Are you a closet feminist?

Question

I am. Let's face it..the word "feminist" in our society is a highly stigmatized word. They are constantly made fun and stereotyped as being unattractive and fanatical. But I am on my way to medical school and it bothers the hell out of me that when I'm older after I get home from a stressful work day I will have another job cooking and cleaning and caring for the kids. And I will only get paid 75 cents to every dollar males get..doing the exact same thing! Promiscuous men get high fives and women get called whores and are shamed. I could go on for days..what is more American than equality? I am not a fundamentalist I'm not burning my bra here..anyone agree?

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ALL OF THE ABOVE...just answer this..Are you a feminist at heart??

Answer 1

I am not a closet feminist, never have been. I don't believe in hiding my belief in equal rights and abilities.

Answer 2

I agree with you. I've never been afraid to call myself a feminist, but it's led to me being called a "manhater" many a time, which is a truly ridiculous sentiment. I think what it means is that I don't respect people who don't respect me. And the sad thing is, I feel like I have to sit here and further prove that I don't hate men, because obviously every feminist does. Grrrr!

Don't listen to anyone who claims that the pay gap is women's fault. It doesn't go away, even with women who are highly educated, unmarried, without kids, and who aren't afraid to ask for a raise. And, guys, why should women be stuck with all the housework? You say that no one wants to do it? So therefore it's our job? Nice. Not that any family can really survive nowadays on one income without being a Gates anyway...

Answer 3

No, my closet ain't big enough for that.

What are you majoring in in medical school. Perhaps you should forget about having kids and a husband. With your attitude.

Hate to bust your bubble. Some times the pay structure for women is different because of the way women are.

Like, if a woman has a baby she wants a leave of absence. Well, that costs the employer money more so than a man in the same position and other situations can be drawn for which space here does not allow proving the same point.

The feminist movement is not a good thing. It is one of the major organizations that brings bad light to America.

Answer 4

Definately not, a feminist is not a person who is crazy and annoys people for equal rights, it's a person who does what they do best, and come on top of everyone else and show the world what women can do. They teach the world that women are the same as men through example. Why do you hink these protesting feminists haven't accomplished anything while protesting, when women like Marie Curie, Oprah Winfrey, Melinda gates and so on
come out on top of everyone else and prove to the world that women can do a lot more than they are credited for. Marie Curie wasn't allowed to attend college or be a scientist, despite that she went and made dozens of discoveries about radiology, she didn't protest, she did, and after that Poland began to have second thoughts about not sending women to college. Or Virginia Hamilton, she didn't protest women's rights she went and ran for president, she inspired so many people and even got women the right to be on major political parties, when women with picket signs and loud voices just got themselves arrested. What i'm trying to say is that a feminist is a woman who shows the world what she can do, show the world what all women can do, therefore, anyone woman who can accomplish something and inspire others is a feminist, any women who raises picket signs and yells for women's rights, is a closet feminist!

Answer 5

Well I do not think feminists should have children, because there is a difference between wanting equal rights and wanting to share home responsibilities, and wanting to some how turn the tables on a man. If you do not like cleaning a house after work or cooking etc, why would you expect a husband to want to do it? Obviously when people are tired they dont feel like working. The idea is to share in the burden, not pass it off. Nothing is worse for a child then having a battle zone for a home in which both parents are refusing to cook them healthy meals, clean up, or even consider doing anything else. If you believe in equality then you should believe in sharing not shirking.

Answer 6

I thought I was until I read your quetion. To me, feminism is the belief that women and men are equal. You need to find a man who will share with the household chores and not complain about them. You need to find the employer who pays men and women equally. It's 2006, not the 1960s. Take controll of your life and quit whining that "other people have more"!

Answer 7

I am a feminist and quite proud of it. No, i'm not a closet feminist. Yes, feminists get attacked daily because those who don't understand, fear the word.

Yes, feminists get called lesbians, or man-haters, for the very reason that people, mostly men, fear women who can speak her mind. So they give us derogatory names to make themselves feel better. Never ever fear stepping outside the societal boundaries to be who you are meant to be.

quote by, -- Rebecca West, 1913 “I have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat, or a protitute."

Feminism in many forms:

Some feminist theories question basic assumptions about gender, gender difference and sexuality, including the category of "woman" itself as a holistic concept, other theories question the male/female dichotomy completely (offering instead a multiplicity of genders). Still other feminist theories take for granted the concept of "woman" and provide specific analyses and critiques of gender inequality, and most feminist social movements promote women's rights, interests and issues. Several subtypes of feminist ideology have developed over the years. Early feminists and primary feminist movements are often called the first-wave feminists, and feminists after about 1960 the second-wave feminists. More recently, some younger feminists have identified themselves as third-wave feminists while the second-wave feminists are still active.

In her book A Fearful Freedom: Women's Flight from Equality, Wendy Kaminer identifies another conflict between forms of feminism: the conflict between what she calls "egalitarian" and "protectionist" feminism. She sees egalitarian feminism as promoting equality between women and men through the granting of equal rights. Protectionist feminists prefer to focus on legal protections for women, such as employment laws and divorce laws that protect women, sometimes advocating restricting men's rights, such as free speech (specifically, the right to produce and consume pornography). Though the book predates third-wave feminism, Kaminer identifies both protectionist and egalitarian currents within first-wave feminism and second-wave feminism.

Some radical feminists, such as Mary Daly, Charlotte Bunch and Marilyn Frye, have advocated separatism—a complete separation of male and female in society and culture—while others question not only the relationship between men and women, but the very meaning of "man" and "woman" as well (see Queer theory). Some argue that gender roles, gender identity and sexuality are themselves social constructs (see also heteronormativity). For these feminists, feminism is a primary means to human liberation (i.e., the liberation of men as well as women.)

Many— certainly not all— feminists are women. There are exclusively male organisations sympathetic to the feminist view who believe the dominant model of manhood or masculinity is oppressive to women and limiting for men.[1]

There is debate about feminism concerning which types should exclusively be labeled or considered. There are also overlapping beliefs such as in oppression by patriarchy and/or capitalism, and the belief they are synonymous.

Answer 8

yeppers, I really don't like man-hating psyco feminists that give the word all the negitive sterotypes!! but be strong my silent sisters, wow I have no idea where that came from lol :)

Answer 9

I am not a feminist in any corner of my being.
I do not understand where you people are getting jobs where you are not paid the same as men. I have never had that problem and I do not personally know of any woman who has.
I think that women are playing the victim card. We have been successfull in alienating men and future generations because we have to be in control and if we are not we tend to throw a temper tantrum. We have taken fathers out of our children lives and made most of society(male and female) because of whining and wanting to have it all.and if we can't get it all we take it from men.

I worked as a taxi driver for years(nights) and got a good cross section view of what people are like. Promiscuous men and women are in the same boat these days.(although for some reason I am more disappointed in a man when I see him behaving in such a manner(like the ones who keep score) I can't blame them because of what feminists have put on them and their fathers they have no reason at all to give any respect to women.(I don't blame them a bit)
I have heard your arguments before but I haven't seen them in action....ever

Answer 10

No. I say it loud and say it proud! I'm a feminist, not a "closet feminist."