What makes someone a feminist?

Question

Are there levels to being a feminist or does saying something critical of a guy make you one?

I dont put myself as a feminist, I dont want to cancel masculinity but I dont agree with set gender roles (housewife) but If that's what someone wants/wants to be then go for it.

a lot of the time on here especially, bs labels like feminist and incel are thrown out by people too lazy to actually have a conversation or discussing issues.

Rant over

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Most modern day "feminists" are not real feminists. Real feminism became warped and polluted in the 60s & 70s taking on many of the hippie era aspects and starting the degenerative slide to now. If the first wave feminists were still alive today they'd laugh in the face of modern day feminism.

Real feminism is about equality. Many "feminists" today put their hands out like beggars expecting to get what they want (female Oliver Twists, more please). They play on the "I've breasts" card. If they were real feminists they would PROVE they deserve respect, not demand it. If they don't like something they would try to change it through the proper channels not bay like dogs in "protests" topless and breasts hanging like cow utters.

Really modern feminism is a pathetic joke and widely why the few and far between real feminist don't say they are feminist. Who wants to be associated with circus clowns?

Agape93 · Accepted Answer

An actual, true feminist is only concerned with one thing: full equality between men and women. Equal pay, equal opportunities, equal job/school access, equal protections, equal punishment etc.

ADFSDF1996 · Answer

You’d have to constantly contradict yourself in order to be a feminist

Feminists supposedly believe women shouldn’t follow social norms yet they try to force social norms onto men
Feminists supposedly believe in “equality” but at the same time believe certain groups should be treated better
Feminists supposedly believe in “democracy” but use thought police to harass dissidents
Feminists don’t like to be generalized but they don’t have a problem generalizing the so called “privileged”
Feminists supposedly don’t like “gender norms” but in reality they just want to reverse them.
Feminists supposedly believe men and women are equal but they still like to boast about “female superiority”.
Feminists used to want women to be able to dress more provocatively, now they want women to cover up
Feminists claim to be about “body positivity” but they don’t have a problem shaming short people and other groups that don’t match their ideals.
Feminists oppose “imperialism” yet they still like to force their ideology onto other democratic countries.

razelove · Answer

There are different types of feminists, with different goals or objectives they want to achieve. Personally, what I find most admirable are those who follow the UN into war-torn countries to try to help women by preventing them from being raped and/or murdered following looting in a complete absence of law and order.

What you'll find more often if you research or look up much on feminism and defining it rather than individual goals, are 4 different waves defined by generation gaps between women, and what those women achieved for women. So first wave would be the right to vote and own property. Second wave would be birth control among other things during 60's-90's, third wave cementing policies into academia and putting more women into positions of power and authority. Fourth wave would be today, and as of yet there isn't a cohesive identity or "face" to the movement that I can find.

Third wave didn't like the title of feminist much as that was the big push towards equality of opportunity, and the word feminist could shut doors before you get a chance to show what you've got to offer. Who knows what 4th wave will look like. I mean, like any group there are going to be people with extreme beliefs, like Margaret Sanger really being all about eugenics, but absolutely vital to women getting birth control.

As the 4th wave has yet to define itself you could call yourself a feminist advocating women having less rights, equal rights, more, whatever. It isn't like there is a group with a solid identity to say otherwise at the moment. Just be you and let other people worry about the titles.

Smashingdoozy · Answer

"When they hear the word “Feminist,” most people think of a bunch of angry women who
believe that they are better than men. By definition the word “feminist” means “the advocacy of
women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” Feminists are not just women who
stand outside buildings demanding things. In reality they have revolutionized today's society and
have improved the lives of many. Most rights that women have today derived from true feminists
fighting for equality. Feminism has lost its true meaning. Real feminists such as the Suffragettes,
Eleanor Roosevelt, Barbara Walters, and so many more have made it possible for women to
become news anchors, be more than just a housewife, or allow women to vote."

A true feminist is what you want to be. Men, women & NB equals. I don't believe in the "current" feminism of bringing men down (though some need to be held accountable). Just want to be able to do the same shit and not be criticised because "women can't do that"

Kaneki05 · Answer

There is 2 types. One who want Scum manifesto stuff, and pushing everything in the wrong way promoting just to flip so men ain't equal to women and women are above all men. Then there is the other, women who stand for purely equal and when they notice that women are actually getting paid more than men they think umm this is wrong.

Due to the extreme one it has caused tons of shit. Making people confused whether there feminist, or if they say that what one will they be judged as. Personally i am not sure on the whole thing a great left winged youtuber she calls herself whatever the name is for just Equal rights support and wouldn't call herself a feminist due to the way it's represented but she has no problems with been friends with feminists (like one of her close friends) of the truly equal group not the Scum manifestos people's. Cause they both want the same thing.
So in conclusion if you support equal you also support what true feminism wants therefore the only people who are causing problems here are the Scum Manifesto peeps and welp... the Conservative idiots who just see the whole thing as black and white. That all equal right's that women are trying to get for both genders if just so called by "Feminism" will attack in pure ignorance and heck even if it's not called feminism they would.

tibit · Answer

Ok so... after reading several comments im not really surprised at the outcome of the discussion so far... yes im looking at all you internet trolls out there lol. Feminisim, mush like many other movements in history was about equality and to have the same rights as men. Originally women did not want the right to vote as it ment they would be applicable to military duties. However the general beliefs were for equal pay for equal work and many other items such as equal oppertunity for promotions. The general want for equality. The issue with regards to a lot of these problems is what exactly does equality mean in every circumstance. Many people state the wage gap between men and women which actually has less to do with their pay and more to do with the actual types of work. Women in general tend to take work oppertunities that are less physically demanding and with lower risk. This translates to a lower wage average as there is no or very little danger pay. For example as a telecommunications worker i was offered a job at 250k a year to work in afghanistan during the middle of a war. That same work done in Canada was paying approximately 50k at the time. Now im not saying this is the end all and be all of all cases. However there are factors. Currently women outnumber men in universities. They are also privileged with women only scholarships in particular programs as they are prodominently male dominated programs. I dont believe there is anything wrong with traditional feminisim in wanting equality however a lot of feminism is percived with a double standard and has been warped from what was perviously envisioned. Also can anyone actually list what rights or privaleges are strictly for men im Canada or the us?

Daedelus · Answer

This is the absolute best way to get people mad on this site, but here goes: Believing that men and women should be treated equally, and that gender shouldn't be used to force people to live their lives a certain way, is what makes someone a feminist.

Obviously, as with every broad movement, there are a billion different thinkers and writers who have said a billion different things. Hell, even people who would agree with what I just wrote still disagree about what it actually means. There are people calling themselves "feminists" who think that men are inherently inferior, and there are people calling themselves "feminists" who are just as reactionary and conservative as any outspoken misogynist.

I've always seen it sort of the same as calling yourself a capitalist. Sure, you can go look up "capitalist" in the dictionary, but there is a whole spectrum of ideas about what it actually means to be one. At the end of the day, there's no way to prove who is a capitalist, and who isn't, just the same as there's no way to prove that someone is or isn't a feminist. All you can really do is decide whether your own views of gender fit into the broad worldview of feminism, and go from there.

(Also it's worth pointing out that wanting the "cancel" masculinity isn't feminist, at least not in my view. Again, you can probably find plenty of whackos calling themselves "feminists" who want all men to wear dresses or whatever you define cancelling masculinity as, but in my opinion that's pretty much the opposite of what feminism is about. Very excited to see how people respond tho this post!)

Aiko_E_Lara · Answer

That word alone is already considered inequality. What makes someone a feminist is when she just call herself a feminist. If they feel the need to call themselves feminist while they actually demonstrate equality, is that is kind of like an oxymoron also because calling yourself one is not a demonstration of equality from the start. Sure there are feminists who say feminist hope support "equality", feminist who hates men, feminists who say feminist are for men too, choice feminists, sex positive feminists, sex negative feminists and so on. Like really there are so many kinds of feminist out there and they believed that kind of feminist is the real feminism so it has been reduced to nothing but a label. But of course they all have one thing in common which is the notion that there exists a patriarchy the puts disadvantages on women ignoring issues faced by men since they really feel the need to call themselves feminists. Instead of calling themselves egalitarian or humanists, they just don't do that. Because they just really feel like women are more oppressed than men that they have to advocate for feminism for empowerment. But sure even if you don't believe in all of those but you still call yourself a feminist, that is still an oxymoron.

Anonymous · Answer

you have to believe the following 6 myths which are utter and complete nonsense. That is if you're a modern feminist, not one of the good ones..

MYTH 1: Women are half the world’s population, working two-thirds of the world’s working hours, receiving 10% of the world’s income, owning less than 1% of the world’s property.
MYTH 2: Between 100,000 and 300,000 girls are pressed into sexual slavery each year in the United States.
MYTH 3: In the United States, 22%–35% of women who visit hospital emergency rooms do so because of domestic violence.
MYTH 4: One in five in college women will be sexually assaulted.
MYTH 5: Women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns—for doing the same work.
MYTH 6: Men are the privileged sex

Along with all of those, you must hate men, and believe if it is white and male its literally Hitler.

https://time.com/3222543/wage-pay-gap-myth-feminism/

Kas19 · Answer

I'm a feminist.

I believe there are imbalances for both sexes that need to be discussed. Such as male victims, especially male child victims of sexual abuse. It often gets ignored.

Child custody is also swayed in the mother's favor in court typically. That needs to be changed.

No one talks about female perpetrators of violence and abuse, especially towards men.

Women are more likely to get away with their crimes or receive a smaller jail sentence compared to men who committed the same crime.

Mens mental health and suicide stats need to be discussed as well.

There are major changes we need to make to create a safer, more stable environment.

JDavid25 · Answer

There's a lot that's said about feminism "wanting equality for all genders" but it's evolved from bored upper class housewives wanting "have a seat at the table and may have done it because of racist notions" to a form of female supremacy and victimization. Now that's not to say that women who call themselves feminist hate men, but it's always mixed in with some social justice type of rhetoric.. Feminism has always been using propaganda to try and get women to believe the things they want them to believe.. Like back in the day many women didn't care for the vote and in some states they already had the vote.. Meaning the Federal vote, because everybody could vote in local elections.. It means different things to different people in the end but many will tell you "Liberation for women", "Equality for all genders" and all that sweet stuff while making issues gendered.. For women..

bamesjond0069 · Answer

Well thats nice you dont agree with set gender roles but its an all or nothing thing on a societal level. Either you keep people to gender roles OR there is feminism cancel masculinity movements of some kind.

As women bend the norms it works for less and less women. As it works for less and less a large portion of them resent the outcome and ofc they blame men specifically because the outcome they are resenting is being denied by the men they want for relationships.

Every i cook i clean i stay pretty i act proper i want a husband girl, every single one gets a husband. Its all the women trying to reinvent the wheel that are not all getting husbands. The career women the polygamous the gang bangers the wait till im 40s. Etc. Some do but many dont. They get salty and learn to hate men.

So yeah you dont like feminism but dont like gender roles you really have to pick one on a societal level.

J2ohhhhh · Answer

My mom back in eastern Europe where people were still crying about communism was standing up for herself against men saying thay cannot treat her like shit, just because she's a woman. And other women back than were shaming her to care about this things cus no men needs her. Now the same women are considering themselves feminists. Most people are feminists because it's a trend to be one. It is allowed and encouraged. But if culture was telling them not to be a feminist they wouldn't be one. That's just the exact same mindset, now they don't need a men because they have a movement, but they are still not independent they depend on a movement. I respect the ones who could stand up for themselves as an individual when discriminated because of their gender, not only shout from a crowd.

TonyV · Answer

Well a true feminist wants equality, or to be more exact equal opportunity.

New age feminism seems to just hate men, their idea of equality is sexist towards men, they like to play victim and bring up debunked thinks like "the wage gap" and they won't listen to reason when people explain it, men on average get more pay annually cause we take the risky high paying jobs, I'm a union electrician, after 5 or 6 years I'll be a journeyman and make $37.50 an hour, there aren't very many women who get in this line of work, there's like 100 men to 1 woman usually and no one is stopping women from doing this line of work they just choose not too.
The new age feminist idea of "equality" is equal outcome, they want to have some silly hob like, I don't know, libraiarian and get the same pay as some guy on a power poll that will be vaporized if he makes a wrong move.

dragoblack · Answer

Someone who stands for equity between all sexes and genders and having the workplace treat people as people, not as 1950s society menality on gender, sex, and sexuality roles.

In other words, don't be a asshole, and treat people as people regardless of gender, sex, and sexuality

DiscomfortZone · Answer

Long ago feminism was about equal rights for women and the ending of gender discrimination. Today it's an anti-men hate cult of the weakest most pathetic kind of women who care NOTHING for justice or equality. Instead of empowering women they attempt to drag them down to their level, brainwashing them that they are constantly victims and that anything and everything wrong about their lives is the fault of men everywhere. If you believe in freedom of choice and the irrelevance of primitive gender roles and stereotypes - you are not a feminist. Not today. These values have nothing to do with that name and label anymore.

Weasly · Answer

The term feminist is flawed for what it is.

It has nothing to do with gender roles, but is actually a fight for equality for all genders. There is just a very loud portion that label themselves feminists who are all about bashing men and taking rights away from us.

So to be a feminist it means you want men, women and every other gender identity to be treated the same by the government and by the population in every way.

SomeGuyCalledTom · Answer

Problem is, "feminism" can be interpreted to mean just about anything. And I think it has something to do with feminism co-evolving along with intersectionalism the last 30 or so years. According to the intersectional worldview, everything is a subjective shade of grey and open to individual interpretation, yet every group of people in society has an "objectively" determined amount of victimisation. Rather than challenge this contradictory narrative, feminism just went right along and took up the mantle of intersectional identity politics, leading to the feminist movement becoming increasingly fractionated.

Nalix · Answer

There are a lot of different kinds of feminist, and a lot of them disagree with each other rather vigorously. There are feminists like Christina H. Sommers, who are practically MRAs, others who focus on issues like transhumanism, others who are more pro government, others who are practically anarchists. No, scratch that. I don't know any feminist anarchists. Should google it, sounds like something I could get behind.

My main issue with mainstream feminism is how it has wormed its way into state power and is trying to shove it's demented religion down our throats.

Anonymous · Answer

Most women self identify as a feminist. That is the first thing that makes her a feminist. Her actions, like protesting and denigrating men's rights activists all in the name of supporting women's rights, that would also make her a feminist. Pushing for women's right while ignoring that there are many double standards that favor women or that men might have many things worse than women do. Promoting hatred of men or promulgating fake or minor issues in order to create dissent and chaos. those actions can also make her a feminist

MCheetah · Answer

- Negligent/failed parents
- Low intelligence/closed-mindedness
- Massive insecurity
- Narcissism (only thinking you matter in the world)
- Self-loathing
- Unyielding bigotry and hatred towards others, especially those more successful than you (male or female)
- No role models, especially father figures
- No talents or viable skills
- Staggering hypocrisy/double standards/projection
- Liberal

All of these ingredients combined make a third/fourth wave feminist.

TwoToTooTutu2 · Answer

Feminist is a self imposed title. But if you want to know about Doctorine, a person who believes that all people are equal is an Egalitarian... not a Feminist. Feminist theory is similar to Marxist theory, Socialist theory, Facist theory, Nationalist theory, etc... It preaches power struggle between groups of people.

cth96190 · Answer

Feminists are either Communists, or the hateful, delusional, low-information useful idiots of the Communists.
What is their goal?
In the Communist Manifesto (Marx, 1854), Karl Marx wrote that to usher in his vision of a “workers’ paradise” it would be necessary to destroy the family unit by destroying the social contract between men and women, because the family was the foundational unit of both Capitalism and Western Civilisation.
That is the true purpose of Feminism.

Anonymous · Answer

Feminists have unfortunately been taken over by people who really just dislike men for whatever reason. Does that mean the whole idea is bad? No it does not. I do not wear the feminists title because of that even if they have points I agree with. Instead I call myself classical feminist. All they believe is everyone should be equal and free decided their life and we should work together. a lot of the orginal feminist left the movement starting around the second wave.

007kingifrit · Answer

feminism does mean different things to different people. but only the really bad uses of the term really exist anymore as there aren't any women specific issues left

basically the only feminist left is one with such a rigid adherance to the term equality that she thinks that ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL between men and women must be due to discrimmination. and that's not true

jasco · Answer

I don't agree that a women should be a housewife, i do want one tho sort of. As for feminist well there are different types. The crazy, the dumb, and the old fashion. I like the old fashion because they have morals and they do seem to care more about others than themselves

slms2003 · Answer

Feminism simply means that you want gender equality and equity. It doesn’t mean that you hate masculinity. People that say things like “kill all men,” and are serious aren't feminist. They’re misandrists. Men can also be feminists without compromising their masculinity.

likelyOK · Answer

It’s not so much that there are levels but their are different types, there are liberal feminists, capitalist feminist, women of color feminist, white middle class feminist who only seek their own agenda, religious feminist, atheist feminist. Most people see the definition as too narrow and it’s weighted terminology.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Traditional feminism is about social equality, hence, the women sufferage to gain voting and labor rights.

Modern feminism, I don't follow it or know much about it, but it's totally different from original feminism from the bit I know about it.

Twenty2 · Answer

I think any girl who calls herself feminist has an inferiority complex. Only girls who feel that they aren't at par with guys think that there's need for feminism. Women aren't men. They are different and they are the good different. We men need women to be women. We don't want another man in our life.

Anonymous · Answer

I wouldn't go for it, personally, but for feminists like me for example, I am one personally like I believe in women's rights and everything but i'm not like ultra feminine or to the extreme. I just believe that everyone is equal, because we're all human and everyone is different in their own way

zoobs94 · Answer

Feminists needs to visit a poorest place on earth and scene will be man (illiterate) working like donkey 18 hours hard labour, come home give all his earning to his woman and kids same next day and day after won't get enough time to even complain.
And just listen to his wife for 5 minutes will have more mountain of complains.

RenegadeSailor · Answer

I think there are women who call themselves feminists because it is the in thing to do.

And there are those who have taken the poison pill and have that cancer.

I've seen feminism destroy a lot of women.

Pulseofsulfur · Answer

Depends on the feminist you are. You seem like the non toxic type of feminists who actually want social progress for women. And their's the toxic feminists were women want to cancel men for a freudian slip of words or slighty disagree with their beliefs

na2398 · Answer

The sorry state of affairs in our society compels me to stand up for women and their rights. Yes, a few of them misuse this term but I would stilk back the genuine ones. In a perfectly utopian world, we'd have never needed feminism. To all women out here, it's your time to frolic in the sky! :)

US-Agent88 · Answer

Omagh

From feminists I've seen probably painting in your own menstruation blood. One feminist for "reasons" climbed up on ladders to menstruation all over a canvas below. Who actually is paying money for this "art"?

LeoElias · Answer

I think you can have your opinions about something and not be a feminist or incel. When you start hating men or women is when it becomes negative like feminazi or a incel/mgtow

misanthropistkev · Answer

I think feminist are just women who wanna feel like matter which is good nothing wrong with that just don’t expect people to care feminist are special and I just hate those aggressive feminists who say they’re oppressed because a lot and I mean a lot of guys don’t give a fuck a lot of women too my point is that feminism gets a lot of undeserved clout

weysally · Answer

the same as a male dominate man, won't listen to others views

admles · Answer

An actual feminist? Belief in equality for ALL. A real feminist would never use terms like "mansplain" for instance, and would be just as concerned about father's rights etc, not just women's issues

Sabretooth · Answer

just spew man-hating garbage and be immune to any kinda reasonable argument i've debated em... here's a great example of exactly what is:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/IYIZjv-l8BQ

total bull shit! what they want is to be superior... Emma Watson took her top off at the beach-not sure what point she was trying to make-i doubt others do, either.

normalice · Answer

At root, I see feminism as a demand for equal pay for equal work. Money is power so once that is settled I suspect most other feminist issues would work themselves out.

Unit1 · Answer

Doesn't matter. If you call yourself a feminist or belong to them, then you are a feminist. That's it.

Snakeyes7 · Answer

If someone believes in the existence of a patriarchy, of which we live in, that benefits men over women... but at the same it doesn't because of toxic masculinity. It doesn't make sense to me.

OddBeMe · Answer

Definitions are key. Most of us have different definitions. I’m pretty minimalist and don’t put extra meaning into words.  Feminism literally just means equality for women. Period.

supercutebutt · Answer

Why are there sooooo many feminist questions on this site?

pigoat · Answer

A feminist is a person who wants change and not live like we in the early 1900s

genericname85 · Answer

in my opinion and in the modern day western world: being uneducated, strongly opinionated and presumptuous at the same time. not a good mixture.

msc545 · Answer

Physical unattractiveness, a loud voice, and a lot and a lot of anger and prejudice.

warrenstone · Answer

Lack of dick in her life. Feminists are female incels.

Gedaria · Answer

I always side on the girls.  When guys are together it seems to end in trouble..

Anonymous · Answer

Generally being filled with a lot of hatred of men.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

I don't think there are any set gender roles anymore the lines are totally blurred you have mentioned now that are kept staying at home dads

lordskull69 · Answer

Agree. If you can say hey good for you but it's not for me then your spot on.

_no_one_ · Answer

There are toxic feminists and genuine feminists and then there are fake feminists. So it's hard to get on a conclusion.

Smegskull · Answer

Someone who follows the religious doctrines of feminism.

Anonymous · Answer

Are you asking about what feminism is supposed to be, or what it actually is?

SirJohn42 · Answer

I have no clue. All I know is they are a bitter bunch of women.  They push their evil agendas.

Kingofkings1992 · Answer

Having resentment towards men simply for being men. Believing that women deserve more rights than men do.

Anonymous · Answer

The belief in the pursuit of ensuring men and women are equal in different facets of life in areas of career and society.

DaughterOfLilith · Answer

If you believe in human rights, then you are a feminist.

What makes someone a feminist?

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