Feminism Today

Feminism.

The other "F" word.

It used to anger me that it has become a dirty word in our current society. However, now I can understand why, I understand why there are people who refuse to call themselves feminists even though they believe in everything feminism used to stand for.

It used to stand for women fighting for the right to be EQUAL to men. There was no man hating or "bra burning"- although the "bra burning" is an extreme exaggeration. It was a way for women to demand to have equality. As time went on it added in equality for all, meaning people of colour, LGBTQ, and women.

Somewhere, somehow, we lost the meaning.

Women fought tooth and nail to gain the rights we take advantage of today. Women fought to be able to vote and now you have to fight to get people to vote. Women fought for equal pay and although there is still a glass ceiling, many women take advantage of the fact that it is no longer blatantly out there that men and women make different salaries.

Today, feminism has become about hating each other instead of love and respect. It is now about being better than the women around us instead of accepting who we are and building each other up.

Women now feel as though if they identity as feminists, men will judge them and assume they are angry...lesbians? I'm still struggling to understand where this idea came from...and I'm a Gender Studies major...

One of the biggest issues people face when looking at modern feminism is that a lot of women now treat it as a reason to act certain ways, or pick and choose what they want to be equal in. For example: women will want equal pay, but do not think they should be required to go to war the way men are.

This is not equality.

Another argument that is given if the equality over equity debate. This is where feminists believe that everyone should not be given the same things but instead everyone given what they need in order to succeed. The typical example that is given for equality versus equity is that three people are standing near a fence. Two are too short to see over it so they are all given a box to stand on. Each box is the same size. Person #1 did not need the box at all, as they could already see over the fence. Person #2 can now see perfectly over the fence and person #3 still cannot as they need a biggest box in order to see. This would be equality, because each person was given the same box. Equity would be that each person either did not get a box at all, or got the size box required for them to see over the fence. This example seems like it works well...in this scenario. However, in real life this means giving people free education, raising tax dollars for others, and giving people things they did not work for to deserve.

Modern feminists believe equity it the way to go, I am telling you it is not because it is not equality at all and it is not fair for some people to work hard for the things they have where others are handed things.

The idea of equality has gotten twisted today. Everyone now believes they deserve hand outs and are better than everyone else. With social media everyone is all up in everyone else's lives and judging everything they do. Making more issues where issues do not need to lie. We all judge one another instead of allowing each person to live how they wish without others getting involved which is constantly creating more riffs within our community.

People need to keep believing in REAL equality and remember the roots of feminism.

Today those who fought for the things we have now as women and LGBTQ would be rolling in their graves if they heard...