5 Things Feminism Has Done For Me

Everyone has experienced the feeling of being talked to like an idiot. One minute you think you’re entering a conversation with another normal, respectful person, and then BAM! Suddenly you find yourself talking to someone who is condescending, patronizing, annoyed, bored, or a million tip-offs that indicate you’ve been instantly judged and the judgment ‘aint good. Sometimes it’s because of your age, sometimes it’s the colour of your skin, and sometimes it’s your gender.

Being disrespected because of my gender is something to which I’m never going to be accustomed. Whether it be denial of a job for which I’m perfectly qualified, a party joke with a mysoginistic punch-line, or the look of shock on someone’s face because I know how a car engine works or have a favourite NFL wide-receiver – I’m simply never going to stop being angry.

However, rather than let that anger eat away at my soul, I have learned to control and channel that negative energy into positive action that furthers equality, not just between men and women, but between all members of society. And where did I get the tools, the inspiration, and the courage to do this? Why feminism of course ;-) So this is my official thank-you to feminism. The concept, the movement, the history, and the supporters.

And without further ado, a sample of 5 things feminism has done for me:

1. Every time I hear an insult like “slut,” “ho,” or “skank,” I can turn around and say, “Yup. So what’s your point?”

2. I can swear as much as I want, and if you don’t like it, that’s your own fucking problem.

3. I can choose not to marry nor have kids and still live a fulfilling life.

4. When I see another woman, I don’t see her as a competitor, but rather a potential friend, compatriot, and source of support.

5. My self worth is defined on my own terms, and not what movies, magazines, rap music, or Focus on the Family tried to tell me when I was growing up. Disney Cinderella, Barbie, and Betty Crocker were imaginary women, but Henrietta Muir Edwards, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Rosa Parks, Indira Ghandi, my mother, and my grandmother were all real.

There is much progress still to be made, but I have profound respect for what’s already been done. Thank you, feminism.