Stereotypical Feminism by Lillee Couture ’18
The vocalization of rape, objectification, and openly protesting for the rights of women
these are all parts of the overwhelming umbrella term of “stereotypical feminism” as some would say
it’s a label given to girls and women who are passionate about their beliefs and rights
She asked for it they said
Well… she shouldn’t have dressed that way they said
Why are these women protesting for something they don’t even understand! They said
This type of woman is why they didn’t get rights in the first place
They say get like basic rights of equality are a privilege
So, driven by emotion and not logic
Like men have only ever thought with their brains,
They have no place here.
This is the reaction women have been getting since they have begun the uphill battle of equality.
There were obvious expectations that men would retaliate
Not wanting the social order to change from the delicate patriarchy that had been placed onto society
But men are not the topic of my poem today
My topic is the women who are single handedly tearing down other women.
no one was expecting for members of their own sex to turn against them
and no one was expecting someone from their sacred group of sisterhood to break their bond and openly rip their arguments, beliefs, and confidence apart
good god another rape poem she said,
Can’t they just give these protests a rest she said,
Why can’t she just sit down and keep her mouth shut like the rest of us?
These are all things that I have personally heard from women about issues revolving around other women
Yet the same women say:
We fight for equality
We fight for the rights that should have been given to us years ago
Yet again those same women are saying that they would gladly give up their right to vote so a person could get elected into office on twitter
#repeal the 19th
There are STILL women who believe that it’s ok to have a soul aspiration of making a man happy
There are STILL women who think they have no voice and are okay with it
There are STILL women who think rape culture and a misogynistic society is just the way of life and we have to sit here and take it
yet they still call themselves a feminist only when the argument is in their favor
They “stand up” for women when they actually just need to sit down
I was really offended by this (why)
I hated this (why)
I thought this was really irrelevant to me so I won’t hear it (how so)
If you can’t answer any of the previous questions without yelling and getting angry you should know that you shouldn’t be yelling and getting angry
This type of escalation in defensiveness is all too common
This type of sexist mindset is all too common
This uncomfortableness and insecurity that drives you to rip down someone’s self-esteem is all too common
Just because you are uncomfortable with truth
does not in any way shape or form give you the right to rip down my confidence brick by brick because you are insecure
You want respect, so do I
The thing is though; I actually don’t care if you are an anti-feminist or a feminist I respect your belief
What I don’t respect is your lack of commitment to either side; it’s cowardly.
What I care about is that you demand respect for every one of the hundreds of things you believe in but you can’t fathom the idea of respecting mine
As someone who thinks I am a “stereotypical feminist” you should know since I am so “driven by emotion”
I will gladly step up to the plate for the defense of the rights of women
Even against another woman if I have to
Cause here’s the thing…
the whole point about being a feminist is standing up for your sex as a whole
To give a voice to those who are too scared to speak
And every time I stand up for feminism I remember that it’s not just for me but for the women who don’t have a voice
But I have the privilege to speak so I will
I am even standing up for the woman I am defending Feminism against
Because that is being a true feminist
You know you are hurting someone when you are ostracizing them
You know you are giving emotional lashes to a girl when you call her fat and ugly
You know you are killing a girl when you tell her to kill herself.
Yet,
You’re still crying at her funeral when she does take her life talking about how much you will miss her when the last text she received from you telling her the exact opposite