For my final post of the semester (oh, what a time we’ve had together!), I wanted to dedicate my writing to explaining why exactly I consider myself a feminist. And perhaps even more importantly, why I am unapologetically a feminist.
I was lucky enough to be raised by parents who encouraged me to do anything I set my mind to – yes, this imparted a certain level of stubbornness I can’t seem to shake, but it also left a tenacity to accomplish the same things any man could. Growing up as a girl is a distinctly unique experience. There comes a certain point in childhood when you realize that no matter how hard you try, you cannot dress the same, cannot play the same, cannot speak the same as your male counterparts. I remember vividly the first time I was ever catcalled. I was seven years old.
And as I became older and became aware of the unwavering standards of the patriarchy ever-present in all aspects of popular culture, media (check out my other blog – Crazy Girls <3), and literature, I started to become angry – which is not really an emotion people deem fit for a woman.
But for me, to be a feminist means to be a feminist in the places that MATTER. Calling yourself feminist means nothing when you shrink around the men in your life, when you nervously giggle along with locker room talk, or when you tear down other women out of jealousy.
Another thing I’ve noticed and that I’ve touched on in other is the posts is the interesting inverse relationship between confidence and the male gaze. The more secure in myself I’ve become, the more I’ve found that men like me better when I was someone they could have power over. Being a feminist means understanding this observation, but owning your power regardless. I think this quote from my queen, Rihanna sums it up pretty well:
“There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.”
Feminism is also intersectional – like previously mentioned, supporting women means nothing if you pick and choose who you support. Be introspective before you call another woman a slut, a bitch, a pick me, etc. It probably stems from envy, not justifiable malice. That right there is what it means to be feminist – change your mindset and show it through your actions, not random infographics on Instagram. Unlearn your internalized misogyny and do better for future generations of girls. I personally don’t want to live in a world where I have to explain to my daughter that she should be living in fear of a man’s world (cover up, shut up, use your elbows to hit, never walk alone). These are not safety measures; they are the regulations of a patriarchal prison. Change has been on the horizon for a long time – join the nasty woman revolution now, because there truly is no time like the present.