Mike Yellig is a 26 year old sophomore here at Penn State. I finally found a male who is an adamant fighter for equality for both genders, and I am so excited for you all to read what Mike has to say about feminism. He states his views very eloquently, and he has obviously put a lot of thought into the issues of feminism and equality. I thought it was especially helpful to get a male feminist’s perspective, because it brought the fact that there are inequalities for men back into the picture. Often, I think female feminists push for the good equalities for women, such as equal pay, or equal representation. But being a feminist means wanting equality in every situation. So a feminist should think that women should be included in the selective service, and feminists should think that everyone should hold doors open for other people, regardless of gender. I know many companies are making commercials encouraging girls to go into the STEM fields, but we should also have commercials encouraging boys to be elementary school teachers, or nurses, or other jobs that are typically occupied by women. Here’s what Mike had to say:

What is a feminist?

Any individual who believes in Feminism. Which by definition is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.

Are you a Feminist?

By the actual definition that I gave above, I would say yes, but admittedly with a few caveats.

Why are you a feminist?

I would certainly describe myself as a feminist, not directly, but by association. Truth be told, I would most aptly describe myself as a Darwinist. Whether it’s male or female, I’ve always believed in survival of the fittest, and merit by performance; if there were 50 male applicants, and 50 female applicants for a work internship, and the company was looking at nothing but the graduating GPAs in their decision process; whether they selected only 10 males or 10 females, I believe is irrelevant due to the criteria being solely on individual performance, and the effort the selected individuals put into their academic career. Now before that example gets ripped apart by critics, I will acknowledge and understand that there are an unmeasurable amount of scenarios where different groups of people have it easier or harder than others to find opportunities. My example was simple a representation of a group that was inherently all on an equal playing field. I truly do believe in gender equality, and equality all around for that matter, but realistically there are far more factors then can ever be summarized in a short little essay.

Why do you think there is so much negativity associated with feminism?

There is no possible way to fully cover the potential reasons why feminism has a pretty negative stigma. One could say that it’s due to the tactics used by influential feminist groups. You could say that it’s the media’s fault for the light that they choose to shine on feminists. It could be chalked up to the ignorance of men, not wanting to accept change and giving up the long accepted “gender roles” of society. It could be the ignorance of certain feminists to acknowledge both sides of the equation, and accept that both men and women each have their individual rights and cultural privileges apart from the other sex. Or it could just be the stereotypical concept of a few ruining it for the whole. In our media driven society these days, no matter what the topic issue is, or the organization involved, publicity is everything; one bad article or negative public display, can forever scar the reputation of the group, company, or ideal.

What can feminists do to change that?

Not to quote a cheesy one-liner, but respect is earned not given. I’m not saying that I don’t respect feminism, I’m simply expressing that with any aspect of society that is trying to change or make a difference, it takes time. I believe the negativity associated with feminism can most certainly be erased, but the only way to accomplish this is for activists and average citizens alike to continue the fight for equality. Setbacks will always plague the path of change, but they must be broken through, and the path must be continued.

Have you ever noticed a time when feminism excluded other groups?

Nope, I really haven’t. I will not make the claim that it doesn’t happen, because that would show ignorance on my part, for making a claim without putting research into it. For a long time I’ve read up on and put time into learning about feminism, and I guess I’ve just always tried to focus on the positive aspects and not the negative.

Do you think there is a perception of a “real woman” in society today? By this I mean, do you think there are certain standards that a woman has to live up to in order to be considered a woman, or womanly? If so, how would you describe this woman?

My answer to this question is a broad approach towards both sides, for I don’t believe this discussion question favors one side over the other. I DO believe that there is a social perception of a “real woman,” but I believe there is also a representation of a “real man;” the problem is, that you can’t really fairly generalize either one. If you do try and generalize, you’re forced into more stereotypes about a strong confident “man’s man” who is successful and driven; alongside the “modern day woman” who can somehow manage, balance, and excel at everything in her world from a career to a family. These perceptions might be culturally acknowledged, but overall I believe they are unrealistic and portray small representations of real human beings. After all, no one man or woman, can do everything imaginable. While sitting here in the library, I just (awkwardly at times, I might add!) walked up to 5 different men and 5 different women and asked each one for their perspective of a “real *(opposite gender),” to find that from each group, I got 4 different answers. So from asking 10 people, I received 8 different answers. This I think shows that while culture is evolving each and every day, and with it, the cultural perception of each gender; I feel like there is very little overall constant, as with free will, it’s very opinion-based and everyone has their own varying opinions.

How can feminism change the world?

This is an incredibly loaded question, but I choose to focus on the concept of “double standards.” I hope that feminism brings about almost a universal constant, where there are no double standards for anything. And to be clear, I do mean anything. Having just been discharged from the United States Marine Corps, I saw firsthand, the impact of having a gender-based dual standard as a means to job opportunities as well as promotion. This double standard in the military bodes positively and negatively for both genders, and is a constant topic for discussion amongst military members. From the battlefront to the workplace, the cultural expectations to the legal precedence, there needs to be an elimination of double standards. This of course will require understanding and compromise from BOTH genders, but I think the work of feminism, will help bring about this elimination of differentiating expectations.

What is one inequality that makes you mad as a feminist?

Predictably I’m going to point out the inappropriateness of the wage gap. Now having done my research, I will acknowledge that at a small level, it’s a two-way street. For years there has been controversy in the fashion and modeling world that men are paid far less than females. A few years ago there was a study that found that the top 10 male models in the country, combined made 1/6 of the single top female model in the country. I’m just throwing this out as an example of the flip side, in order to encourage everyone to think openly about these topics and understand that there’s ALWAYS two sides to an equation. Undeniably though, on the grand scheme of society and business in America, there is a wage gap that favors men. No matter what the industry, or the side that is favored, this act of differential pay levels is terrible in many aspects. The largest of which, in my opinion, is incentive. In a time of so much innovation, where some of the newest millionaires are females with these brilliant ideas, having a difference in pay discourages these innovators from following their dreams and making the world a better place. A female prospect whose destiny would’ve led her to change the way business is run, or how we interact through media, may never become a reality if this woman lacks the incentive to work. We need equally earned wages all around because it provides a cultural atmosphere where innovation is up for grabs to anyone, and all the same opportunities are given to each and every individual who believes that they can change the world.

If you could say one thing to people who are against feminists what would you say?

I will be taking this opportunity to say something to everyone, feminist and non-feminist alike. Over the last few weeks I have spent hours talking with a professor of mine, a pretty devout feminist herself, on the concept of feminism and equality. Everyone needs to understand how incredibly difficult it is to traverse through and understand this topic, and be aware of the never-ending list of factors involved. Nothing about this is black and white, like the revolutionary time before women’s suffrage; where men had all rights, and women had none. Thanks to the progress of individuals throughout the decades, to advance gender equality for males and females, it is now far more of a gray area; and has left it highly complicated, when pinpointing the remaining differences in equality. Everyone must understand that both sides have their valid arguments to be made, on the grounds of male privilege as well as female privilege. There is a plethora of discussion topics that can be voiced, and favor both sides, in regards to the current state of gender equality in the United stated; from culturally and socially, all the way to legally, and the problems need to be fixed from both sides. Both men and women, need to stop being so stubborn, and acknowledge their privilege while working towards an integration of rights on both sides. My last sentiment, I apologize if this offends anyone, but seriously, the cultural concept of “chivalry” needs to die already. From time to time I log onto social media to find a female asking, “Is chivalry dying?” the answer is YES, as it should be! The “gentlemanly” aspects of chivalry were designed and instituted under the belief the women were frail “porcelain dolls” that were weak and needed the protection and careful caring from men. A man should open a door for a female, NOT because it’s chivalrous but because it’s the polite and courteous thing to do. I genuinely believe that this is one of the cultural hindrances that is holding gender equality back. Men who will hit another man, but never a woman, are a sexist representation of how men still see women as the weaker sex; and women should not be crying for the death of chivalry, they should celebrate that they’ve proven to a society of men that they don’t need their “charity”, because women are strong and independent. As I said above, both sides are helping and hurting their own causes, at this point of the issue of gender equality; it’s become very complicated, and requires a profound amount of knowledge and understanding on both sides, to usher in a brighter future, FOR EVERYONE.