For too long, “feminist” has been known as a dirty word. The term gets associated with anger, hate, and whining. Some female celebrities have notoriously said they were not feminists, but that they “do believe in equality,” (Beyoncé) and “believe in the strength of women,” (Katy Perry). Sigh. That’s feminism… that’s literally what it is. But anyway, because we all want to live in a progressive, open-minded world (right?), let’s set straight some myths about feminism and learn why it’s okay to allow the other half of the population to have a voice.
Myth: Feminists hate men.
Nope, we don’t. Someone who hates men is called a “misandrist,” and feminism isn’t about hate. Feminism is the belief in equal rights for men and women, and is a movement concerned with the issues of inequality for women. There’s no room for hate in feminism—women have experience enough bigotry to know that it doesn’t feel good, nor does it yield success in a society.
Myth: All feminists are women.
I am so happy to correct this myth and inform you that men make up a significant portion of feminists. These are the men who recognize that feminism is all about equality and is not solely a women’s issue. (This further proves that female feminists aren’t man-haters.)
Myth: Feminists are anti-femininity and anti-marriage.
It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that feminists love women. A major desire for feminism is to empower women, allowing women to be given equal opportunities and to make choices freely. Attempting to limit women’s opportunities, or to chastise women’s choices, would only be making the goal of feminism—equality—harder to reach. So, you can get married in a pink wedding dress and still believe in the equal treatment of men and women. Who would have thought?
Myth: Feminists are offended by chivalry.
With this one, everyone just needs to calm down. If a man were to hold the door open for a woman feminist, chances are she will politely say “thank you” and walk through that door. She’s not going to smack him and explain to him why his gesture is sexist. However, here’s the problem with chivalry: some men will use it as an excuse for why a woman “owes him.” An example of that would be a straight couple going on a date where the man pays for dinner, and then expects some kind of sexual favor from the woman in return. That’s unfair, that’s dangerous, and that’s quite common.
Myth: We have achieved equality, thus we no longer need feminism.
Women are still paid 77 cents to every one dollar a man is paid. Women hold just 23 percent of all federal judgeships and 27 percent of all state judgeships. Women hold 18.5 percent of the seats in Congress, 20 percent in the Senate, and 18.2 percent in the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, there has never been an American female president. We haven’t “achieved equality.” Fortunately, we can get closer to it by eliminating this myth which causes some people to believe we can stop advocating for it.
It is important to remember what Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Happy Women’s History Month. Let the festivities and equality commence.