Women Against What?

There has been a somewhat popular movement among women that I find incredibly disturbing: the group is calling themselves “Women Against Feminism”.

Yes, you have heard me right. Apparently, they have been around for a while but they are gaining popularity on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

I try my best not to target specific women because as a woman myself, it seems like that would be perpetuating the problem. I would be shaming women…which I inherently disagree with.

However—these women have chosen to show their faces and their opinions in a public forum, so I feel like it is fair game. And frankly, I also feel like they should be ashamed.

Here’s why.

These women (girls, mostly) have somehow stumbled upon a concept that they think is actually empowering to the female gender. They post pictures of themselves, along with their reasons for why they “don’t need feminism”.

Holy Lady Gaga…where do I begin?

Let’s start off with a good ol’ fashioned simile: feminism is like a car– it needs to be maintained. Just because it has driven great distances, that does not mean that it won’t break down. It must be preserved; the oil changed and upgrades made. This car may have, at times, been driven by lunatics, or maybe a drug dealer or two. But the specific driver should not reflect on the car as a whole or any future driver. And saying you don’t need the car anymore, just because you’re happy where you are, doesn’t mean you won’t need it in the future.

I read an argument that said feminism does not have a place in modern society. But that is utter bullshit! Women are still being paid less than men, in every occupation. This gap grows if you are a woman of color, past a certain age or live in certain cities. According to the White House, women earn 77% of their male counterparts (for more facts you can click here).

Furthermore, there are still great gaps that exist for women in the military. Only in 2013, did the Pentagon alter its policy prohibiting women from serving in combat roles. This issue was pushed by feminists. There is also the topic of sexual assault in the Armed Forces, which is another hot-button issue for feminists today. In 2012, the Pentagon said,  “…of the 5,061 reported cases, 484 went to trial, and 376 resulted in convictions. ” Let me translate– less than 10% of these cases went to trial. Nine out of every ten women had nothing come of their allegations. NINE OUT OF TEN.

Moving on.

Feminists have a bad rap; these women are tagged as man-hating bitches, who burn bras in public areas and who are liberal lesbians sporting a bull cut. This idea was historically maintained by conservative men in the media–which was bad enough. But to have women spreading this idea is not only absurd, it is offensive to vaginas everywhere.

It is important to note that there feminists out there that do hate men. But there are feminists out there that also don’t like Fig Newtons or The Walking Dead. This does not mean that all feminists hate soft cookies and zombie TV shows. Go back to our car analogy– just because some drunk lady who hates the male gender has taken the wheel of our feminist car, does not mean that she is representing all drivers everywhere.

Here is a post from “Women Against Feminism”:

“I don’t need feminism because I like wearing pink, im not a lesbian witch that hates men! And I actually care about dressing modestly!!”

This hurts me on so many levels. It hurts me in my brain. It hurts me in my heart. And it hurts me in my vagina.

#1: You are implying that feminists cannot wear pink? Go read a fashion magazine. See all those beautiful women who dazzle your socks off? Many of them are feminists; Beyonce, Emma Watson and Olivia Wilde, to name a few. And guess what? They all wear pink. Wearing a color has never been a determination of what makes you a feminist. Or a lesbian. Or a lawyer.

#2: Feminists are “lesbian witches”. I don’t find that term offensive, as I think both lesbians and witches are the bee’s knees . But I’m going to guess that you were not using that as a way to pay homage to the gay and Wicken communities. Both of those words are being used derogatorily, aimed at demeaning other women.

#3: Feminists must hate men. Since when did striving for EQUALITY become something that diminishes the opposite sex? How do equal wages for women hurt men? And why does a strong woman, asking for the same treatment as her male counterpart, make her less womanly? And a bitch?

#4: Dressing modestly. Apparently, if you’re a feminist you dress like a whore. Oprah is a feminist. So are Barbara Walters and Hilary Clinton. If anything, those ladies could remove a couple of layers of clothing. For Labia’s sake—Hilary only wears conservative pantsuits! Oprah has not worn a bathing suit since 1974 and Barbara Walters practically invented the turtleneck.

#5: It is clear to me by the statements on the note-card, that the young woman hiding behind it has some reading to do. But I also think it would pertinent to use proper grammar, especially when you are posting a handwritten note to the world and you want people to take you seriously. The words were not typed,  so it was not on accident that “im” appears in the sentence. Go back and finish the 8^th grade, read some history books, and come back and talk to me when you are a grown-up.

Another argument that I have seen over and over in these posts, is the idea that feminism makes women victims. One reads, “I’ll be damned if I’m told one more time that I’m a victim of society. I’m not!”

I’m sorry, what? In what world does a movement that is striving for equality make YOU a victim? The only person that can make you a victim is yourself. Step up, take some responsibility, and stop repeating that tired, old, mantra. You are not doing the female gender any favors by pretending to comprehend a deep and complex subject, and then getting up on your high horse with a handwritten sign that belittles an entire social movement that has allowed you the freedom to post your opinion in the first place.

It is bad enough when men are out there shaming women for wanting a world where simply having a vagina does not make you less. But it is so absurd that women are out there, publicly adding fuel to the proverbial fire, with ignorant, uninformed messages that propagate female shaming. And this is not me being a man-hater. From what I’ve seen in the media lately, there are more men FOR feminism then against it.

And let’s take a moment to be clear here: a real man doesn’t feel smaller by a smart woman. And a real woman doesn’t buy into this bullshit that demanding equality is equated with whores, lesbians, witches and also apparently– not wearing the color pink.

Actress Emma Watson gave a moving speech to the United Nations on the subject. She said,

“Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society, despite my need for his presence as a child, as much as my mother’s. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it would make them less of a man. In fact, in the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20 to 49, eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either.

We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes, but I can see that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.”

Ladies, I love you, but please educate yourselves. Don’t be an asshole with a Sharpie, touting about your unsubstantiated opinions on what you think feminism is on the internet. Go to school. Read. Research.

Start with watching Emma Watson’s whole speech here.

And, after you have been exposed to some real world shit, come back and talk to me like an adult…using proper grammar, of course.