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What is Feminism?
I myself have never been able to find out
precisely what feminism is;
I only know that people call me a feminist whenever
I express sentiments that
differentiate me from a doormat.
- Rebecca West -
(quote attained with much thanks to the FeMiNisT FaTaLeS Website)
Allow me to briefly address the issue of a term that, because of its many possible contradicting meanings and implications, must always be defined before it can be intelligently discussed. Let me remind the world of what "feminism" really means, of what it originally meant, of what it means when finally stripped of the horribly unfair stereotypes that it has come to be associated with, and, perhaps more importantly for our purposes, what it means when you see it written here at this site:
FEMINISM noun
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
-- feminist noun or adjective
-- feministic adjective
You might note with suprise that, according to the definition found in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in it's unedited version above, a "feminist" is not a "feminazi," or a lesbian, or a fat, ugly, or sexually-represed woman, or a bimbo, nor is a "feminist" a man-hater. You might even notice that the definition says that "feminism" is the theory of equality of the sexes. As part of what many have theorized to be an unconscious anti-feminist movement, the word "feminism" now seems to have developed an extremely negative and even more unfair and untrue connotation in our society. To paraphrase: "Feminist" seems to have become a bad word. Women all over the country will tell you that they belive in women's rights, "But," they will say with a grimace, "I am far from being a feminist." Why is this? Because they don't want anyone to use such hateful terms as "man-hating dyke" when referring to them. Because they don't want you to think they are a "feminazi." Because they, like many in American society today, instantly associate such terribly ignorant and untrue concepts with the term "feminist." Let these be the first of many misconceptions and sterotypes that we strip from those readers who may once have carried them.
~ Mira ~
