#IAmAFeminist

Whoa! What a twitter backlash there’s been to that hashtag!  So many haters! But there were some who genuinely seemed interested in answers so, here you go, all opinions my own, all facts as accurate as I can make them:

• You can’t redefine feminism to suit your hate agenda. “Feminism” does not mean “hating men”  that’s  “misandry”. The  Oxford English Dictionary definition of feminism is:  The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes. The Cambridge English Dictionary is pretty much the same.  I could say an orange is an apple but that wouldn’t actually make an orange be an apple. You don’t know more than the dictionaries.
• Just because I am a white, western woman, does not mean I don’t care about other women around the world. It’s precisely because I do care that I am determined not to be shouted down by anti-feminist bullies. Making assumptions about people makes you look stupid, not clever.

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• I do not hate men. I love very many men. They’re awesome.  I’m also married to one – so no thanks, I don’t need any of you to provide me with any sexual favours.
• I have a son, he’s fantastic. He’s also not allowed to wear shorts at school because he’s a boy.  I fight for him because my fight is for gender equality.
• So..why not call it egalitarianism? Well, we could, but while women certainly have some rights protected in law in the west, there are also women in the world who: have no right to go out without a male companion; no right to be educated; no right  to own land; no right not be raped in forced marriage and on and on… There is no equivalent  oppression of men that I know of? I think we still need a word that highlights the importance of a fight for women’s rights. And, as so many  proved yesterday on twitter,  there are still men that do love to drown out women’s voices and rewrite history – even the brief history of twitter comments.  I kind of feel that ditching feminism is giving in to that bullying.
• Feel free to have an #IAmAMenist tag. There are many issues around inequality that specifically effect men – the terrible rates of suicide and how men feel they can’t express their emotions without being seen as weak.  Damn right that needs fixing.
• Inequality is not an excuse  women use to cover up their inadequacies . What kind of argument is that?  Women have to rise above sexism every day and we do. We are super adequate, thanks.
• And finally, I’d rather be a fat, ugly dyke than an idiot.

Recommended reading :

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Holly Bourne’s post I Am A Feminist 

The Samaritans Men and Suicide