This blog post originally appeared in Activism Is Hard. 

Feminism:

1. the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.

Note that I did not say that feminism is the advocacy that women are better than men. That is NOT what feminism means, so all you women out there saying you’re not a feminist–you’re clueless. Call yourself an equalist? Guess what? That’s the same as being a feminist.

…seriously? 

Just like Christianity has some pretty radical members, feminism does too. Not all Christians share the same values as the Westboro Baptist Church, so it’s unfair to say that all feminists hate men. REAL feminists, feminists who believe in total equality, do not think women are superior to men. Feminism is not about entitlement or supremacy. The word you’re looking for is matriarchy.

In a country where a woman makes .77 cents (.61 cents for a black woman) for every dollar a man makes, it is evident that men and women are not equal (I could go on and on about the inequalities women face daily). Feminism will always be important because even with laws in place to protect women, men still rape and get away with it. (and for all you protesting right now, I know that women rape too, but that is not my topic right now). Feminism is important because men find it insulting to be called feminine, girly, etc. Feminism is important because being female is considered a detriment to someone’s ability to do something (i.e. women can’t play sports, women can’t be doctors, women can’t be police officers, fire fighters, soldiers, etc).

Patriarchy oppresses men too. Society teaches men from an early age that they have to be “manly”, that they can’t show emotions, that they can’t take jobs that are “feminine” (nurse, flight attendant, etc), and they’re pressured to be the sole breadwinners.

Feminism has also helped eliminate inequalities men face (from Huffington Post):

1. Freedom from the tyranny of stereotypes.
2. Greater academic success.
3. Better long-term economic environment.
4. No sole breadwinner workhorse expectations.
5. Broader range of work and life options.
6. Less insistence of violence.
7. More time with fathers.
8. More time AS fathers.
9. Less chance of becoming a father through unplanned pregnancies.
10. Feminist men and women have better sex.

When women stand up for gender issues, they’re often ignored or dismissed. The feminist movement gets a lot of hate, and (female) feminists are called all sorts of names. For one reason or another, male feminists face much less of these attacks, and their voices are still incredibly powerful. Let’s be clear: It does not emasculate you to stand up for the rights of others.

Just a quick, personal story before I wrap up. The other day in a facebook group, I politely asked the male members of said group to stop sending me unsolicited friend requests and messages (as I am married and have no interest). I was called crazy, ungrateful, a bitch, and psycho. Do I need to say more?

Last thing-watch this video. It’s by Ted Talks on YouTube. The speaker, Jackson Katz, is phenomenal. He is probably one of the best male feminist speakers I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.