#WomenAgainstFeminism

Hiya lovelies, so there's this thing going on over on twitter called #WomenAgainstFeminism and I have a few things to say about it. Having clicked on it (I knew I shouldn't have, I just get too damn angry), some of the things people are saying have really boiled my blood. Not only is feminism being described as unnecessary, - something I have already talked about in previous blog posts and undoubtedly will again - it is also being hailed as something only to be believed in by women who are riddled with personal insecurities. 

Let's just get one thing straight (once again): Feminism is not female supremacy, it is equal gender rights. It is not about dehumanising men, it is not about hating men and it is not about thinking women are superior, it is simply about being equal in all aspects of society. Many women featured on the #WomenAgainstFeminism tag are unbelievably unaware of this. 

Secondly, without feminism, the women using the hashtag would not have the opportunity to express their dislike towards it. These women surely have jobs and the right to vote, so why not be on your own side? Who wants to be victimised and discriminated against? I'm not saying every woman in the world falls victim to sexism, but that doesn't mean that sexism doesn't exist. Even if you personally have never experienced it, that does not mean it is not an issue that needs to be addressed. 

So, ladies and gents, we are bitter, angry and immature...HA! Yes, we're angry, but we're not bitter if we're trying to do something about it and we're certainly not immature, and when I was trying to explain this to a certain someone who responded to my tweet (shameless self-promotion there, by the way), they seemed to be quite stubborn, until they eventually stopped replying altogether. I guess they had nothing left to say, huh. Don't get me wrong, I have received a tonne of shit because of this blog and some 'controversial' tweets and speeches and opinions, but I will not stop doing what I'm doing. I have experienced sexism, as have my friends and my family and acquaintances, and it is clear to see that women and men globally witness/are victimised daily and it's not right. I do not understand why we still need to campaign for feminism, after all, it is the 21st century, surely all that should be over by now, but until it is over (or until I die, whichever comes first) I will not stop. 

Happy Birthday, Emmeline

Today is the 15th July. As it's Emmeline Pankhurst's birthday, I thought I'd return to the blog I seem to have abandoned as of late and sing her praises. After all, she is a bad ass lady. Sorry for leaving you, you know my reasons...

So I did a wee bit of research (and by a wee bit, I mean I spent far too long in Birmingham Central Library, in a chair I was too small for, elbow in the air, scrawling in my notebook. Let's just say my handwriting is hardly legible). Naturally, I was wandering around the politics section (quelle surprise) and I noticed the glorious name of Emmeline Pankhurst plastered on a book my eyes skimmed across. Within minutes, I'd read ten pages and written three pages of notes on things I already knew but I thought would be interesting to share. So here's what I've got: 

Emmeline Pankhurst - 

"A traitor to her sex", "an idiosyncratic mixture of feminine charm and political guile", with a professional façade of femininity, whilst at the same time, a habit of breaking every known standard of 'acceptable female conduct' - A cotton wool woman with an iron determination. Her big ideas remained constant despite her tendency to switch between British political parties during her career. Not unlike the 21st Century situation, many found it difficult to reconcile beauty with intelligence. It was believed that women were seldom anything other than pretty and empty-headed or clever and ugly. However, contemporary newspaper, Saturday Night, reported on their assumptions of Pankhurst prior to an interview with her - "I imagined a hatchet-faced old dame, with her hat on an angle of forty-five degrees. Instead of these, I found a lady, singularly attractive in appearance, graceful in carriage, dignified in bearing and a public speaker or culture as well as force." Emmeline Pankhurst proved to women that they can have it all if they so wish. That they have the ability to be passionate and militant leaders, both politically and in their everyday lives. Yes, this was a century ago, but both female and male feminists are still finding it difficult to be heard and listened to. Today is her 156th birthday, and yet she still continues to inspire feminists across the world to maintain their determination. We've had a female Prime Minister (no matter how successful you believe Mrs Thatcher was, this is not the time nor the place to say so), and many have persevered in their quest for equal rights through organised protests, similar to those of the original Victorian to Post-War feminists. Happy Birthday, Emmeline Pankhurst. 

Pretty, Pink and Pissed Off

I have pink glasses, I wear flowery mini-skirts and I have an unexplainable obsession with anything silver and sparkly (particularly with a pair of shoes my boyfriend hates.) I'm an extremely girly girl, so what? Well, something took me by surprise today. "That's not very feminist of you, is it?" The people who said this will probably read this at some point, so if you are, this is just to clarify a few things for you. 

So apparently, because I'm a feminist, I'm not allowed to like stereotypically "girly" things. And, because I'm a girl, I'm not allowed to like stereotypically "boy-ish" things. So... What am I allowed to like? It seems that everyday lately, the encouragement regarding this blog has been put on pause and the ridicule has well and truly begun. I have received the most ridiculous "insults" ever, some of them pathetic and poor, some of them too close for comfort. It's gotten personal - someone even suggested that the only reason I'm a feminist is because my father is not around, and that I have used that as an excuse to create a secret "prejudice against men." All of which, you know, is untrue. All I'm trying to do is make a difference, help a few people out maybe, and express my feelings safely. What's so wrong with that? 

And as for the "what about men's rights?" thing, feminism is the belief in equality of the sexes, not female supremacy. I have said this countless times but because of the 'fem' part of the word, I get stupid responses such as "I'm going to become a male-ist", which is contradictory as it is, considering feminism is working for men too. 

By the way, saying "you're such a feminist" is not an insult, because I am one. It says so at the top of this blog. It says so in my twitter bio. I am a feminist and I am proud, hence why my only response to you is "yes, yes I am."

I just don't understand what the problem is. I'm not hurting anyone, I'm not campaigning for something morally wrong, and I'm not using this blog to get back at my ex-boyfriend as someone suggested. This world needs changing and I'm trying to do my bit to help, so it would be greatly appreciated if it wasn't made difficult for me to do so. 

Thanks for reading.