So often, I see people saying: "Feminism just means supporting equal rights. Do you support equal rights? Well then you're a feminist."There are two major flaws to this approach, so let me break them down for you:
1. Feminism claims to FIGHT labels (like âwhore,â âslut,â etc.), and yet many feminists seek to label others as feminists.
It doesn't matter whether someone believes in equality or not, they're a feminist if they want to be, and they're not if they donât want to be. In this country, citizens have a right to free association, and all people, even well meaning feminists, need to respect that. Labeling others as feminists against their will while simultaneously claiming to fight labels is inconsistent. You arenât âhelping scared men overcome the misconceptions of feminism,â youâre just being hypocritical.Â
2. Feminism is not synonymous with a belief in equal rights.Â
Donât take my word for it, Google the definition. It is, however, synonymous with âthe womenâs movement,â and âwomenâs liberation,â and âwomenâs rights.â To say that feminism is simply about equal rights and doesnât take a gender perspective is false. By definition, feminism is âthe advocacy of womenâs rights on the grounds of ... equality to men.âÂ