I am a feminist.
Even though I have known I have always been one. Even though I have been fortunate enough to have such great male and female feminist role models in my life. Even though I grew up watching Lisa Simpson. Something inside me knows that holding dearly to this word means it instantly creates perceptions about me and my behaviour that are confrontational. And, I struggle to understand why I am still challenged about being a feminist.
I think this is because it comes with a lot of baggage. I think also there has been so much “feminism” recently people are tired and turning away from reading another “rant” by another “angry woman.” I am not going to stop however, I won’t stop for many reasons. One being that we still live in a culture where we see victims of assault and abuse hash tagging their experiences. A movement ongoing to halt those in power and those seeking power. We are still experiencing so much influence that is coming from these people who clearly do not even care to pretend to be feminists. #HimToo seems more accurate. Women, unsurprisingly still aren’t the problem.
Feminism is still an issue. It’s still not being practiced by influential people of power and this does have a significant effect on social attitudes. To be quite honest, I began writing this article just feeling angry and knowing that there is still so much that is not right. I think there are a lot of feminists out there, whether you like to admit it or not. I ask you, please admit it. Please don’t be afraid of it. But most importantly, please practice it. Please don’t be a by-stander to misogyny. There is still far too much of that around anyway.
In putting together this article, I actually ended up just writing a list about why I think feminism is still an issue. My conclusions were that daily, women still face misogyny. Daily, I am told that women’s issues are resolved, by men. I concluded this by, so easily and so quickly, merely recounting scenarios that have recently happened to me where I know feminism is not being practiced. And, my own feminism is challenged.
Fuck her. Why Feminism Is Still An Issue:
Because,
Because people ask me why there aren’t “men only” gyms and say it’s sexist
Because I still walk a longer route to work, even in the day
Because when my friend’s dad stopped his van to say hi to me when I was on a run he asked me why “I looked so worried”
Because people think I have extreme views for talking about periods
Because you invalidate our experience
Because you still have laws over our bodies
Because people are uncomfortable when I swear
Because people try and tell me they are equalists
Because a man told me I parked well for a girl
Because we say “this many women were assaulted” verses “this many men assaulted women”
Because when I say something like this^ you just get offended
Because you make out I don’t care about men’s mental health
Because grab em by the pussy is president
Because people still make kitchen jokes
Because these two are in the same list^
Because I am still told to lighten up for not laughing at them^
Because men still tell me I need to smile luv, still
Because some of you reading this by now will have thought I need to get over it
Because you still don’t believe her
Because I still feel angry
Because #MeToo
Because you want to tell me you’re a feminist with a point beginning with “but”
Because I bet you can’t name more than five British women in high up government jobs
Because I bet you know one and you don’t like her
Because you won’t talk to me about these issues but you call me a feminazi
Because you think the Suffragettes was enough and we should get the fuck over it
Because you “know me” as that “feminist one”
Because I am tired of writing and reading these lists
Because I am not appeased enough to stop writing and reading them
Because I am trying to listen to someone who won’t listen to me back
Because you want to speak louder than me
Because my attitude offends your entitlement
Because fuck you
Because, I know you exist
Because, I know, you didn’t even read this post.
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