Feminism can be a scary word for some people.
There are a lot of myths about what it means to be a feminist – that feminists hate men, eschew “girly” things like dresses and heels, look down on stay-at-home moms, and want to take all the world’s power out of men’s hands.
And none of them are true – at least not universally.
Sure, there are outliers that fit the stereotype of every group. Some people who call themselves feminists certainly hate men. And yes, some feminists do not want to wear four-inch heels that make their toes bleed. But man-hating, power-hungry, totalitarian nastiness is not what feminism is about.
Personally, I like Sam Killerman’s definition: “to create a society in which individuals’ genders don’t restrict them from an equitable shot at success and happiness.”
What people often get confused with feminism is misandry, which means the hatred of men. Like I mentioned earlier, there are some misandrists who also identify as feminists. But they are the minority.
I know that. You probably know that. But how do we explain that to non-feminists without coming off as defensive or insulting?
To be honest, it’s not easy. But we have to try.
Real change will not come unless we engage the opponents of our ideals in meaningful, centered, and realistic discussion.
So how do we do that when it seems like the very people we are trying to reach have been completely brainwashed by the patriarchy and society?
Maybe, before we can answer that question, we need to look at our audience.
