Anti-feminist propaganda is a real thing. As a guy I like to think I’m fairly progressive but believed a lot of the hate against feminism even as an adult. The women I knew were “the good ones”.
The thing is it was based on caricatures of feminism, outliers and extremists, and the claim that feminism is no longer necessary. I’m sure those extremists exists and we are closer to gender equality than historically but feminism has helped us all and we do need more of it.
We had children before there was any paternity leave in the US. I must have been complaining that I wished I could spend more time with my newborn, but it was the feminist group at work who went to demand there be paternity leave, because equal is equal and paternity leave helps everyone
The word has been branded “dirty”.
I met a guy who said he supported equality between genders but wasn’t a feminist. I’m like, my dude, that’s literally the definition of feminism. It’s just wanting equality.
He argued and argued that he wasn’t a “feminist”.
While still claiming he supported every ideal of feminism.
He insisted feminist were “blue hair girls with nose rings who told everyone they were bigoted and ruined video games”.
I blame the bro culture. And specifically Asmongld. That tool.
Invents imaginary women stereotype, and then blames the imaginary women for all his problems and why he has to be misogynist. They drove him to it. These imaginary women are the cause.
Anti-feminist propaganda is a real thing. As a guy I like to think I’m fairly progressive but believed a lot of the hate against feminism even as an adult. The women I knew were “the good ones”.
The thing is it was based on caricatures of feminism, outliers and extremists, and the claim that feminism is no longer necessary. I’m sure those extremists exists and we are closer to gender equality than historically but feminism has helped us all and we do need more of it.
We had children before there was any paternity leave in the US. I must have been complaining that I wished I could spend more time with my newborn, but it was the feminist group at work who went to demand there be paternity leave, because equal is equal and paternity leave helps everyone
The word has been branded “dirty”. I met a guy who said he supported equality between genders but wasn’t a feminist. I’m like, my dude, that’s literally the definition of feminism. It’s just wanting equality.
He argued and argued that he wasn’t a “feminist”.
While still claiming he supported every ideal of feminism.
He insisted feminist were “blue hair girls with nose rings who told everyone they were bigoted and ruined video games”.
I blame the bro culture. And specifically Asmongld. That tool.
Invents imaginary women stereotype, and then blames the imaginary women for all his problems and why he has to be misogynist. They drove him to it. These imaginary women are the cause.
It all just gets old real fast.
The problem is they were too successful at it and all too many have that as their definition of feminism. That’s all they know.
I do think a different term might be called for, because that one is lost to many
Someone else will just tarnish any new term. Our best bet is to just educate people what it actually means.
Like how “communist” and “socialism” has been made into a dirty word. And let’s not forget the most recent one, “Antifa”.
We just have to fight against it. And do our best to correct the misperceptions when we can.