You May Not Like Feminism – But There’s an Undeniable Need For It

Many anti-feminists often argue with me about the need for a women’s rights movement. They tell me things like:

• the wage gap doesn’t exist
• women are naturally inferior beings, it’s biologically proven
• women who are sexually assaulted are just asking for it
• women already have the right to vote, what else do they need?
• feminism is just there to make women hate men and make women want to be lesbians

There’s a certain amount of willful ignorance here – these anti-feminists want to blatantly ignore facts, statistics, personal claims, etc. Look at the sheer number of lawsuits in this country over sexual and domestic violence, look at the number of reported cases. Tell me there isn’t a problem there – I dare you! I really do! You know what? Forget the statistic for a moment. Go out on the street and ask a woman if she has ever felt uncomfortable around a man, or has been taught to carry pepper spray, or keep her keys between her fingers when she walks down the street at night. Undoubtably, every single woman will tell you that she has done these things. Now, I dare you to ask a man the same questions, and you will get a different answer.

Looking at the wage gap, there have been dozens, hundreds of studies calculating the differences in wages between white men and well, the rest of America. Surprise, surprise, if you are not a white man in America, you’re not making as much. Again, these are facts.

Let’s examine the right to vote, shall we? Sure, women have had the right to vote since 1920, but only seventeen percent of representatives in the House are female. We currently only have twenty female senators appointed, and three female supreme court justices currently serving. More obviously, we still have never had a female President or Vice President. Suffice it to say, America does not encourage women in government.

Looking at this on a spectrum of sexuality, the fact that people claim to be afraid that feminism will somehow force them into lesbianism only goes to show that the sex education in America is seriously lacking. Not only that, but how much more homophobia are you going to spout before you realize that you are actually homophobic? Most people don’t realize that claiming to be afraid that feminism will somehow turn you gay is a homophobic statement.

The most blatant attack on women nowadays is the rampant legislation over the female reproductive system. You need proof? Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby. Apparently corporations have religious beliefs and can decide whether or not to dole out affordable contraceptives based on their views on abortion. Once again: we need better sex education. 

Looking further into LGBTQA problems, Trans* women are openly assaulted, sexually abused and persecuted on a daily basis, and Americans continue to sit by and refuse to acknowledge that these people exist, and that these people have basic human rights. We shame these identities because we cannot directly relate to them. You know what can directly relate to them? A piece of legislation protecting them. Let’s get on that.

You could argue with me that you don’t like feminism because you believe in some word that means exactly the same thing as feminism, such as humanism or egalitarianism. Here’s what I have to say to you: that’s exactly why we need feminism. People are so afraid to claim a term with the word “feminine” as the structural base. This should prove my point that feminism needs to stay out, and that the need for it has never been stronger.

Like it or not, this rant should have proved to you that there is an undeniable need for America to stand up for women of all shapes, identities and views.