Weddingbee boards

Hell yeah I am a feminist. My feminism comes from my core belief that men and women are equal-- we should be paid the same, we should have the same rights, we should get the same respect and have to play by the same rules. 

That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to love pink things, wear frilly dresses and have an unnatural obsession with fonts. These are the things that make me an individual, but that doesn't have to take away from my feminism.

I agree with that it's not right for anyone to get bashed anywhere based purely on their sex. We should be judged as individuals and by our actions, men and women equally so.

On the other hand, I don't believe that someone who is "traditional" can't also be a feminist. Being a feminist means you can choose to take whatever occupation/duties is out there, from CEO to SAHM. What matters is the equality of opportunity. 

@Sazerac: feminism does not mean we want to be men, it means that we want to be EQUAL to men, as you said.

yes, i am a feminist.  and you know what else?  FI is a feminist too.  (you see, you don't have to be a woman to believe that men and women should have equal rights, pay, opportunities, etc...)

@miss-spunkin: keep in mind that it was the feminist movement that gave you the CHOICE to be "more traditional", instead of forcing you to be that way.  the man-bashing women aren't feminists, they're assholes (to put it bluntly).  feminism is not about man-bashing.

@hisgoosiegirl: You also see a lot of commercials/tv shows now where the man is portrayed as dumb/helpless until the knowing woman comes along and shows him to do whatever is relevant to the commercial. 

This is because advertisers know women are the predominant shoppers in the household. They are just appealing to their market. Same reason why there are lots of scantily clad women in beer commercials. 

@SoupyCat: excellent point.

@piglet_625: as soupycat alluded to in the previous post, i don't think we're any more a society that makes men the butt of jokes than we are a society that makes women sexual objects.  that's not to say that men aren't sometimes the butt of jokes (which is unnacceptable), and that women aren't portrayed as sexual objects (which is also unnacceptable).  however, to assume that portraying men as inept and make them the butt of jokes is a direct result or even a desired result of feminism in any way is completely off-base.

ETA:  think of it this way...there are lots of christians who engage in un-christian behavior, and some who even engage in that behavior while invoking god or the bible as backup.  just the same, there are a lot of really extreme women out there who claim to be feminist, but then make comments, support ideas, or engage in activities that really have nothing to do with feminism, and give the whole movement a bad name as a bunch of men-hating whackjobs.

@piglet_625: it is absolutely disturbing, but to blame feminism in any part is short-sighted.

@miss-spunkin: "Equal in terms of respect and opportunity, but it comes to a point where many women have to realize they will never be as talented as men in a certain field (like football haha!), and vice versa."

this is very true, and i completely agree!  but i think one thing that feminists want is that should a woman be able to actually hack it in football because she's big enough, strong enough, and has the skill, that she should be allowed to hack it, and not get paid less or otherwise descriminated against simply because she's female.  if she can't hack it, well then she can't hack it.  ;)  (it's a ridiculous example, but it gets the point across i thnk.)  the point isn't for the NFL to be equal parts men and women, but for women to be allowed and treated equally if they have the ability to warrant that.  does that make sense?

@miss-spunkin: I think the roles you describes as nature-influenced are actually culturally-influenced. There are many tribal societies where men have a child-rearing role and women are the providers. Hopefully, as we strive more and more for equality to be reflected in our culture, we will see patriarchal dominance as "nature" less and less. 

Yes, I'm a feminist. To me it means equality. I seriously hate the "man-bashing" stereotype.

@galloway111: lol My FI won't let me open doors. I joke that I'll forget how to open a door someday because he always insists on doing it for me.

@hisgoosiegirl: Lol, us also. DH is in charges of sammiches, and I do the eggs.

@mrs-v-to-be: I believe you can be a stay-at-home mom/wife/partner and also be feminist. You don't have to be a career woman to be a feminist. :) If you believe in and stand up for the equality of men and women, you're a feminist in my book.

@miss-spunkin: "So maybe it's not so feminist as it is that men and women have roles that nature has placed within them?"

Nature isn't the only thing at play when it comes to gender roles. The breadwinner-homekeeper roles are also culturally ingrained in our society, and we learn these roles at a young age. Things are changing a lot now, but when I was a child, I had dresses and a little kitchen and baby dolls, while my brother had none of these things. It may be just as much learned as it is nature.

@Eva Peron: It's true only women can give birth to children, but in some societies, the Mosuo of western China for example, it is the male's responsibility to rear the children. I'm sure the men there do not find it unnatural. 

@Eva Peron: Yes, it is a very interesting society! I actually got to see some of their customs and intricate dress when I visited China. Also, the African Aka tribe is similarly known for their high male participation in child-rearing.