I was inspired by this hilarious comic from Hark! A Vagrant.
I love the term “Straw Feminist”. It
perfectly articulates something that's always irritated me.
“Straw Feminism” refers to a perception of feminists that
don’t actually exist. They’re exaggerated, vilified trope characters seen in terrible movies and TV. Unfortunately,
it’s an insidious perception of feminism that has spilled over into the real
world, inspiring ridiculous descriptions like “Feminazi”, which are then unjustly applied
to anyone who has ever uttered the word “sexism”.
Straw Feminists are man-hating, bigoted and loud-mouthed. They
are sexist. They see patriarchal injustice in literally everything. They use
the word ‘rape’ to describe anything they see as a violation. They are women
who genuinely believe that all men are underlings, and that the only way to put
them in their place is to scream and shout about it.
I say these feminists don't exist because we cannot call these people/characters feminists.
They are so SO detrimental to the gender equality movement.
They've turned it into something to scoff and roll your eyes at.
A common argument these days is that all feminists are of
this breed. It's even been suggested that by identifying as feminists we are
proving our misandry – that if we truly wanted equality for all, we would call
ourselves ‘equalitarian’.
I disagree - it’s perfectly acceptable to narrow your
battles down, to compartmentalize your goals. ‘Feminism’ doesn't have to be a
dirty word. It means what it has always meant: “the
advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes.”
