Hello again, my fellow humans. The feminist column is back. This is your fortnightly dose of what I think feminism is, and how it can improve the world. I talk about feminism, almost exclusively through the perspective of my life. These are my opinions and not general facts of the world. But still, I hope you enjoy reading this column as much as I enjoy writing it.
Today, let’s just call this column and introduction. I took a short break from writing this column for about three months and I just need to revisit the angry woman that resides deep inside me and tell you all about her anguish. I usually cushion these articles with apologies and disclaimers stating, “not all men.” Today is not going to be one of those days. Here is why.
I am a feminist. That intimidates a lot of people around me. I have seen the way people single me out in a group when they make a sexist joke and state, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that.” Yeah, sure you didn’t. I have also seen how people walk on eggshells around me, scared that I would obliterate them if something “wrong” came out of their mouth.
But here is the thing, when something like this happens, an apology is expected of me before it is expected of the person who refused to educate themselves about the worldly dilemma called feminism. “Oh, you’re a feminist so you must hate all men!” The countless number of times that I have rolled my eyes at this argument is, honestly, insane. Please, people, feminism is the idea that all people are equal. Just because it begins with the prefix “fem” doesn’t mean it only includes women. If someone hates all men in the name of feminism, that person is misinformed and not a feminist unless they are doing something to change themselves.
So, expect no apologies from me. Having grown up as a girl who was always expected to be polite, smile and use the three magic words – sorry, please, and thank you – like they were hers to say and for others to only hear, I have exhausted the number of times I can say them. Now, if you still have trouble accepting me as a feminist, you still feel like you need to tiptoe around me because of your foolishness, ignorance, and unwillingness to learn, if you just want to make sexist jokes around me to anger me, expect no mercy. This girl, like many others who are angry at the injustices of the world, has no apologies to give.
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