The F–Word
For the longest time, I refused to call myself ‘the f-word.’ Why? Because it is a polarizing topic, and I couldn’t help but almost wince when it’d roll off my tongue. The number of times I’ve heard people refer to feminists as ‘feminazis’ is kind of a joke. Let me be honest with you, my “anti-feminist” – and I need to reiterate the fact that I wasn’t against feminism, but instead scared of what other people might say about me – days are over. I’m proud to call myself a feminist. But, I quickly discovered the bitter reality attached to the movement: that fighting for gender equality is not all it is. Fighting for its legitimacy is half the battle.
Ironically, it was a white man, Charles Fourier, who coined the term “féminisme” back in 1837. The first wave of feminism took place from 1850-1940 and was a time dedicated to the campaign in the West, aimed at achieving political equality for women. Prominent figures included Leticia Mott, Elisabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone, who were all white. While Black women like Sojourner Truth and Frances E. W. Harper were also crucial in women's liberation, that didn’t automatically mean that feminism was totally inclusive, because it quickly established itself as a predominately white movement.
The issue of race continued to seep its way into the second wave of feminism, where there was a significant divide between black and white feminists – primarily due to matters they were advocating for. The LGBTQ+ community was also disbarred from the second wave, as straight women believed that their participation would seriously harm the movement's ability to create real change. Judy Rebrick, a lesbian feminist, said “lesbians were and always have been in the heart of the women’s movement, while their issues were invisible in the same movement,” highlighting how the exclusion of lesbian women was paradoxical to the vital role they played in second wave feminism. The exclusion of lesbian women - as well as WOC - catalyzed the creation of the term “intersectionality”. The third wave very much focused on ‘intersectional feminism’, which was actually more than feminism itself because it provided the understanding that there isn’t a divide between issues faced by different kinds of women. Instead, there is an overlapping of diverse identities and marginalized experiences, such as race, sexuality, class, and other socioeconomic factors.
As we continue to live through the 4th wave of feminism, we can’t be oblivious of its tarnished reputation. I believe that the gender war we are in is fuelled by distasteful misunderstandings. If we don’t have a conversation about why today’s hateful branding of feminism exists, how will we ever progress towards dismantling those issues?
There’s a new breed of feminism emerging, which encompasses a focus on problems like body inclusivity and acceptance of body hair. Believe me, I think these issues are salient, but it almost feels that in their wake, issues like gender based violence and female genital mutilation are disregarded. Matters like body inclusivity and the normalization of body hair are prone to contribute to a threat to the modern feminist movement: white feminism. Dictionary.com defines white feminism as “the label given to feminist efforts and actions that uplift white women but that exclude or otherwise fail to address issues faced by minority groups, especially women of color and LGBTQ women.”
Take a look at Lana Del Rey’s white feminist thirst trap she posted back in May. She claims, “I’m not not a feminist – but there has to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me – the kind of woman who says no but men hear yes– the kind of women who are slated mercilessly for being their authentic, delicate selves, the kind of women who get their own stories and voices taken away from them by stronger women or by men who hate women.” Almost all of the women Del Rey listed in the post – mostly women of color – shared those exact experiences. Let’s face it, society has an abundance of space for white women like Lana Del Rey to be vulnerable, and even the mere implication of her ‘invisibility’ in feminism is absurd. As much as I do think all the concerns that fall under the feminist agenda are important, I believe we have to examine our privilege and consider that even though our issues do matter, there are other people who are experiencing very different battles.
Let’s quickly debunk a few myths I’ve heard a lot. Being a feminist does not mean you think all men are evil. Being a feminist does not mean you think that all ‘men are trash’. Being a feminist does not mean you think all men are rapists, and it most certainly does not mean that you blame every man you encounter for the deeply rooted history of sexism. So, we need to ask ourselves why we are perceived as an ‘anti-male’ movement? Is it true that there are individual feminists that hate men? Yes. Valerie Solanas, author of the “SCUM Manifesto,” is the quintessence of a man-hating feminist. One of her most famous quotes states that “the male is an incomplete female, a walking abortion, aborted at the gene stage,” words that only add fuel to the flames of misandry. But feminism is not misandry. The two should never be confused. The belief that feminists are equal to radicalized extremists out to slaughter ‘the man’ is a misconception that requires urgent reform. So no, man-hating is not part of the feminist goal. Unfortunately, it is a reactionary belief bought into by some people – misandrists – who also identify themselves as part of the feminist movement. What really matters is that feminism, at its core, is about gender equity. The whole purpose of it is to create a world in which gender does not inhibit one from an equitable shot at opportunity and success.
I really hope that as time progresses, the feminist movement can become more inclusive and self-aware, to the point in which it doesn’t reject people who deviate slightly from its core beliefs. I believe that once we accomplish this, the fogged perception we have will clear up and allow us to see the true scope of the issues we should be fighting for. Even though there are people who reject feminism as a whole, it might be time to find comfort in the fact that it’s a case of misinterpretation. Remember, it’s necessary to have these kinds of conversations with ourselves and one another, because the fight towards equality is an everlasting battle.
References:
Feminists treat men badly. It’s bad for feminism. by Cathy Young. Washington Post, June 30, 2016.
The waves of feminism, and why people keep fighting over them, explained by Constance Grady. Vox, July 20, 2018.
The Problem with “Feminism” Today by Roxanna Azimy. Fearless She Wrote, April 15, 2020.
“Men are trash”: the surprisingly philosophical story behind an internet punchline by Arianne Shahvisi. Prospect Magazine, August 19. 2019.
Feminism Claims to Represent All Women. So Why Does It Ignore So Many of Them? by Mikki Kendall. TIME, February 24, 2020.
Feminism. History.com, February 28, 2019.
Why Female Misogyny is a Real Problem by Charlotte Edwardes. The Times, February 9, 2020.
Lana Del Rey's swipes at her peers of colour undermine her feminist argument by Laura Snapes. The Guardian, May 21, 2020.
When Feminism Is White Supremacy in Heels by Rachel Elizabeth Cargle. Harper’s Bazaar, August 16, 2018.