Not that word, ya sick fucks.
The stigma around the word is why I put the quotes there. (also it was the title of one of our units this semester...)
Anyways, why has feminism become such a taboo word these days, and how does social media play into that? Here on Tumblr, feminism is thrown all over the place, on Twitter it’s about half-and-half, and making a Facebook post on the topic of feminism is a guaranteed argument-starter. I believe that the power of social media and hiding behind a screen has made people on both sides much braver than they would be in person, which inherently causes an extreme polarization over the topic. One side can argue that all feminists are man-haters, and the other side can argue that all feminists are perfect angels.
As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. “Feminism” is not synonymous with hating men - it is wanting to be equal in all regards to men. In fact, feminism is a topic that can help protect men, particularly when it comes to the concept of toxic masculinity and how that mentally affects so many young men in our society. Frankly, feminists give a shit about everyone.
On that opposite extreme, feminists are not perfect beings. For many, if not all, feminism is a journey of figuring out and discovering one’s own beliefs, making mistakes along the way and accepting the freedom to change one’s mind as new information is learned and developed. I think this is an important thing to remember.
Repeat after me: Feminism is not something to fear.
Feminism is a journey of acceptance and fighting for equality for all people.