Why I Am A Feminist

     Gender equality is an issue that I have found many people don't quite understand. A lot of people seem to be put off by the term "feminism" because of its misconceptions and the thought that it is geared toward women. Gender roles and the lack of equality have affected me throughout my life, long before I had ever heard of gender equality. This is why I am a feminist:


I don't ever want any man to think he is superior to me in a relationship.

In any relationship, men and women should be equal and I refuse to be seen as inferior. No man should ever expect me to just submit to what he wants or think that he can control me and my decisions. I should never have to worry about a man I'm with not approving of what I wear, what I do, who I associate with, or any other aspect of my life.

I've actually had guys say to me that they don't want daughters because of guys like themselves.

I've had conversations with guys on multiple occasions who claim they would never want their daughters to encounter boys like themselves who take advantage of and disrespect girls, yet they continue to do it and see no problem with it.

I want to be paid the same amount as a man doing the same job.

Obviously.

I want the same job opportunities as men.

If I have the same talent and abilities as a man, I want to be considered as an equally qualified candidate because that's what I am. I should never been looked down on or assumed to be less knowledgeable or less logical simply because I am a woman.

I want the same respect that men receive.

Men get respect for being straightforward and honest and sometimes harsh, yet women are deemed as "bitches" for it. I should never have to defend myself for actions that would be seen as perfectly fine had they been done by men and I am just as worthy of respect as any man is.

If I ever have daughters, I don't want them to feel that they can't like sports or cars.

Girls shouldn't be raised thinking they have to be cute and fragile and pretty. They should grow up being able to explore whatever interests they want without being labeled tomboys, just as boys should be able to do things that are deemed "girly" without being made fun of or being called gay. Girls shouldn't be seen as automatically less knowledgeable about sports or fixing cars just because they are girls.

Double standards are just plain stupid.

Women should not be looked down on for having as much sex as men do, girls should not be punished for wearing revealing clothes while boys are not, and girls should not be expected to always look pretty and put together while boys aren't.


     Many men and women are feminists for different reasons and these are just a small portion of why I believe in gender equality and how I think it can benefit myself as well as everyone else. They're simple and reasonable and I don't think people who want gender equality are really asking for much more than human decency.