I am over it: people getting embarrassed to admit they are a feminist. Often times, when asked the question “are you a feminist?”, they reply with “yes, but…” I say: you either are or you aren’t. And you probably are. The “but” is not necessary. You do not need to apologize or explain yourself for supporting social, economic and political equality for women worldwide, which is what feminism is.
My women’s studies professor used to ask a series of questions to determine if someone is a feminist:
1. Do you think that young girls in Thailand should be sold into prostitution?
2. Do you think that women and men should be paid the same wage if they are doing the same job?
3. Do you think women should be allowed to pursue any career field they are passionate about and have talent for?
4. Do you think women who were raped should be stoned by their villagers?
If you answered: no, yes, yes, no, then you are a feminist. Okay, I realize it’s not that easy. Men and women are biologically different and require different things. But come on, ladies, let’s not get our panties in a twist over the latest Ms. Cover, depicting Obama as Superman with the words “THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE” on his chest.
A feminist can look like absolutely anybody, that is the whole point of feminism, so let’s get as many people as we can “admitting” they are feminists. Let’s just celebrate how awesome it is that Obama is a self proclaimed feminist and had the strongest platform for women's rights of any major party in American history. I don’t think that Ms. was trying to say that women are sitting around waiting for a superhero like Barack Obama to swoop in to save us. They’re “tackling what must be done to move forward at this extraordinary time.” They are celebrating the fact that we finally have a leader who isn’t going to turn back Roe vs. Wade. They are proclaiming to America that – let’s face it – this IS what a feminist looks like. Does it have to be more complicated than that? What am I missing here?
