Some of you (aka the dedicated Teamales amongst you) may remember the post I did a month ago about ‘Meninism’ the term for men who oppose gender equality and you may also remember that I said it was a three part exploration so voila. Here is part 2.
I was talking to Science KT- you don’t really need to know her right now but just in case you’re wondering, in the film version of my life she would be the secondary character that accidentally saves the day via cake- about this post and she said antifeminism felt worse when it was a position taken by women, after all, how can you oppose the movement to liberate you? I thought she had a very poignant perspective, one that is shared by many feminists, so it seems only right that we venture onto the #WomenAgainstFeminism Tumblr page and delve into the minds of the unconverted vaginas. Warning: it might get quite sad down there so if you want to watch a YouTube video of a cat nuzzling a baby bunny beforehand I completely understand. 
Here is our first woman against feminism and her reason for being so? The fact she believes she is equal and therefore American feminism is whining. I mean firstly, it’s incredibly disrespectful to say that somebody is ‘whining’ (unless it’s a small child that wants another mini milk) I’ve been told many times that complaining about catcalling is whining and as that’s such a huge problem in mine and many other women’s lives, I always find it so upsetting to simply be brushed aside. If it wasn’t an issue then it wouldn’t be talked about on the mass scale that it is. Secondly, so what if you feel equal, what about everyone else? In the UK and USA we’re not being burnt as witches or sold as sex slaves, but in many other countries that isn’t the case. In Saudi Arabia women aren’t allowed to vote.
This next girl opposes feminism because she likes being treated like a woman- which makes sense because of course feminists love being treated like men. I’m sorry but what does ‘treated like a woman’ even mean!? On the Titanic being treated like a woman meant you could get off the boat first, in church recruitment however being treated like a woman means you will never be the pope. I’m assuming this girl wants to be treated like a woman as long as the treatment she’s getting suits her. 
Can I just express my love for our posse’s new name: no longer are we feminists but now we are FEMS. I genuinely like it, thanks Trish (you look like a Trish) for that one, I’d credit you for it but we all know fems are liars so I wouldn’t believe me if I were you. I mean, realistically everyone is a liar and a hypocrite, right? How many children actually confessed to breaking their Mum’s favourite mug? Exactly *This Is How We Do voice* not meeee. 
Despite what you think, I really do hate Tumblr. There are some very extreme views from the so called ‘Feminazis’ and therefore those influenced by social media get an incredibly one dimensional- and quite scary- view of the feminist movement, the same goes for the people opposing it. In the midst of everyone’s passion we start to confuse ‘everything that’s a problem’ with ‘feminism’. One of these problems is rape. This highly traumatic experience is flung around too casually on the internet, after people making comments like ‘omg Brian looked down my top I should do him for rape’ create the idea that consent is a joke. Sexual assault is a complex and variable issue, not one to be whacked around like a golf ball. 
Yay! I was so scared I wouldn’t find one of these but now I’ve found one and it’s about to bump this post up from a solid 6 ½ to a controversial 9. This lady, who is possibly about to be eaten alive by her pet snake, is claiming that egalitarianism is the answer to our problems but she isn’t a feminist. Wait whaaaaaaaaaaat? According to Google an egalitarian is: believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities and then feminism is: the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. There wasn’t an overlap was there? Good, just checking I hadn’t missed something. 
The final one comes from the stunt double for a 2008 looking Katy Perry who isn’t a feminist because she doesn’t hate men. So actually it’s a good job she’s not part of the movement, we all know us fems hate men. Men have boy germs and spend too much time being CEOs for us to like them. Even the feminists which are men- the ones that have been completely disregarded in her classy notebook note- hate themselves. Does no one see how silly that sounds? Imagine hating men! I would have no one to gold dig from.
I guess it gets us thinking, why are so many women so quick to disassociate themselves from a movement that will benefit them and the generations to come? Are they scared of the responsibility equality brings or are feminists not promoting their beliefs in the right way? Do they really want to prevent our progression or did their husband’s just hack their Tumblr accounts and unknowingly post their photos with laddish clip art captions? In the words of Caitlin Moran (aka Queen)
‘What do you think feminism IS, ladies? What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? ‘Vogue’ by Madonna? Jeans? Did all that good shit GET ON YOUR NERVES?’
Yes. I photoshopped this myself.
Half Girl Half Teacup 
I like it. Very thought provoking. I believe in equality. I fight for fairness and justice but I see certain ‘types’, usually male, who are greedy, selfish and power-mad. They are a tiny minority who cause most of the trouble in the world and hold everyone else down. That’s who we should all be against. Cheers Opher
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Thank you for reading, I’m glad it made you think. I believe that the huge inequalities are only linked to a few power hungry people however many smaller, social issues are entwined in our cultures and therefore everyone’s at fault. Catcalling for example is incredibly common even though the people doing it might not think of themselves as misogynists. It’s not at all about demonising men or attacking women that don’t support it, it’s just about highlighting the problems in the world and trying to fix them.
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> ‘Meninism’ the term for men who oppose gender equality
Meninism is a parody of feminism (satire). They expose feminist hypocrisy by flipping the genders.
> The fact she believes she is equal and therefore American feminism is whining
Men have LESS legal rights than women in the west. If feminism is really about gender equality it needs to be campaigning for men to be afforded equal rights to women in areas where they don’t yet have it, such as criminal law, divorce law, reproductive rights, sex specific healthcare, genital integrity and so on.
Can you name a legal right that men have that women do not also have?
If you want a list of legal rights that women have that men don’t yet have just ask (it is long). Or just google it.
Only 20% of women are feminists. A lot of women (and men) are not feminists because they support gender equality, and they realise feminism is not about gender equality, it just pretends to be.
As a feminist, are you actively campaigning for men to be given equal rights to women in those areas I mentioned where they have less rights? If not then why not?
Sorry but actions speak louder than words (including dictionary definitions).
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When I first saw this, I thought you were going to belittle feminism and I was immediately like “ok, I’ll be unfollowing” so I am SO glad that’s not the case. I find women saying they don’t need feminism to be the height of selfishness and ignorance. It’s such an “I’m fine, so f* the rest of you” attitude. These women are so blinded by their own entitlement and privilege that they can’t see beyond their own little bubble that NOT every woman has their level of equality and women as a whole, whether they’d like to think it or not are NOT equal. Even in developed countries. The fact that presidential candidates play with funding for a service that aids women shows that they don’t have equal rights. The pay gap, the lack of maternity leave, the sexualisation of women in the media – it makes my blood boil. I AM A FEMINIST and if someone is so stupid they can’t grasp the true definition and not the tripe that idiots on Tumblr post, then they can unfollow me, delete me from facebook, ignore me in the corridor – whatever. What a sheltered life someone must lead to think we don’t need feminism.
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Yesssssss! Although a lil bit emotional that you contemplated unfollowing (don’t worry I do the same to antifem accounts). What makes me chuckle so much about these women is that they’ll happily listen to one person on Tumblr screaming about burning all men, yet when one hundred people try to explain the actual meaning of feminism they don’t listen!? I’m so sick of people throwing untrue statements at us to try and make us seem like the villains. At the same time I get annoyed with people not associating with the movement because then people become sceptical: ‘hmm why isn’t she joining? If she’s not joining then I don’t want to join. There must be something wrong with it.’ At least you and I can save the world one fem at a time x
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Couldn’t have said it better myself my little friend from 1997 xx
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Stop interrupting my train of thought. Get it, TRAIN. Oh come on that was really clever (however now the memory’s coming back and it’s getting emotional I need pic n mix) xx
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I also think a lot of the problem with feminism is education, and a certain … I’m not sure what to call it … old-sightedness is the closest (non) word I can find. I was born in the early 1960s, when feminism was just starting to be a thing. I think somewhere along the line, we’ve lost sight of its roots and of the history behind it. It’s almost as if the definition of feminism needs to be repeated, and shouted from the rooftops, to help eradicate this twisted thinking that feminists are all man-hating women who would smack any man who tried to hold a door open for them. It was not too long ago in our history that women couldn’t vote and fought hard for that right, and still again, not long ago that when we married, all of our property became our husbands’. As you say, conditions are still much worse in other countries, and it saddens me that our culture is becoming so self-centered that we can’t see beyond our individual wants, needs, and rights to see how we can work for a greater good. And I always remind myself, that if we forget our histories, we are doomed to repeat them. Thanks for the thoughtful post, and for making me think, as you always do. And A.J. Liberphile? Honestly….
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Thank you, it’s really lovely to know I write things that make people think- thinking is my favourite pastime. I think your idea is a very probable one, we really have stemmed so far away from where we began and although that shows huge progress it also causes us to forget why we’re fighting for the things we’re fighting for. I also think people struggle to identify as feminists as they can’t see an ending- how will we be able to tell when gender equality has been reached? Many people like quick solutions, especially in this modern day where everything’s instant, so playing the long game doesn’t appeal to them. Which is sad because the movement needs as much support as it can get.
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You used the perfect words. Feminism is for women and men, represented by men and women, important for all societies.
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Thank you lovely, that was the perfect comment. It’s so important that the importance of feminism is recognised all over the world.
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I believe it boils down to lack of education or amnesia – women who claim they don’t need feminism because they are equals don’t know or don’t recall that not so long ago it wasn’t the case. Also, there are many non-Occidental countries where women still have no say over their futures, no access to education, no rights to their bodies, etc. Women who claim that the fight is over need to pull their heads out their privileged asses and go spend some time doing charity work in a developing nation. That should remind them quick smart how women are too often still considered second class.
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So true! I almost understand when men oppose feminism because they might not understand the inequalities/the scale of the issue, etc. but with women I feel like there are literally no excuses. The women of the world need our help- what are we going to do about it? Thank you for reading.
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I’m going to tell your husband to smack your bottom for posting tripe like this.
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Firstly, I don’t have a husband. Secondly, please refrain from sexualising me I’m only a child. If you don’t like it then don’t read it, simples.
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Hey J, that was not a personal comment but a political and humourous one, so don’t take it too much to heart and don’t worry. Keep on blogging!
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Argh! You’ve out-sassed me dammit! Sorry pumpkin, I get some really gross comments so I have to have my guard up sometimes. (Don’t choke on your tripe.)
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