Rae’s Rules to Remember #23: Feminism Myths Part 3

The other day someone reposted an article on Facebook titled “I am a female and I am so over feminists” The picture that accompanied this article was women without bras.

Feminism is not all about burning your bras. If you as a woman feel empowered by not wearing one then good for you. However, not all women are obligated to feel that way. I do not feel that way, but let’s get into the actual article.

The second line is “I am all for girl power but these days it’s getting shoved down our throats. Relax feminists. We’re OK”

Yes, we are okay. We are okay because there has been progress. There has been progress because the feminists that you are “so over” have fought to make sure that you are okay. We are okay, but okay is not good enough and we will continue to fight until we are not saying that we are just “okay,” but that we are great because we finally have what we’ve been fighting and that is gender equality. Equality does not yet exist. Not just for women but also for men. So you are okay, but we as a whole are not.

Then she says “My inspiration actually came from a man (God forbid a man have an idea these days).” Uhh…..who exactly said that men having ideas was problematic? So many people fail to realize that feminism is meant to support men too. That men aren’t always treated equally and fairly. But let’s get back into the article.

Apparently someone was telling her about a class discussion centered on how women are treated in sports. If you want proof on the discrepancy between men and women in sports related areas, watch ESPN for a day and tell me how many times you see female athletes and what questions their being asked and the difference from them and male athletes. Also check out this post on how women sports reporters are treated.

Later in the article she actually says “Men and women are meant to complement one another – not to be equal or to overpower.” So which one is it? Because if we’re not equal then one has more power. If we’re not equal, then we’re not complementing each other.

And here’s the kicker! Then she says, “However, I don’t believe that being a female entitles me to put down men and claim to be the “dominant” gender.”

If you think that this is what feminism is about then you are misguided. Feminism is about gender equality. That means that women should have the same rights as men AND that men should have the same rights as women. It’s about treating people as human beings and ending double standards. She also mentions something the lines of, “It’s just men and women. Women and men…embrace it.” WRONG AGAIN! Gender is not a binary, it’s a spectrum. How about you embrace that?

Do some women use feminism the wrong way? Yes, but why are people so unwilling to educate themselves and other on what this movement is really about? If you still don’t get it, educate yourself instead of letting people who don’t know what you’re talking about convince you to believe bullshit.