Overtime, the word “feminist” has become a negative and controversial word. Gender inequality has been an issue for thousands of years. Feminism focuses on equal rights for women, but there are many stereotypes of feminists and also how it has a negative conatation surrounding the word. The question of, “Are you a feminist?” seems to be a tough question for people to answer. Some are hesitant to call themselves a feminist because they may worry about being painted a certain way.
There are many misconceptions about what being a feminist entails. In reality, feminism stands for equal rights between women and men as well as general gender equality. AP Psychology teacher and advisor of the Women’s Awareness on Campus (WAC) Club, Diane Bessette, shared her thoughts about how no matter who you are, you can be a feminist. “Men who call themselves feminists are often really secure men, who understand that women have historically faced a lot of discrimination and violence and they are not threatened by the idea of making sure that women have the same opportunities and sense of security that they do.”
Vice president of WAC, junior Nishta Mukundan, shared how there is a certain stereotype around people who call themselves a feminist. Mukundan said, "People probably just assume that feminists are like buzz kills and they find everything annoying.” This statement definitely shows how the word “feminist” is viewed as a negative word even though it is a word that means equality. The word “equality” is a socially acceptable word, but people “view feminists as cringe and that they are just trying too hard,” said Mukundan.
Mukundan also shared how it can be hard to identify as a feminist especially as a student. “I definitely think it’s hard to identify as a feminist and talk about actual problems from a feminist standpoint. There's a stigma around it and people don’t look upon the word with a positive mindset, especially in high school. When everyones is really concerned about what they look like socially, it’s probably hard to identify with the feminist agenda without seeming like you're a social outcast,” Mukundan explained. This statement is definitely true because no matter what someone is advocating for, it can be hard for someone to come forward and share their thoughts about an essential movement to people at school who may not even understand why it is so important in the first place.
Learning Skills Instructional Assistant Erica Bradley-Pacheco, explained how there are many negative words associated with the word feminism. “There's a stereotype that a feminist is an angry, loud, man-hating woman who rejects traditional femininity. This stereotype is a caricature and in reality, feminism includes a wide range of perspectives and approaches.” This viewpoint of a feminist dismisses the core values behind women’s rights and how there is a misconception behind the whole entire meaning.
Bradley-Pacheco also made a point about how people these days are quick to judge someone for their beliefs. “Cancel culture is real and some women prefer to advocate for gender equality without the label because they don’t want to deal with misconceptions or backlash,” said Bradley-Pacheco. Being a feminist without a label is not a bad thing and some people think that silently believing something is safer than going out and projecting their thoughts because of the potential for unpredictable public reactions.
Bradley-Pacheco, Mukundan, and Bessette all aim at showing that feminism is not a concept that means that all women despise men and is not a movement with the intent to show that all men are misogynistic. Feminism seeks to ensure that everyone has equal rights – not a male suppression. Everyone can be a feminist no matter how one identifies. And even if it means quietly advocating for the cause, action is always better than nothing at all. All students have a voice and whether or not one chooses to use it, it’s crucial to understand that labels aren’t definitions of a person. Feminism, whether one calls themselves one or not, is something all people can and should participate in.
