Question Are you a feminist?

[Professor Walsh]

Apart from a brief spell in my early twenties when I decided that I didn't like labels, I think I've always been a feminist. A focus on equality is among the values that I have inherited from my elders, and as long as the situation for women is what it is today (if you look at the world as a whole), being a feminist feels logical to me.

How about you? Are you a feminist? Why - or why not? I love reading other people's thoughts on matters dear to my heart. I always learn something valuable.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

I can't say I ever saw myself as one. But I belive that all people are equal. Man and women, people of all ages and races. Sure I'm upset when I hear something chauvinistic and I hate people who thinks that they are better then someone else in any view of life - sex, money etc. Before it was considered that only male population is worthy and can do something for this world, females were something irrelevant. In this modern world there are some women who thinks that way of man. I find both theories wrong. We, who are on this planet, we all belong to be here. And we are here for some reason, we are going to change something. Together.

 

[TheGrandmaster]

I agree that any woman has just as much worth and has the same rights as any man. However what does irritate is the slightly more extreme feminist view that women are physically as able to do things that men do. It really annoys me when some feminists claim that the average women can lift as much or run as fast as the average man, when science clearly proves this is untrue. In social situations though, people will often label you as mysoginistic bastard if you state that men are physically superior to women, depsite the fact that every scientific study proves it.

 

[Sweetescape]

I've never really thought whether I was or not. I don't think I am but then again I do support equal rights/pay and stuff for women and men. Extreme Feminists I really don't get, I think they devalue what the more sensible feminists are trying to do.

 

[sosa lola]

I am. But I'm not one of those extreme feminists, who sadly send a bad image of feminists as a whole. I agree with theiniative that men and women are different. They're not the same physically, no one can deny that. And it makes me confused why some women can't accept that. We give birth, women! That's as great if even greater than lifting weights and playing rough sports.

 

[JCC]

Yes. Feminism is one of the first things that I ever took an interest in, with Joss Whedon as a direct influence for that as an influential male feminist.

 

[Bluebird]

I don't think I'd call myself a feminist, since I've never really thought about it that much. But I do think all people should be treated equally, not just by sex. I agree with people on extreme feminists, and I think they cause more harm than good.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I'm not a complete feminist. I mean I shave my legs and I don't protest anytime men do something "sexist". But I definitely believe women can do anything they set their mind to do, and I intend to raise my daughters to be strong, independent women who don't need a man to make them happy. 🙂

 

[Professor Walsh]

Most ideas have some followers that are far less palatable than the rest. Feminism is no different - there are some seriously odd feminists about. That said, I also feel indebted to the 70's women who fought for rights that I have the luxury to take for granted. Their views and methods may seem outdated today, but that's because they did a bloody good job.

 

[ubi4soft]

I think I'm more into human rights and against any kind of discrimination based on race, sex, nationality, sexual or religious orientation, you know, the whole thing of people are born free and equal in dignity/rights and the law should be the same for all.

 

[thevikingsgirl]

I think I'm more into human rights and against any kind of discrimination based on race, sex, nationality, sexual or religious orientation, you know, the whole thing of people are born free and equal in dignity/rights and the law should be the same for all.

I agree, though I definitely am a feminist, because there is still a need for feminism. When there is no longer a need, that will be lovely. But I do agree that the important thing is human rights, regardless of all those things you said 🙂

 

[Kean]

I'm not. Any feminist that I have personally been in contact with has basically put forward the belief that being a strong female is NOT about achieving equality with men but instead in proving that women are better than men. I actually get really angry about this. I feel like this is a horrible representation of women and an even worse interpretation of what a strong woman is supposed to be.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

At a point, I felt that I must have been a feminist - then I just realized I'd rather be associated as a humanist. I feel labels can often be very detrimental. I believe everyone - men, women, and children - deserve respect and equality. I agree that it does seem logical for all women to be feminists, though.

Even though I don't actually identify as a feminist, I do feel very passionately about many issues feminists are concerned with, such as keeping abortion legal and protecting other rights for women, fighting domestic violence and rape, and empowering women to take control of their lives and increase their self-esteem.

I do go to a very small liberal-arts school where there are many feminists, though. I'm very familiar with the issues at hand with women in the world, and yes, it's very bleak.

I was in a production of The Vagina Monologues last year. We raised quite a bit of money for anti-domestic violence organizations in the area.
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---------- Post added at 11:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------

I'm not. Any feminist that I have personally been in contact with has basically put forward the belief that being a strong female is NOT about achieving equality with men but instead in proving that women are better than men. I actually get really angry about this. I feel like this is a horrible representation of women and an even worse interpretation of what a strong woman is supposed to be.

I see where you're coming from, Kean. Feminism should be about equal rights for women, but yes some do interpret it as that women are better then men. This to me seems like reverse-feminism in a way. Women are certainly not better then men in anyway, as men are not better then women in any way. By saying that women are better, they are doing the exact some thing men have done to women; claiming superiority.

 

[Kean]

At a point, I felt that I must have been a feminist - then I just realized I'd rather be associated as a humanist. I feel labels can often be very detrimental. I believe everyone - men, women, and children - deserve respect and equality. I agree that it does seem logical for all women to be feminists, though.

Even though I don't actually identify as a feminist, I do feel very passionately about many issues feminists are concerned with, such as keeping abortion legal and protecting other rights for women, fighting domestic violence and rape, and empowering women to take control of their lives and increase their self-esteem.

I do go to a very small liberal-arts school where there are many feminists, though. I'm very familiar with the issues at hand with women in the world, and yes, it's very bleak.

I was in a production of The Vagina Monologues last year. We raised quite a bit of money for anti-domestic violence organizations in the area.
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---------- Post added at 11:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------



I see where you're coming from, Kean. Feminism should be about equal rights for women, but yes some do interpret it as that women are better then men. This to me seems like reverse-feminism in a way. Women are certainly not better then men in anyway, as men are not better then women in any way. By saying that women are better, they are doing the exact some thing men have done to women; claiming superiority.

What I will say is that it is very easy for me as a 22 year old female in 2010 to say I am not a feminist. If we went back 30 year my response more than likely would have been very different.

Ultimately what I believe in is equality and not whatever "ism" building itself up to knock someone else down.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

I'm a feminist. Women are entitled to equal rights, equal pay, and equal respect... as are all humans, apart from those who make a choice to prey on others as criminals or terrorists.

I know that the word "feminist" has been co-opted to some extent by extremists (just as the words "Christian" and "patriot" have). And anti-feminists like Rush Limbaugh like to blow that out of proportion for their own ends... but I don't allow nutters on either end of the spectrum to re-define words for me.

(And if I don't help represent for the sisters, great-grandma will rise from the grave and haunt me.)

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Totally agree with most of this. Except the abortion bit. After seeing some vids on youtube, that shits sinister.

Why would you even choose to view videos like that in your free time? How morbid. Despite the "sinister" nature of abortion as you so eloquently referred to it as, I will always believe that women should have the right to do with their bodies as they choose, even the choice is to terminate their pregnancy. Obviously, it's not a choice any women wants to make, but in some cases, it is the best choice, imo. Like in the instance of rape.

 

[Revolver]

Clearly, men are better than women in just about every respect. I don't see how anyone could watch a few episodes of Buffy and come to any other conclusion. I mean, Buffy's always hitting things. It's like, try using your brains girl! And Willow and Tara? Don't they realize they're never going to have a baby that way? And Fred? Clearly going by that name is a sign that she wants to be a man. Who can blame her? We men have such big muscles, other genders (how many are there exactly?) are bound to be a little envious. The world would be a better place if women went back to simply cooking meals for guys. I mean, they could probably still have some time left over for pillow fights and a little gossiping about the tramp next door (but the meals come first, obviously).







Also: this post was a joke. Everyone deserves to be treated with equality. It should be a given, but as we're not to the point yet that it is, it's good that there are people out there willing to fight for it. Those people have my respect, as long as they are not the kind referred to earlier in the thread who are not after equality but out to "prove" their own superiority.

 

[JCC]

Female superiority in the feminist movement is a scare-mongering myth sold to males by social conservatives. Ideological misandry is incredibly rare, even amongst the most hardline of feminists.

 

[InsaneMystic]

Complicated question. (But then I guess it's hard getting a straight and easy answer from me on any subject... *sigh*)

It's no secret that I have a pretty big inferiority complex regarding my biological gender, so I tend to fall into the radical feminist spectrum in many cases. While I may intellectually agree to equality between genders, on an emotional level I just can't help my guts telling me "but women are better in almost every regard!". Male/female is the one dichotomy that I just can't overlook, much as I sometimes want to (as this contrast has caused me a lot of stress over the years) - and seeing that one is what I'd want to be, and the other is what I'm stuck with, no wonder one is "good" and the other "bad" in my mind. I guess I'm just a messed up person. *shrugs*

On the other hand, I've grown very angry reading feminist literature when it comes to matters of sexual and domestic violence. That's the one topic where anyone trying to give me the simplistic "woman good, man bad" will face stubborn opposition from my side - seeing as the person from which I suffered physical, emotional, and sexual violence in my childhood and youth was indubitably female. While it's true that both anatomy and psychology give men a big statistical majority in the crime statistic, anyone who argues that (sexual) violence is "a purely male problem" (which many feminists have done and still do) obviously has no clue about the topic at hand, period. Women are quite as capable of violence, right up to and including rape and murder, as men are - they're just on the average better in controlling themselves.

 

[Crazy Flakes]

Okay, all of you who are saying "I'm not a feminist, but I believe in equal rights?" You're contradicting yourself. The definition of a feminist is, and I quote, "the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men," so if you claim to believe in equal rights for the sexes, then as much as you may want to deny it, that makes you a feminist by default. It just makes me angry that so many people are hesitant to refer to themselves as feminists because they're so commonly portrayed as radical advocators of female superiority in the media...it's kind of like how a lot of people seem to think that Christians are all hate mongers who want to kill all of the gays just because they're the most vocal ones (and that's coming from an agnostic who was raised Jewish).

With that said, yes, I am absolutely a feminist (although "humanist" seems more accurate because I advocate equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.), and that doesn't mean I can't shave my legs or show off my boobs or drool over attractive men. It means that I'd like to retain my rights and don't want to be treated as a second-class citizen just because my parts don't stick out.