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On Taking on the Label "Feminist"

it's not about definitions, but about respect

Forum: Reddit (/r/AskFeminists)
Date: 07/05/2012

FF15:

Hi! I've been thinking a lot about gender issues recently, but I'm not sure what group to associate with, if any. At first I thought the MRM [men's rights movement] would be the best one, but right now it just seems too muddled - there is no clear agreement on how to handle most of the issues, and there's also a pretty uniform dislike of feminism that leads to people disagreeing with feminist perspectives not because they are wrong or unreasonable, but just because they are labeled feminist. I often find myself defending feminism when talking about it with people who are not very informed about it, because they seem to reject it for stupid reasons. Here's a summary of my views: [...] Am I a feminist, a better fit elsewhere, or perhaps destined to travel the world as a lone wolf, talking only very minimally and riding off into every sunset on my motorcycle while some young bachelorette clears the smoke from around her face and wonders if I will ever change my badass ways. The answer is no, I will not.

There are plenty of men and women who support feminist ideas who don't call themselves feminist. I think what makes one feminist is not just an agreement with feminist politics or analysis, but whether or not you have enough respect for the forebears of feminist struggles to view yourself intrinsically connected to feminist movements and take on that label for yourself.


Forum: Reddit (/r/Feminism)
Date: 08/06/2012

lovablestranger:

I see no reason to be a feminist anymore, most of the feminist goals have been reached, or nearley completed. I still belive there is gender inequality, but it is not as one sided any more. So i guess the question is, Why are you till a feminist, and not a Egalitarianist, and if you say you are both, why not also say you are a Masculist.

My question is rather: if you value gender equality, why not call yourself a feminist, simply out of respect for the people and the movement who have fought for it against all odds?