Feminism, Sexism and Other Misunderstood Things

[Sara NoH]

I am a feminist.
I am heterosexual.
I occasionally wear dresses.
I usually shave my legs and underarms, unless I'm in a hurry.
I believe in equality for all.
I believe every person has basic rights.
I don't believe a fetus is a person. I believe it's a potential person which should be more valued than say, a dog; but less valued than an existing person.
I don't believe anyone is superior to anyone else.
I don't believe all____ are inherently_____. People are different, there are usually exceptions.

At it's core, I think feminism is about equality. It's not about superiority, it's not about man-hating. What do you think feminism is about? What do you think makes a feminist? Why are you or aren't you a feminist?

[Naima]

I'm a feminist because I think women are equal to men and its kind of sad that is 2009 and women still don't have equal rights as men. I think thats all there is to it really, its not about what you wear or how you act, its just what you believe and the core belief behind feminism is equality.

[Kenny]

I'm a feminist because I think women are equal to men and its kind of sad that is 2009 and women still don't have equal rights as men

Would you mind telling me all the rights that men have that women don't?

[Kenny]

No response? Thought so.

[Übereil]

Dude, she hasn't seen your reply yet...

[Naima]

Thanks, wow I didn't even notice someone replied to me. I think Sara NoH did a pretty good job at covering the major ones though. I'm just find it weird that anyone would even ask that question because its just so obvious that men and women are equal. I mean, women still don't get paid as much as men in the workforce and there are lower expectation for women in schools than for men, especially in the maths and sciences.

[Kenny]

Obviously there are plenty of problems with sexism and all that, but what rights do men have that women dont? Do you not have freedom of speech and religion? Do you not have the same right to bear arms that i do? (and i'm talking about America here)

So please, tell me, what rights are guaranteed to men by the government, but are not guaranteed to women?

[Chris]

I'm going to cut in and point out that I've been telling people all along- institutional gender bias is completely dead.

The repression of women these days comes from, as Cornel West would say "our unarticulated presuppositions" that we were/are instilled with as children, via what we see on TV, our parents, etc.

Something Michel Foucault pointed out;

A child and his mother are in a room.
The father walks in the room and jokingly tells the child "Take care of your mother" gives him a kiss on the forehead, and continues "Daddy's got to go to work."

This instills a simple, yet possibly lifelong gender bias, that is

"Daddy goes to work, mommy stays home."

[emmet]

(and i'm talking about America here)

...you sure are. but you're not even covering all of the americas. work your way south, and i think you'll find it a little harder to deny that there is some seriously imbalanced shit going down, my friend.

[Chris]

I've heard a lot of shit about the kidnappings...

[Matt]

United States of America is what I think he meant... if that's also what you're talking about, link or expand upon "seriously imbalanced shit".

[Chris]

I think by "all of the americas" he meant central/south as well, and "south of the border" was probably what he meant when he said "further south."

That's just how I read it, at least.

[Matt]

That's what I was thinking too, but it seemed rather odd to not understand the United States of America implication with the right to bear arms comment.