negativity. The “bra-burning” women are part of the reason why feminists have such negative connotations.

The “bra-burners” did not burn bras at all actually, since that is illegal on a boardwalk, so instead they burned Playboy magazines to signify men’s view of women and beauty. These women, and the myths surrounding them, are part of the reason feminists are looked down on. Because they were supposedly aggressive, hated men as well as beautiful women.

“FEMINISM is not a dirty word,” Kate Nash has said, according to MTV. “It does not mean you hate men, it does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a ‘b---h’ or ‘d-ke’, it means you believe in equality.”

If you believe women should be treated equally in different platforms such as the ones listed above, you are a feminist, even if you love men. It does not get much simpler than that. Many people shy away from calling themselves a feminist because, as I said before, of the negative assumptions that are derived from it.

As Cosmopolitan notes, Lady Gaga isn’t a feminist because she “loves men.” Shailene Woodley believes in “sisterhood more than feminism” because she too “loves men.” Katy Perry does not consider herself a feminist, either. “But I do believe in the strength of women,” she has said.

It sounds to me like she is a feminist.

Pharrell is not a feminist because “I don’t think it’s possible for me to be that. I’m a man. It makes sense up until a certain point. But what I do is, I do support feminists.”

John Legend is a feminist. He has said “all men should be feminists,” because, “We are better off when women are empowered - it leads to a better society.”

Exactly.

Other male feminists? Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Patrick Stewart and Aziz Ansari. Because male feminists are a thing. They are real.

There is a quote from Taylor Swift explaining why she thought she was not a feminist when she was younger, and why she is one today.

“As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities,” she said according to Huffington Post. “What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means. For so long it’s been made to seem like something where you’d picket against the opposite sex, whereas it’s not about that at all. Becoming friends with Lena [Dunham] – without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for – has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so.”

The Loop, has a list of the top Lena Dunham quotes on feminism. She explains it perfectly with, “Feminism doesn’t mean women are going to rise, take over the planet, and like cut off men’s testicles.”

It just means we want to be equal to men.

In many countries, women are not allowed to speak unless spoken to, wear what they want, or believe what they want. Women are not even allowed to have an education in some countries. No one should live in a world like that. I am lucky to live in the United States, where women have the same rights as men.

I try not to preach my opinion to my friends, but when the topic comes up, I do feel it is important to inform them what feminism actually means. Many of my friends don’t want to associate themselves with this word, but it is not the word we should be afraid of. We should be afraid of what the world would be like without gender equality.

That is why we need people to understand feminism. We need more celebrities like Emma Watson, Lena Dunham and Taylor Swift to speak up about why they are feminists.

I am a feminist because I work just as hard as my male counterparts, and I deserve the same pay rate. I have thoughts and ideas that are just as valid as the man sitting across from me.

I am a feminist because I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where I was told to never limit myself.

Women should not be limited. We should not be afraid to stand up for ourselves.

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