Whenever I openly express a feminist opinion, or declare that I am, in fact a feminist, in a roomful of people, more often than not, I am met with a response which follows a certain template. First, there is that eyebrow twitch of surprise, something along the lines of being taken aback, like they are trying to say, “You? I never pegged you as one of them!” Then there is a stutter. Like they want to respond in a way that they would tell a Flat-Earther that the Earth is round, and the moon landing was a real event that happened. And finally, there is the actual response, often beginning with an “um, I’m not a feminist, but…”
So here is my response to your, “I’m not a feminist, but…”
Why aren’t you a feminist? Why is feminism such a taboo opinion to hold, according to you? What are you against really? Are you against women’s right to vote? Because women’s right to vote would not have existed if not for feminism. Are you against having women study in these classrooms? Because that would eliminate almost half of the best doctors, engineers, scientists, artists and you wouldn’t want to deprive the world of that, would you? Or are you just against women expressing their opinions? Because that is censorship, and in the grossest way possible.
What bothers me more is that there are women out there who claim to not be feminists, and I don’t understand why! You are who you are because women back in the day put their feet down and demanded what was theirs! Don’t let their legacy go to waste. They left you a world where you are at par with all the men in your life. Well, almost at par, there is still the issue of unequal income and whatnot. Cherish it. Had it not been for feminist movements, we would not have had a world where we have similar issues as the other sexes. Now, it is our duty to further feminism as a lifestyle. We are who we are because someone stood up to the system. All we need to do is keep standing. It’s not as hard.
And honestly, being a feminist is a win-win-win situation for all parties involved. Feminism is not about pulling people down, but lifting people up with you. A true feminist knows that all people can be victims of assault or violence and would never disregard you based on your gender, whatever it may be. So if you are hiding behind the shadows of “equalism” because you don’t want to be ridiculed for being a feminist, I urge you to educate those around you. Feminism isn’t about the superiority of one gender over another, it is about providing a ladder to those who are deep in a pit so that we can all stand on even ground, together. The next time someone looks at you with some scrutiny and asks, “So, what, are you a feminist?” Proudly proclaim, “Yes, I am a feminist, and here’s why…”
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