Given that we are near 2017, and there is now the possibility of a woman becoming president, it seems like the appropriate time to give you some truth about feminists.

We don’t hate men.
Like any organization and movement, there are extremists that give many a negative view of what we are striving for. Feminism is not the idea of women being superior to men or working out an evil plan for men to become extinct, it is striving to be equal. We don’t think all men are stupid or treat us horribly. Just like we understand that not all women want to be a stay-at-home mom, we get that not all men think women are inferior to them.

Anyone can be a feminist. A man can be a feminist. It won’t make you a wimp or seem as though you are giving up your power to women. It shows that you are interested in the idea of working in a place where women are paid the same as you, and you don’t want to constantly witness sexual harassment and inequality in the office space. To be treated equally can apply to stereotypes from both sides. You don’t have to play a sport to be a man, and you don’t have to hold back tears and emotion to be seen as a man.

We believe that anyone can be assaulted. We need equality because if we allow ourselves to become objects without a voice, the assaults will continue to happen. We want to be heard and helped when we need it most, not be asked what it was that we had done to provoke this attack. 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in their life. That is 1,871 assaults per day, 78 per hour, and 1.3 per minute. And only 16% or rapes are reported to the police. This goes for anyone of any gender identity. 1 in 33 males has been victims of attempted or completed rape. But since most assaults have not been reported to the police, we will never know the actual number.

Feminism can help people understand that men can be victims of assault as well because when women and men aren’t seen as equal, men are seen as superior, giving people the mindset that they cannot be assaulted by another person. We want to be treated equally in all aspects, including getting similar help when it comes to sexual assault.

Another form of feminism: womanism. The American Heritage Dictionary describes womanism as,”Having or expressing a belief in or respect for women and their talents and abilities beyond the boundaries of race and class; exhibiting feminism that is inclusive especially of Black American Culture”. This form of feminism is equally important because we tend to forget that racism oppresses us as well as sexism. We don’t see enough woman of color taking the lead in movies and television shows, on the cover of magazines, or being portrayed as a non-stereotypical character (many women of color are assumed by a white writer to be angry and sassy or any stereotypical version of the ethnicity they are but are not defined by). Simply googling “the oppression of black women” will reveal many counts of black women being treated poorly simply because the color of their skin made them “less attractive.”

When practicing feminism you can’t just apply it to one type of woman. Especially since every woman is unique and can view feminism several different ways.

If you were born a male but became the person you have a right to be (a female), you’re a woman and have a right to be protected by the strength of feminism. If you are a woman of any ethnicity/culture/race/sexual orientation, you have a right to be protected by the strength of feminism.
If you are a man, you can pass on the voice of feminism to those who are still unable to understand it from a female point of view.

What is the harm in wanting to be paid the same? Or take sexual assaults seriously? Or to not be bullied, mistreated, and oppressed because of our bodies or “girly behaviors”? Women should not have to prove ourselves in order to be treated equally. We should not have to argue our points because there may be some who believe what we do or say as a woman won’t impact the situation. It is honestly just easier to respect and treat everyone equally rather than argue about it, especially with someone like me, a modern day feminist.