Feminism is not the hatred towards men. The point of feminism is not to discriminate against men. Feminism is not a movement to discourage men. Feminism is not a movement plotting to pull all men out of power. Feminism is not a movement to promote women superiority. Feminism is for everyone.
Many are turned-off by the term Feminism. The definition of Feminism is very simple: equal opportunity for women and have be intellectual equals to men. Just because a person does not feel first-hand the unequal opportunity of women, this does not mean the movement should not exist. If a person doesn't see unequal opportunity, this doesn't mean that misogyny isn't real.
I have seen countless times women expressing that they do not "need" feminism because they are not "man-haters" or not a "lesbian". It is so saddening for multiple reasons; men and women are so ill informed that they believe this is what feminism means, they might have been around people that claim to be feminists and are actually using this movement to promote their misandry, and the main complaint: feminists are just man-haters.
Countless men and women in the public eye are proud feminists. Actors Forrest Whittaker, Lena Dunham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Amy Poehler, Matt Damon, Beyoncé, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Claire Danes and Matthew McGorry just to name a few are very involved with this movement.
PHOTO - Matt McGorry Quote
Matt McGorry, one of the most prominent male celebrities involved in the support of equal opportunity, posts frequently to his half a million followers on twitter about this passion: why feminism matters. Matt McGorry has been an inspiration to many of his fans, showing and
educating others on the true meaning of feminism.
"I'm a white heterosexual male, and I have a lot of privilege in that way," he says. "When people make ignorant comments, I get angry, but I haven't personally been the subject of this sort of discrimination. So I think there's a certain level-headedness to it that I can bring, I hope. Even in my daily life, I get to have a conversation more simply because I'm putting it on social media, and my friends are asking me about it."
"I'm not going to be convincing the people who really don't believe in gender equality on my Twitter feed, but I think people who maybe missed out on some understanding of it, but who are good people deep down -- those are the people who are worth reaching. I do think there is some risk of isolating people, but -- f**k those people, honestly."
Photo: Matt McGorry tweets
In September 2014, the HeForShe campaign was launched. HeForShe is a campaign that invites people all over the world to join together and fight against gender inequality and promote women's rights. 1.3 billion people visited HeForShe.org and signed up to stand together to help create a gender equal world. HeForShe is promoted by UN Women and created by Emma Watson, arguably the most prominent woman in support of this movement.
Photo: Emma Watson quote
Emma Watson, known as an actress in the Harry Potter series has become a UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador. During the Ambassadorship Watson has visited Bangladesh, Zambia, and Uruguay to speak and promote necessary education for women as well as frequent posts to her twitter page, which has a following of more than 21.7 million followers.
Watch Emma Watson's Official UN Speech here: "Emma Watson at the HeForSheCampaign in 2014"
Feminism is a movement to establish equal economical, social, political rights for women. Feminism is for men and women. Feminists fight to close the wage gap. Feminists are not all lesbians. Feminists want women to feel safe against harassment and domestic violence. Feminism is not a dirty word. We need feminism.
By, Brianna Deleon
@brianna_deleon
Also, see my post in DiplomatArtist.com: "Feminism in the UN"