Friendly Feminist

Until recently, I did not know that I was a feminist.  Perhaps, because the perceived perception of such a woman is one who is constantly bitter, standing in the streets burning her bra, screaming, “I hate men!”

 

But, I have come to realize what feminism really means: equality.  What feminists want is to have the same equal rights as men.  And these rights do not just stop at the work place.  They extend to every aspect of life itself.

 

I agree wholeheartedly.  My husband is actually the one who pointed out that I might be the “f” word.  At first, I was horrified.  While I don’t hate men, I do hate the double standard that has surrounded women since the dawn of time.  So, I took it upon myself to learn more about the word and the meaning behind it.

 

Now, I proudly admit that I am indeed one of “them.”  I am not militaristic in my views.  I believe that together, we can make the necessary changes to see that women and men are treated equally.

 

As women, we need to stand up for ourselves.  Too many times, we can see the injustice that is being done, but we don’t want to “make waves.”  So, we bite our tongue and say nothing, letting the cycle continue.

 

A woman’s voice should not be silenced.  While I do not believe in drastic measures, such as bombing abortion clinics, I do believe that we need to speak louder.  We need to use the social media to our advantage.  Create petitions.  Demand change.  But in a peaceful manner.

 

I also feel that education is the key.  The problem with so many of the world’s issues is that no one has taken the time to educate themselves.  While we have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, we waste our time by playing meaningless games, such as Candy Crush.

 

In the most recent issue of Glamour Magazine, there was an article called "The New Do:  Calling Yourself a Feminist."  Some of today’s leading pop stars do not consider themselves to be feminists.  To quote Katy Perry, "I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women."  And of course, Lady Gaga adds:  "I'm not a feminist-I hail men, I love men.  I celebrate American male culture and beer and bars and muscle cars."  

Yikes!  So, Katy does not understand that the whole concept of feminism is about equality.  It has nothing to do with the "strength of women."  And Lady Gaga?  In my mind, she is basically endorsing the inequality that still exists between men and women.  What a great message to be sending to her younger, female fans.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have equal rights.  But, yet, the word "feminist" is often met with a backlash.  Not all feminists are extreme.  Just like in my "Brazen Breedism" post, we should not be judging how an entire group acts based upon the actions of one individual.

So, I will continue with the fight for the rights that women deserve.  I will publicly declare myself as a member of this movement.  Much like Martin Luther King, "I have a dream" and will not be deterred by the words that people call me.