I’ve been told I’m an “extreme feminist.” It used to genuinely bother me to be labeled like this in a negative way, but I’ve come to terms with it. Yeah, I believe in equal rights of all genders. I believe that the wage gap needs to be diminished. I believe that rape culture is a prominent issue and that hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity are harmful to society in different ways. Sorry that that’s “extreme” for some people.

I’ve been told that feminism is irrelevant in the United States, but if you actually believe that, you don’t understand what I mean by feminism. I’m a feminist and I believe in equal rights of all genders ACROSS THE WORLD. I am utterly shocked by the treatment of women in other countries worldwide, with genital mutilation, child brides, shame given onto women for being seen without a man, along with other very prevalent issues. The U.S. may not have feminist issues that are held to the same extent, but saying I can’t support women’s rights is useless for you.

I’ve been told sexism no longer exists in the United States, and if you actually believe that, you are blind to the privilege held by white, Christian, heterosexual, cisgender men. Something I always get backlash about is my phrasing through the description I give considering who has privilege in America, but don’t get me wrong on this one. I have nothing against white, Christian, heterosexual, cisgender men. That’s what equality really looks like. If I dislike you, it’s not a gender, sexuality, race, or religious issue. I don’t like you because I don’t like you. Most American feminists are held to a stereotype that says we’re all homosexual women who hate men, don’t shave, and want to rise above the power men hold. Well that’s incorrect. Feminism often gets backlash from egalitarians, which honestly makes no sense. It’s like the Black Lives Matter movement. You can’t claim “All Lives Matter” until the needs in the BLM movement are met, as egalitarianism cannot exist without progress from feminism.

For those of you who still believe women in this country are equal to men, let me shed some light on the issues we currently have in the country:

1) Rape Culture Is Real. We see this through the “punishments” given to convicted rapists. Prosecutors continue to worry for the future of a young man who is convicted of sexual assault because being labeled as a sex offender could ruin their future. Let’s remember Brock Turner, who was released 3 months into a mere 6 month sentencing after he had raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, sticking debris and pine needles into her vagina. People were sympathetic towards the college athlete, who now has to register as a sex offender and was banned from athletic swimming. Maybe this seems bad to some people, but imagine being the woman who had to find out about her own rape from bystanders, and was then criticized for being at the party.

2) The Wage Gap. Women are typically paid 80% of what a white man makes. This actually varies more by race, some statistics showing Hispanic making 56 cents per white man’s dollar. While some disagree that this is truly the case, please look up the wage gap statistics yourself.

3) Paid Parental Leave Is Minimal In The United States. Other countries offer mothers 3 months or more of paid parental leave, along with up to a year of unpaid leave to take care of their newborn. These same countries offer the father 2 weeks or more of paid leave, a privilege that is shown to help in infant development and family attachment.

4) Domestic Violence. About one in three women will be in an abusive relationship in her lifetime. This is an extremely terrifying issue and it needs to be resolved. In addition to domestic violence, sexual assault in the military is a prominent issue, for both women and men.

I could continue to go on, but these are feminist issues that many American feminists bring up as being some of the top issues within the United States.

So before you complain that feminism is irrelevant and that I’m extreme for my views, do your research and stomp out the stereotype of a matriarchal man-hating feminist.

For more issues prominent in the states, http://shriverreport.org/top-18-issues-challenging-women-today/ brings up issues that remain relevant in the U.S. today.