Let's get a few things straight, shall we?
- I'm a woman.
- I'm a feminist.
- I do not hate men!
Is that clear? If it's not, please read on.
(And if it is clear, feel free to read on simply to enjoy the article. Yelling out "Amen, Sister!" is also acceptable for those of you on the crystal clear side.)
You see many people are confused and believe that if number 2 is true for you, then number 3 must also be true. I'm here to tell you that is a lie - pure and simple.
Being a feminist is not about hating men. If that were the case, then we might as well call ourselves man-haters.
Being a feminist means that you are proud of being female. A feminist believes that she deserves the same political rights and social status as her male peers. Being a feminist is about promoting women's rights and freedom so that they are equal to men. It is not about pushing men down so they are below women.
Men and women are different, and there is nothing wrong with that. We need to embrace those differences and enjoy them. At the same time, we need to treat each other with the respect that every single human being deserves. No matter what our differences are, we all should receive the same respect from our fellow human beings.
There are many women who are man-haters. Some of those women consider themselves feminists also. However they do not speak for the general population of feminists. They speak for a small group of extremists who sometimes get mistaken for the general population. Unfortunately when you have a minority in a group (that tends to be more vocal than the majority) the general opinion of the group can become blurred to those looking in from the outside. That is what has happened with feminism and is what has helped turn it into an ugly word.
The feminist movement has been tainted by extremists who feel that men need to be pushed down so that they are lower than women. These extremists do not represent what the feminists have been fighting for. At the same time, they take away from the power of the feminist movement because they frighten those people who might very well consider themselves to be feminists. Again, feminism is not about intimidation or about pushing anyone down. It is about bringing us all up to a level of acceptance for all human beings, regardless of gender.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Nancy Coulter's Women's Issues topic, please visit the Discussions page.