The F-Word: 10 Absurd Myths About Feminists

Feminism, this author’s favorite F-word, has been the center of many a people’s interests, shrouded by myths and deemed to be nothing less than a cult where women sacrifice men at their altar and feast on their flesh and blood.

Not.

For years, this attainment of social, political and economic equality has been surrounded by stigma, with people attempting to put down feminism as a temper tantrum, a movement by the privileged to simply increase what they already have in ample quantity. Pat Robertson’s response to feminism is a good explanation of the myths that surround a belief that women should have equal rights and opportunities as men; she said, “…the feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.”

Right.

Here are 10 absolutely over-the-top myths about feminists that will make you laugh, cry and want to take a sledgehammer to whoever came up with these. Buckle up for a truly exhilarating ride.

1. Feminists aren’t capable of making or taking a good joke.

Not really. We just don’t want to laugh at your crappy sense of humor, especially if it involves making jokes about a concept that your little minds can’t grasp properly.

2. Feminists are hairy.

Seriously, though? Feminism isn’t about either keeping your body hair or getting rid of it; it’s simply about letting women make choices about things that the patriarchy decided for them before feminism came forward. Not all feminists want to shave body hair off and why that should be a problem to anyone, this author can’t comprehend.

3. Feminists don’t want to ever marry.

To men, they don’t like. Yes. Boom.

No one wants to marry a person they’re not compatible with. Feminists are simply women who want to make their own choices when it comes to important life decisions, such as marriage.

4. Feminists don’t want kids.

Ah, yes, you, the mind reader have already discerned our innermost desire to not have kids by simply looking at our faces. Ingenious! The truth is that boxing all feminists into one convenient box might make it easier for your brain to reject the idea but you can’t deny reality forever. Not all feminists want kids and that’s okay, what’s not okay is scorning another woman’s choice to start a family – yeah, that is not feminism.

5. Feminists only cater to the interest of white, heterosexual women.

Wrong. Unless you believe in intersectional feminism, you’re not a true feminist. Feminists believe in helping all genders, regardless of sexuality, race, and ethnicity attain equal rights, powers, and opportunities.

6. Feminists hate men.

Who abuse women and their fundamental human rights, yes. We do. If you’re not of the above category, there is no need for you to get triggered if feminists do hate men.

7. Feminists hate “girly” stuff.

Feminists don’t hate concepts usually attributed to femininity, they simply want people to stop equating femininity with weakness. We also don’t like gender stereotypes but that doesn’t mean that I must hate the color pink to be a good feminist – I must simply hate the idea that boys and girls are boxed into distinct categories and reprimanded if they like something that lies outside of these gender stereotypes.

8. Feminists are always angry.

Only at the patriarchy, sweetie. Don’t take it so personally. Learn to take a joke or two, you know.

9.  Feminists hate chivalry.

If your idea of chivalry is dictating someone’s actions, catcalling them or interfering with a woman’s right to make a decision just because you think her decision is wrong, then yeah. We do.

10. Feminists adopt these beliefs to get attention.

Au contraire, we have no agenda.

The only attention we do want is attention to pertinent issues surrounding the oppression of women and men based on their gender.