The Feminism Four (Big Misconceptions of Feminism)
Things that non feminists need to understand:
Feminism. A word that disgusts numerous people, yet liberates just as many. But what is this word that’s being thrown around, with the oxymoronic, negatively-charged slur “feminazi?” This is a very condensed guide that barely scratches the surface for those who are curious, and to those who are opposed to this whole idea.
- Equality, not superiority.
Those who hear the word “feminism/feminist” automatically think that these feminist individuals must find themselves superior. What these clueless people don’t know is that feminists are the antithesis of those with a god complex. The point of feminism is to empower women and femininity, and to make everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexuality, religion, race and ethnicity, nationality, subculture, spoken language, gender expression, economic status, disability and mental illness, appearance, and social status treated fairly.
- Men-inclusive notion
Those who are highly opposed to feminism are, statistically, mostly men. This is because they feel that it excludes them and that it is a “man-hating group.” This is just not the truth. AT ALL. We fight for men as well. We believe that men are actual human beings who are capable of emotion and are not just creatures of hostility, aggressiveness, and war. These individuals are people. Men can be feminists as well. Anyone can be one, as long as they truly believe and act upon the ideas and notions of feminism.
- The “It-Doesn’t-Affect-Me” Complex
There are a number of girls out there that say that they’re not affected by the patriarchy or misogyny. However, the truth is, every woman is. Whether it be directly or not, every woman is affected by it. And not even just women, actually. Men are affected by the misogynistic ideology that is being fed to everyone. For example, the idea that men can’t cry, have to be specific things like a firefighter and not a makeup artist, and have to fit a specific image like being tall, having short hair, muscles, and an only masculine look and aura are things that feminists fight to have eliminated from our society.
- Feminism Isn’t Feminine?
One thing that I think is a silly concept is that people seem to believe that feminists are highly masculine. This is far from the truth. There are plenty of feminists that are feminine. In fact, femininity is one of the big things that feminism defends. So go on and prance around in your pink dress and bow, it’s perfectly fine! In fact, feminists aren’t trying to tell people what to like or how to be, per se. Feminism is just asking for equality, not to change your whole personality. Be you!
Feminism is not a dirty word, and this idea that it is needs to end. Also, the idea that feminists are unfunny, boring killjoys who are fraught with hate is a false pretense that should be obliterated. There are plenty of misconceptions and questions that need to be cleared up about feminism, but there are so many, it’s such a difficult topic to cover in such a small format. If you’d like to learn a WHOLE lot more, check out some really cool books like The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and The Women’s Room by Marilyn French. Along with these works, there are many more books that you could read to expand your knowledge on feminism.
