Thank you so much for this post. I identified a lot with it. Recently, I’ve been reevaluating my own reluctance to label myself as a feminist. I agree whole-heartedly with the ideology, but knowing how people perceive the word has always made me keep quiet about it. It’s something I’m working on, and one day I want to be able to proudly declare it without worrying about everyone else’s misconceptions.
I completely understand where you’re coming from 🙂 I had one friend back in high school who referred to Feminists as “Femi-Nazis” and it would take everything I could muster to not blow up at that. So many people have huge misconceptions about the term Feminist and it often does make it scary to openly declare that you are one, with those reactions waiting around the corner.
I’ve always identified with it. I really don;t understand how any girl doesn’t. Men (and some women) put a bad connotation on it, resulting in people denying the label, and all it does is help to hurt themselves (women) in the long run. It’s sort of like a weapon to keep us down, that some men understand fully, and others don’t but go along with it anyway. And the women have no idea but also go along with it. It’s a hard thing to break, oppression always is.
I agree, it’s a vicious cycle of misconception leading to bigger misconception. Education and open mindedness is what is needed to break the negative meaning of the term, and to slowly break the oppression in the process.
I am extremely uncomfortable with the term and calling myself f(F)emnist as it goes against many of my core beliefs. For example the rights of the child in utero are void because of their voicelessness and location, and it is acceptable to terminate a pregnancy but terminate outside of utero and is first degree murder.
I’ve personally never heard of those being things that are related to being a Feminist, as in my eyes being a Feminist is simply wanting equality for men and women. But I still respect your position and your beliefs 🙂
I subscribe to the kind of feminism that empowers women as equal partners with men. I don’t accept any kind of extremism in asserting our feminine power. So I do not wish to step on or diminish manhood. We need men. We just don’t want to be underfoot or undermined. The world is not perfect and centuries of it being steeped in testesterone is not going to change male dominance, but because of courageous feminist pioneers, today’s woman can enjoy many liberties those gone before did not. And the struggle continues. We have made significant strides already and should by all means continue lifting our voices to decry abuse, subjugation and violence against women in our country as well as those women abroad, especially in Islamic cultures, who do not enjoy the right to even speak the word in their own household. I am proud to call myself a feminist. I am independent, feminine, smart; I know my rights and am free to speak about them. I see nothing wrong with your philosophy, Dani. Let’s keep up the fight for equal rights and justice for all people despite gender, race or class.
I agree to that, my position is equal partners with men and not superiority to them. Feminists have made many great strides in the past, and the changes are still occurring. Far from over, far from finished, but still making progress. People are people, and people deserve to be treated as equally as any other people, that’s my outlook and I’m glad that you share it! Thanks for putting in your opinion as well Karen 🙂
This was wonderful! I totally agree with you. I hate when I hear “you throw/run/play like a girl” being said to boys and girls. In general, women have been oppressed since the beginning of civilization. Feminism is about equality, not more power. People often forget that women did not receive the right to vote until 1920 in the United States. That was less than 100 years ago! And when you think about women’s rights globally, millions of women still have extremely limited rights. EVERYONE deserves rights.
Dani Dearest
Thank you so much for this post. I identified a lot with it. Recently, I’ve been reevaluating my own reluctance to label myself as a feminist. I agree whole-heartedly with the ideology, but knowing how people perceive the word has always made me keep quiet about it. It’s something I’m working on, and one day I want to be able to proudly declare it without worrying about everyone else’s misconceptions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I completely understand where you’re coming from 🙂 I had one friend back in high school who referred to Feminists as “Femi-Nazis” and it would take everything I could muster to not blow up at that. So many people have huge misconceptions about the term Feminist and it often does make it scary to openly declare that you are one, with those reactions waiting around the corner.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve always identified with it. I really don;t understand how any girl doesn’t. Men (and some women) put a bad connotation on it, resulting in people denying the label, and all it does is help to hurt themselves (women) in the long run. It’s sort of like a weapon to keep us down, that some men understand fully, and others don’t but go along with it anyway. And the women have no idea but also go along with it. It’s a hard thing to break, oppression always is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, it’s a vicious cycle of misconception leading to bigger misconception. Education and open mindedness is what is needed to break the negative meaning of the term, and to slowly break the oppression in the process.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am extremely uncomfortable with the term and calling myself f(F)emnist as it goes against many of my core beliefs. For example the rights of the child in utero are void because of their voicelessness and location, and it is acceptable to terminate a pregnancy but terminate outside of utero and is first degree murder.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve personally never heard of those being things that are related to being a Feminist, as in my eyes being a Feminist is simply wanting equality for men and women. But I still respect your position and your beliefs 🙂
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I subscribe to the kind of feminism that empowers women as equal partners with men. I don’t accept any kind of extremism in asserting our feminine power. So I do not wish to step on or diminish manhood. We need men. We just don’t want to be underfoot or undermined. The world is not perfect and centuries of it being steeped in testesterone is not going to change male dominance, but because of courageous feminist pioneers, today’s woman can enjoy many liberties those gone before did not. And the struggle continues. We have made significant strides already and should by all means continue lifting our voices to decry abuse, subjugation and violence against women in our country as well as those women abroad, especially in Islamic cultures, who do not enjoy the right to even speak the word in their own household. I am proud to call myself a feminist. I am independent, feminine, smart; I know my rights and am free to speak about them. I see nothing wrong with your philosophy, Dani. Let’s keep up the fight for equal rights and justice for all people despite gender, race or class.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I agree to that, my position is equal partners with men and not superiority to them. Feminists have made many great strides in the past, and the changes are still occurring. Far from over, far from finished, but still making progress. People are people, and people deserve to be treated as equally as any other people, that’s my outlook and I’m glad that you share it! Thanks for putting in your opinion as well Karen 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was wonderful! I totally agree with you. I hate when I hear “you throw/run/play like a girl” being said to boys and girls. In general, women have been oppressed since the beginning of civilization. Feminism is about equality, not more power. People often forget that women did not receive the right to vote until 1920 in the United States. That was less than 100 years ago! And when you think about women’s rights globally, millions of women still have extremely limited rights. EVERYONE deserves rights.
LikeLiked by 1 person