Your post struck such a chord with me! In my first years of college, I remember saying that I was not a feminist because I like men … and then I took a class in Women’s Literature that changed my life. At the time, I was a professional runway model. After that class, I quit modeling (and happily gained 30 pounds so I could look like a real woman), took on a full-time class load, and proudly declared myself a feminist. (I also stopped referring to myself as a girl … I am a grrrrl! and a woman.)

Yet I still cringe every time I refer to myself as a feminist because I know the stigma that word has now. And WHY?? Women still face disregard and lack of opportunity that men simply don’t. Feminism, as a movement, remains a dire need. How do we remove that stigma and get women (and men!) involved in feminism once again?

I don’t have a magic answer to that question, but I do believe we have to include men in the movement. After all, feminist advances benefit men, too. For example, my husband is a stay-at-home dad. He’s a natural nurturer and I’m a natural businessperson. It works beautifully. But not very long ago, he would not have had that opportunity. I would not have been able to earn enough to support the family (many women still cannot), and he would have been shunned. There are so many men out there who would welcome the opportunity to slip their own societal bonds. By working together, we can make it happen.

Ahhh … I’ll step down from my soapbox now. I thank you for broaching this important topic. There’s a great book I recommend for anyone who reads this blog, too. It’s _The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy_ by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner.

Yara Nielsenshultz
Red Pepper Writing