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We Should All Be Feminists Response
We Should All Be Feminists Response
We Should All Be Feminists Response
6 September 2017
feminism was a common ideal held by everyone. The breadwinner of my family, my mother,
was strong and independent, and had always taught my sisters and me to be so as well; feminism
was more of a fundamental truth in my family. As I grew older, however, I started noticing that
not everyone felt the same way. While listening to Chimamanda speak, I noticed several parallels
to her feminist realizations to my own, despite having matured in a society that culturally varies
always stressed that women could do anything that men could do, which was my first definition
of feminism. I grew up challenging the boys in my classes because I knew that I should be able
quickly realized that in the conservative area of south-west Virginia, that being an f word was
not a positive attribute to have, as Chimamanda also noted. Nevertheless, I refused to hide my
beliefs. While the many men around me assumed that being a feminist meant that I was a man-
hating lesbian, I continued to research feminism and the ideals it held, and found that I agree
I find feminism to be incredibly important because of the double standards I have seen
for both males and females. For example, women are expected to take care of the house while
the man supports her. This is unfair to both sexes, because not only are women put down and
unable to provide for their families, but men are forced in a position of significant responsibility
that they never asked for. Neither sex should be forced to carry the load of providing everything
for the household, nor should either sex be degraded into a position of subordination. While the
aforementioned example is likely the most common of gender inequality, there are also many
When I was little, I had always loved the boys toys. However, I was scared to play with them
because I thought that, as a girl, I was not supposed to because of a little gender label. Being
friends with many men, I am always surprised at how hesitant they are to share their emotions
with me because of how society has taught them to sacrifice their feelings for their masculinity.
Society has a huge psychological impact on how people feel they are allowed to act in
order to be accepted. One part of Chimamandas TED talk that caught my interest was when she
stated that culture does not make people, but rather people create culture. Culture can most
certainly be changed if people are perpetually changing. If I were to change culture, I would start
by teaching people to show kindness to others, rather than teaching people to fear others. The
mindset of fear condones the actions of tyrants, as opposed to discouraging their behavior.
There are many feminists in my life that have changed how I view the world. My favorite
feminist would be my mother, who has always been able to do everything on her own. She, as
well as my sisters, taught me that I never had to depend on anyone. However, if I were to pick a
public feminist icon, one favorite that comes to mind is Roxanne Gay. While there are many
more figures that I could mention that inspire me in countless ways, I chose Roxanne because I
bad one. I love rap music that objectifies women and refers to them in degrading manners. I
find that I would be an exceptional stay-at-home mom and I actually enjoy housework. I wear
certain outfits because I want to be objectified; I want someone to look at my body and be
impressed. I love being feminine and many of the aspects that associated with the female sex.
However, that does not mean that I will stop to fight for the many women who desire a different
path from my own. The important part about feminism is the right to equality, which includes the
right to choose the course of ones life without the pressure to fit into a mold.