"I don't think that being a strong person is about ignoring your emotions and fighting your feelings. Putting on a brave face doesn't mean you're a brave person. That's why everybody in my life knows everything that I'm going through. I can't hide anything from them. People need to realise that being open isn't the same as being weak."

- Taylor Swift

Saturday, February 25, 2012

don't call me a feminazi.

You do not know me. You don't know a thing about who I am or what I go through; the people I meet or what they do to me. You cannot judge what you do not know.

Don't you dare patronize me, with your stupid little dictionary meaning and all that shit. What am I, five years old? Your comment, which I have chosen not to publish, was discrimatory, wildly accusatory, sexist, judgemental and completely incorrect. You have chosen to attack me, not only as a feminist, but as a woman and as a person - and this cannot be tolerated in this day and age. 

I am a feminist, and proud of it. I aim to see equality between the sexes, and a recognition and respect for the vital differences between the sexes.

A world ruled by women just would not work. It is not the aim of feminism; it is the aim of gynocentrism, which is perhaps what you refer to by way of 'feminazi'. We have our strengths, but we have our own faults, our own weaknesses, and these are balanced perfectly by the strengths and weaknesses of men.

I lost weight because I was nearly overweight. I lost weight because none of my clothes fit me anymore and it was really taking its toll on my self esteem. I lost weight because I wanted to be healthy, and I was tired of being slow and sleepy and sick all the time. I lost weight because I have a serious heart condition and I need to keep in shape just to survive. I lost weight because I wanted to look good and feel good. I lost weight for myself. Don't you dare accuse me of objectifying myself for losing five freaking kilos. I never said I wanted to be supermodel thin. Yeah, I look better now, but anyone would if they lost their jelly belly. And I'm damn proud of looking good, and nobody should criticise me for that. Why on earth would I want to look tubby? I'm sixteen! I just had my own goals for my own means and don't you dare think I'm doing this for anyone else, to win back some boy or to get ten thousand boyfriends. Weight is irrelevant to my relationship with other people, with men. If someone is going to ignore me at 57kg and then ask me out at 53kg, well then take a hike, Mike.  

I do what I want, as a woman and as a feminist. Lipstick feminism subscribes to the theory that women are empowered when they take pride in their appearance and sexuality, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. Just because I'm a feminist doesn't mean I have to look like a frump, or a man, or pretend that I don't give a damn what I look like. Stiletto feminism dictates that there is no philosophical contradiction between being a feminist and being a woman, who is biologically evolved to be sexually attractive to men, just as men have biologically evolved to be sexually attractive to women. Atheist feminism sees the misogyny in society as a direct result of misogynistic religions, which dictate protocols and societal expectations of women based on fear and disgust of female sexuality. Why is it that men can walk around in nothing buy a pair of cutoffs and thongs and if I have even the slightest inclination to not look like a nun I am accused of being a slut, objectifying myself, etc, etc. I can wear what I want, and do what I want, and that has nothing to do with feminism. It's a basic fucking human right.

Of course I wanted to look good for the ball. It was the night of nights. Anyone would have wanted to look good for the ball. Everyone looked beautiful last night, and I looked beautiful, too.

This is what I meant by battling ignorance. It is ignorance and intimidation that drives men to attack feminists like me, women like me. We have to put aside our differences, defeat our fear and unite under a common goal. It is the only way forward.

1 comment:

slippi said...

right on, don't let anyone tell you that feminism is a dirty word

also "recognition and respect for the vital differences between the sexes"
nah sister, it's time to deconstruct the false gender dichotomy