Yeah, You're a Feminist! And Here is Why

*this is for all the people who hate feminists but are actually feminists, so you might wanna sit down for this shocking news*

Feminism. It’s a powerful word that makes some happy and makes some roll their eyes. It’s a movement that has revolutionized lives and stands on the basis of inclusion. However, many, many women and men have vocalized their distaste for the subject, and the more I learn about those people's opinions, the more I realize that faux feminists (also known as the ones who hate men and think women are superior) have ruined the word. The dictionary definition for feminism, according to Merriam-Webster, is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” What’s wrong with that? It doesn’t say you hate men, can’t like pink, that you have to be a woman to be a feminist, that you can’t like The Bachelor, or that your religion has anything to do with it. I love my man, I like pink, I’m a woman obvi but I feel confident saying the guys I choose to surround myself with are feminists, I like The Bachelor almost as much as I like The Bachelorette, and I love Jesus. If you agree with any thing in the list I’ve posted below, CONGRATULATIONS YOU’RE A FEMINIST! We aren’t crazy. We don’t hate men. If you disagree with any of these, you are a feminist who disagrees with other feminists (aka how every feminist feels at some point).  You don’t have to attend protests and limit your twitter timeline to only Louisa May Alcott quotes, but at the very least you can stop being anti-feminist. Also, feminism has no gender, has no race, and has no political association.

  • You like men, you do not hate men

  • You care about men’s rights

  • You care about LGBTQ+ member’s rights

  • You don’t think women should have any special rights

  • You think women and men should be held accountable for their actions

  • You want to be educated

  • You want to be domestic and have a family

  • You want to be a stay at home mom/dad

  • You want to hold a leadership position in your sorority or fraternity

  • You don’t like how the media portrays women

  • You don’t like double standards

  • You, as a woman, want to be CEO of a company one day

  • You, as a woman, do not think you’re better than men nor do you want to be paid more than men OR you think that women are equal to you and should be paid the EXACT SAME WAGE for the EXACT SAME JOB

  • You believe in choice (not just choice of abortion, but choice of anything)

  • You, as a woman, like choosing what happens to your body OR you like women having the choice of what happens to their body (birth control, cancer screenings, abortion, etc)

  • You hate stereotypes and judgment in general

  • You value homemaking

  • You like to like the color pink

  • You like to like dressing girly

  • You don’t like being cat-called or being “grabbed by the pussy”

  • You want equal pay for women because yes, that IS still an issue in the United States.

  • You know that women in the US still face disadvantages, even though they’re not the same issues women in third world countries face

  • You care about the welfare of women and men in all countries, first world and third world

  • You believe in social justice

  • You, as a woman, want to fight for your country OR you believe women should be able to fight for their country

Again, if you recognized a single one of those as something you believe in, you are by definition a feminist. If you disagreed with any of those, you are a feminist who disagrees with other feminists (aka how every feminist feels at some point). Feminism has no gender, has no race, and has no political association. We aren’t crazy. We don’t hate men. You don’t have to attend protests and limit your twitter timeline to only Louisa May Alcott quotes, but at the very least you can stop hating on the advancement of your own gender.

kb.