The F-Word

Sometimes, people ask me why I am a feminist. It's usually not as straightforward a question as that, but they're asking it. They'll ask me things like, "Isn't that over?" and "Doesn't the world have bigger problems?" They aren't questions I hear often, because most people who don't understand my choice don't bother to ask about it at all, they just roll their eyes or cock their heads and change the subject.

Not that everyone is like that. Don't read me wrong. I know lots of people who identify with feminism, totally get it, and think it's great. I know even more people who get behind feminism's ideals, but don't want to be called "the f-word." Feminism has gotten a bad rap, and I think that's what confuses the people who ask me about it.

But it's not confusing. I proudly identify as a feminist because it gives me a way to approach bettering the world that I can wrap my mind around. Simple as that. We live in a pretty amazing world, but it has its fair share of problems that need to be tackled, and no one can handle tackling all of them.

Feminism deals with problems I understand and can think of ways to change. I don't know what can be done about the damage we've dealt our ozone, nor do I know what it would take to help cure diseases, nor what steps we need to take to bring infrastructure to undeveloped countries that need clean water. To help with these issues, I donate my money to charities full of people who do know what needs to be done.

But I know what it takes to start changing the way we view gender. I know how to talk to others and show them where sexism still lives in our culture. Feminism also serves as the foundation for how I view equality. It's a movement that teaches us to view people as complex beings and see through things like sex, gender, race, social status, and all those other things we tend to use to bring each other down.

Feminism challenges me to keep a vigilant eye on myself to make sure I see past my own assumptions about people and overcome my own shortcomings to be a better, more accepting person. I can only hope that everyone finds a movement they identify with that helps them do the same.