Before I can really jump into this post, I need to provide you all with a disclaimer: it is my belief that everyone has the right to their own opinions, to their own possibilities of expression, and their own self-identifications. Within the context of this piece, that means that everyone has the right to choose not to be a feminist… this idea of informed choice is the basis of feminism.
Feminism is defined in a variety of ways, and it will differ greatly depending on who you talk to. It can be described as:
“The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”
-Merriam-Webster Dictionary
“A socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
-Televangelist Pat Robertson
“A person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”
-Beyonce
“…an army of angry vaginas…”
-nobodyneedsfeminism via Instagram
While all of these definitions are actively held and shared, they are not the definitions that I subscribe to. This existence of more than one definition is undoubtedly a large factor in the confusion with and criticism of modern feminism. My relationship to feminism is constantly under construction; every time I encounter an individual with a different social context, or I gain a new experience, my view of the world and my praxis undergo changes. As I understand it to be, feminism is a movement with the goal of establishing a society in which everyone has equal access to the education, rights, and ability to make choices about their own personage (both body and mind) without fear of different treatment, either preferential or disadvantageous, due to unearned benefits and entitlements.
Now, I can see why some individuals who have been exposed to the afore mentioned definitions of feminism may not agree with the idea- when all that one sees of feminism is skewed media exposure within the realm of white cisgender feminism, it can be very easy to see the movement as more concerned with nipples and than with equality.
However, every instance of the “I Don’t Need Feminism” trend that I have been exposed to has shown white women of high enough social class to have access to shelter and technology, who often actively indicate the presence of college-level educations and husbands/boyfriends. This establishes most - if not all - of the individuals in the movement as people who benefit from several sources of social privilege; for this reason, I feel it is important to take a critical look at a few of these arguments and how they align with the goals of modern, intersectional feminism.
Unconditional love and respect for all human beings regardless of the social categories in which they have been placed is an excellent sentiment, and one that actually aligns with modern feminism! However, all human beings need feminism, because it is not enough to say that one believes in equality. We live in a society that is both factually and experientially proven to be unequal on the many fronts mentioned in this post, and for this reason feminism seeks to raise awareness to issues that disadvantage and disrespect certain groups in favor of others, and disrupts the socio-political structures upheld by these power dynamics. Additionally, for anyone wondering how to lift heavy things or open jars without a husband, I’ve done pretty well for about 21 years- run the jars under hot water to break the seal, and enlist the help of your core muscles for those heavy lifting jobs.
Well, while I cannot attest to whether or not I am disgusting, I can assure you all that the definition of feminist theory does not lend necessity to delusions, hypocrisy, or misandry in the process of becoming a less ignorant, more equitable society. Additionally, while some people may feel respected by others of a different gender, this does not mean that all people experience the same feeling security. If the women of “I Don’t Need Feminism” can recognize the negative impact of patriarchy on the men in their life and can stand in solidarity alongside them, surely they can support the other people negatively impacted by patriarchal values. While this individual may feel respected, to go through life without questioning structures that stigmatize, endanger, minoritize, and disrespect others is to play an active role in discrimination. We cannot assume that our circumstances are not related to the lives of anyone else within society, and we can no longer pretend that complacency is no less harmful than verbal or physical manifestations of discrimination.
The sheer number of “I Don’t Need Feminism” posts is overwhelming, and the majority of the movement members suggest that they do not need feminism because they believe equality between the sexes already exists, they do not have “a victim complex”, they do not hate men, and (occasionally) they enjoy traditional gender roles… What I find most frustrating about these arguments is that they are suggesting that feminism is only something they would need if they were directly suffering from blatant oppression, that it does not allow them to choose to follow gender norms, and that its goal is to demonize men to elevate women, all of which are untrue statements.
Feminism is about so much more than whether or not men and women are equal- it is about raising awareness to the reality that our society is so much more than just men and women, cis and trans, black and white, able and disabled. It allows us to assume a more objective perspective and recognize the spectral nature of our identities, as well as to teach us that as active participants in society, we need to acknowledge our role in the creation and maintenance of these categories and to work toward evening out the distribution of power, choice, and autonomy.
As a final note for anyone who actually made it to the end of this article (or who was kind enough to click on it and ambitious enough to scroll to the end), here is the one "I Don't Need Feminism" post that I can agree with. I’m sure it won’t surprise any of you that it involves a cat.
