Feminism Is For Everyone

For the past couple of years the articles, blogs, and general commentary on feminism seems to come in waves as one celebrity after another comes out and “declares” their feminist status. Then, the peanut gallery begins to weigh in on “how feminist” this person is, or they (worse) begin to pick apart why that just can’t be so. It all leaves me scratching my feminist head because I didn’t know that there was only one way to be a feminist....

This ain’t your mama’s feminism, I get it. The scene has morphed a lot since the days where our grandmas and moms were burning their bras. Yet, there is one thing that seems to remain pretty exclusive: this so-called feminist club that seems nearly impossible to get a stamp of approval in.

Here’s what I tend to see in the media with regards to feminism and how the collective “we” bashes on one another. (And I am sure I am leaving some out)
Enjoy cooking? Then you aren’t exactly all that liberated are you? Are you a mom? Well, we’re still at odds in many ways. Stay at home mom? Eh, more questionable still. Took your husband’s last name? Then you’ve given up your identity as a singular human woman. Republican? Traitor. Man? Enemy. And seriously, you can’t be feminist if you have a penis...we don’t include supporters.

It’s this “one size fits all” concept of feminism that just gets to me. It’s like feminism is eating itself when I hear these versions of exclusions. Women bashing women is a serious problem...it’s like when you hear a woman calling another a bitch. Well, doesn’t that just pave the way for men to do it as well?

Feminism has changed because people have changed. We’ve evolved and our concept of feminism has to have morphed as well. In fact, I argue that feminism has so deeply permeated our psyches as 20 and 30-somethings which has caused it to become a more well-rounded concept. This means that feminists can be moms (yes, even stay at home ones), or take their husbands last names, or be lesbians, or get abortions (or not), and perhaps even be Republicans.

Can I put this simply? Feminism is for everyone.

Yes, there are concepts that are clearly not feminist, but the feminists themselves don’t have to conform to a box where they aren’t free to stay at home, or change their names or be CEOs, or whatever. The whole point of the movement was equality and a just world that treats us the same....so we have to be able to have choices and probability (and common sense) would dictate that we aren’t all going to choose the same things.

So when Beyonce or whoever is next comes out and declares they are a feminist, perhaps don’t try so hard to punch holes in their argument. Just add it to the list of diversified versions of feminism that we are logging these days. It’s a good thing. We can be different and yet united....what a feminist concept!