Feminism

Despite a popular theory that Feminists are man-hating, hairy lesbians, feminists are actually part of a movement to give women the same rights as men.

Feminism became popular around the time Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan Brown Anthony poured light on the movement. The movement was also popular again in the '60s and '70s, which is also known as the "second wave." Today, the "third wave" is becoming more and more popular, even though articles in the Times and various other magazines claiming feminism is 'dead,' 'has died out,' or is 'unpopular'.

The truth is that while men are making a dollar, women are making $0.63. Society expects women to be a perfect shape, and if they are not, they are ugly. If a woman is a lesbian, she is denouncing a man's "place" in the house. If a woman sleeps with a guy, she's a slut; when a guy sleeps with a girl, it is expected. Family may urge you to stay virginal, while society expects the opposite of you-- so be sexy, but stay a virgin.

Feminism is huge on reproductive rights, which are the rights to your sexual organs. For example, nearly all feminists are pro-choice when it comes to abortion, probably every feminist will encourage contraception, and proper sexual education.

I'm not sure if I've touched on each subject within feminism, if not feel free to ask questions. The main point of feminism is to do what makes you happy, don't do it if it's to please someone else.

Do you identify with feminism? Do you consider yourself a feminist? What do you think about reproductive rights? Do you feel that there is an under-representation of women in your government? Do you feel society does make women feel they must be perfect? Why?

For a beginning feminist, I strongly recommend Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti.

I do agree with a lot of feminist theories, though Im not so much with the radical feminists, with the idea that women should take more control than men. Equality is enough.

I think women should have equal rights as men without a doubt. Especially in this day and age, I find it annoying that men should still be considered superior to women on any issue. There are extremely few differences in what each sex are capable of, so why make a division?

I also think that there should be more women in government and places of power, and those who are feminists and will try to equal the sexes. Thatcher was anything but a help to women, as I believe the New Right supported nuclear families, opposed single parents etc, which initially sets women in the typical house-wife situation as there is a lack of support for women to get themselves into successful careers.

Overall though, for me, it just seems to be common sense that women should have equal rights, and I don't see why a women would disagree. A lot of girls in my sociology class seem completely unaffected by this issue, though. A few in particular still think that men are there to work and support their wives, while the women should stay at home, cook, clean, and look after the kids. Not that Im saying there's anything wrong with that, it just surprises me the amount of people who still think like that.

Maybe I am a bit of a feminist myself.

I think some feminist's taking it too far -cough- Germain Greer -cough-

In some countries, it's believed that the man is the more superior one rather than the woman. That the man is allowed to beat, slap, or maybe even murder his own wife and she has to take it. Also that the man gets to decide if the two can divorce or not.

I find it completely ridiculous that there isn't any equality towards men & women.

Why would the woman be considered the slut if she had only had sex about 2 or 3 times in her lifetime, although the man has had it more than 10 times, minimum? I don't see anyone calling HIM the man-whore. Nope, they're just making the woman the whore as if it's 'supposed' to be that way.

If there were to be a woman for president, that isn't Hillary Clinton :finger: , then I'd love it if she'd at least attempt to equalize the country, if not a little. I'd especially love it if a man would stand up for women's rights.

I don't really see what makes men or women better than the other sex. We're basically the same; women just have an extra rib with breasts and a vagina, while a guy just has a dick. Sure, the emotions are different as well as behavior, but it doesn't make us any less different if we all can still get sick with a cold or have cancer. We can all write, type, read, watch TV, everything.

...........................I don't really think myself as a Feminist. :mrgreen: hah.

neon bodystyle.:

I think some feminist's taking it too far -cough- Germain Greer -cough-

Well, women should have the right to do or gain whatever a man can, such as an equal ammount of pay if they both have the same exact education.

But if a woman were to kill men at random because of this, then that'd be taking it wayyyy too far. :cheese:

There are some femenists that are really over the top. Some say high heels are 'weapons of torture' created by men for women and we shouldn't wear them!

I think there's a point where you stop standing up for womens rights and start discriminating in a way against men. I think femenists should be supporting equal rights for both sexes because both sexes are equal, not because women are better. Because we aren't.

There are many feminists that think women are better than men and hate men. True feminism is the idea that women are equal to men. Not better. Not inferior. Equal. The truth is that if you feel that women should be equal to men, you are a feminist whether you identify with it or not.

Like I said before, the idea of feminism is to do what you want as a woman [of course, following the idea that you can't go randomly murder someone because you feel like it and various things that follow that idea as well].

May I ask what Germain Greer is?

Leonore Paisley:

There are many feminists that think women are better than men and hate men. True feminism is the idea that women are equal to men. Not better. Not inferior. Equal. The truth is that if you feel that women should be equal to men, you are a feminist whether you identify with it or not.

Like I said before, the idea of feminism is to do what you want as a woman [of course, following the idea that you can't go randomly murder someone because you feel like it and various things that follow that idea as well].

May I ask what Germain Greer is?

She was a serious and very prominent feminist. Look her up, some of the stuff she says is just freaky. At one point she said every woman should taste their own menstrual blood :shock:

Romanticide.:

There are some femenists that are really over the top. Some say high heels are 'weapons of torture' created by men for women and we shouldn't wear them!

I think there's a point where you stop standing up for womens rights and start discriminating in a way against men. I think femenists should be supporting equal rights for both sexes because both sexes are equal, not because women are better. Because we aren't.

We called the over the top ones femi-nazis.
Like, I don't think wearing a bra is a bad thing. I don't see the problem with shaving my legs if I wear a skirt. I don't see how pornography is degrading. I don't see how enjoying being submissive during sex makes you a bad feminist.

I think we should all just be equal, neither is better than the other. Equal. It should stand for not just gender but race, sexual orrientation etc.
As for high-heels being torture. Many women enjoy them, I for one like high-heels.
The feminists that are going over the top usually start to discriminate against men so as I said before, equality is what they should want.

>.< Yawn...
Personally...is all of the things society expects from females important? Even FEMALES are guilty of doing it to eachother. I don't know...I just find the concept a bit hypocritical.

That wouldn't make feminists hypocritical, that would make certain people hypocritical. You can't judge an entire group of people based on what you see around you or in the media. That's a part of wha feminism is about.

I am, in quite a good proportion, a feminist. I believe in equality, but I'll never support a woman who considers herself discriminated for having the door opened for her, for being allowed to pass ahead by men. Because it's how it is nice to be. Because that is the way men prove their lack of self-control in front of the grace and beauty of a woman. Maybe that makes me less of a feminist, but that's how I see stuff.

Then again, like in many other situations handled by humans, subjectivity comes in order in the case of feminism too. That's how women get to saying that they are better than men and so on.

In the end, probably a good thing would be for everybody to respect everybody. It's the way to go.

I think that women shouldn't be treated like dirt, or paid differently, but I think there are certain things a woman shouldn't do.

I don't think women should go to war, for one... I think that is a man's job.
I also don't like the idea of a woman being president.

I don't believe in half truths. I am not a feminist.
Try being a man and wanting to adopt and you'll find out just how equal women and men are.
I am for equal rights for all people, not just equal rights for women.

xXxDance_To_DeathxXx:

I think that women shouldn't be treated like dirt, or paid differently, but I think there are certain things a woman shouldn't do.

I don't think women should go to war, for one... I think that is a man's job.
I also don't like the idea of a woman being president.

Why?

Plenty of women are already serving as soldiers in the US army. A woman is running for President.

I think that the idea that there are certain jobs women should and shouldn't do is sexist, whether or not they are being treated like dirt.

I agree with Dark., though. This shouldn't be a women are greater than men thing, and while I know that's not the aim of the actual movement, some people do take it rather too far.

Dark.:

I don't believe in half truths. I am not a feminist.
Try being a man and wanting to adopt and you'll find out just how equal women and men are.
I am for equal rights for all people, not just equal rights for women.

I agree. Every good person should be able to adopt. In activism, we have to choose our battles, and I feel that women need help more than men by a long shot. Feminists just so happen to have chose this battle,and many aren't just feminists. Myself, I have been fighting cancer, racism, and plan on fighting for reproductive rights [which goes for everyone, not just women]. Of which country are you speaking? The same rules more than likely do not apply.

ice cream.:

I think we should all just be equal, neither is better than the other. Equal. It should stand for not just gender but race, sexual orrientation etc.
As for high-heels being torture. Many women enjoy them, I for one like high-heels.
The feminists that are going over the top usually start to discriminate against men so as I said before, equality is what they should want.

8)

xXxDance_To_DeathxXx:

I don't think women should go to war, for one... I think that is a man's job.
I also don't like the idea of a woman being president.

May I ask why?

I'm cool with feminists, and in some ways I would consider myself to be a feminist.
But, as noted above somewhere, I do not want more power than men.
I want to be equal, i want to be able to have a job and go out.