“So you must hate men then?” These were the exact words a freshman boy asked when I told him I was a feminist. Is this really what modern day feminism has become equated to? Man-hater?

 Of course I don’t hate men. I mean, sure, sometimes they do make me want to rip every single strand of hair straight out of my head, but I’ve never hated men. To many, however, this notion of feminism is directly associated with the belief that all men are cruel, women-degrading pigs- something that is far from the truth. 

Feminism. My second favorite F word. Being a feminist, however, is sometimes looked down upon just as much as dropping the f-bomb is. A feminist is someone who believes in the empowerment of women, and stands for the belief of social, economic and political equality of the sexes. Why would I not stand behind that? 

 Nonetheless, there seems to be a heavy negative connotation surrounding the word feminism. Words like “snowflake,” radical extremist or bra-burner are often associated with the feminism movement. Feminists are often lessened to “a bunch of angry women ” and are treated as annoying little brats who have nothing better to do with their time than complain about the social patriarchy. While none of these stereotypes hold true for the majority of feminists, fighting for women’s rights still earn women a bunch of disdain. 

The truth is, Feminism isn’t about bringing men down. It’s not the belief that women are superior to men. It’s not the belief that everyone should be the same, because that’s absurd. The current feminist movement is not a protest against unjust laws or sexist institutions as much as it is the protest against people’s unconscious biases as well as centuries-worth of cultural norms and heritage that disadvantage women. Feminism is not a dirty word. 

So, to that freshman boy I say: I call myself a feminist and so should you.