Why I’m Still Talking About Feminism

I’m still talking about feminism because I’m angry, and I’m angry because terrible things are happening right now to women simply for being women.

I’m angry because women are being treated as objects and men are forcing particular body parts into women and pointing fingers back at the girl who wore thigh highs and tight fitted t-shirts, and because her saying no repeatedly has less effect than what she wore and how much she drank. I’m angry because I know women who are scared of their husbands and are even more afraid to walk down the street at night alone without dangerous weapons for self-defense.

People are still feminists because there is still the need for fundamental human rights, which a high number of women do not have access to. We’re being degraded and dehumanized. We are referred to as animals that can and will definitely be domesticated once we “find the right man.” And we are referred to as gods and goddesses, unattainable by another human being. Something that should not be beyond common knowledge is the fact that women are people. Women have emotions — we’re not crazy. Women have sex — we’re not sluts. Women have aspirations — we’re not selfish. Women have authority — we’re not bossy.

I know that feminism has a negative connotation because a lot of people believe that feminists are fully invested in creating a matriarchal world, but this is not what we want. No one said that just because we want equal rights, somehow this means that we want what men have now and have had for years. Sure, a lot of women are angry for being put in this undervalued role, but we don’t want to put men through centuries of oppression as well. It’s not about who’s got the upper hand. The point of feminism is equality.

We live in a patriarchal society, whether it personally affects you or not. But whether it affects you or not, no one should ever be told to shut up about the fight and want for their basic human rights simply because it makes the people who are already at the top uncomfortable. You know what’s uncomfortable? Being sexualized by an authority figure you respect. Holding your keys between your knuckles even in broad daylight. Being told that all you are good for is making and caring for babies. Having someone physically force their way into your body and then knowing the validity of rape will be thrown out the window as soon as it’s confirmed that you had a drink that night.

Telling people to stop talking about feminism, to stop being offended, to stop trying to change the views that physically and mentally break women down is closely related to telling people to stop being offended by racism simply because we’ve seen it before in our past. The reoccurrence of something is by no means an indicator to continue with harmful actions. Without the facts, the analogies, the protests, how would anyone know what is actually going on in the world? With the progress that we’ve made over the years, why would we stop at the oppression of women?

Even if you are so completely done with misogynistic bullshit, you should always have the energy to call someone out when they publicly make a fool of themselves by shaming a woman for doing the things that are deemed acceptable for men. You should never stop fighting for what is ethically right, and you should never be afraid of voicing your opinion on something as radical as equal rights when you’re passionate about it. With so much forward development already made solely from activism, there is absolutely no reason to stop at the oppression of women. Change is always possible.

And that’s why I will continue to talk about feminism.