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7 Signs Your Friend Claims to be a Feminist but Isn’t

Now, I don’t mean to make feminists sound like we have an exclusive club that individual members only have access to, but real intersectional feminists just don’t do certain things that others do. It’s like calling yourself a vegan, but

continuing to eat meat and dairy products. This isn’t me telling you what to do, or that I have the right to say if you are or you aren’t. But, if you haven’t noticed, feminism has become a more popular term that people are identifying with, and will soon become the majority. If you’ve ever talked about feminism with friends and family, they may call themselves feminists too without being informed on what that means. The definition is, “The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” Again, people support this idea but still act and say sexist things without even realizing (women as well.) Here are seven signs some you know claims to be a feminist but isn’t.

 

#1 – Slut Shaming

Slut shaming is not something a feminist does by any means. It’s a formed of hatred on women based on their appearance or sexual reputation. The case is different if you and a close friend take ownership of the words but know that you respect each other, and there are no hard feelings.

 

#2 – Misandrists

These people believe women are above men and focus on superiority rather than equality. Anti-feminists believe that is what feminists preach, which isn’t true at all. If you ignore male rape victims, the issues with hyper-masculinity, and support violence towards men, you are a misandrist, not a feminist.

 

 

#3 – Pro-Lifers

If you are against abortion for yourself and know you’d never do it based on your beliefs, that is completely okay. It is only an issue when you try to tell another woman what to do with her body. If you are pro-life you are anti-choice. It’s stripping the choice away from the woman and it is being supportive of her having a child she does
not want or isn’t prepared to have. A big part of feminism is having choices. Being able to do what you want unapologetically and shamelessly is vital.

 

#4 – They like feminists, just not those feminists.

This means a lot of different things for different people. Again, some misandrists pose as feminists, so you could politely correct them if that is the case. But if you take your time to point out issues and get called one of those feminists, that person should not call themselves one. You should try your best to keep up with feminist topics and not be afraid to talk about them.

 

#5 –  They Aren’t Supportive of Current Issues.

I’m not saying you have to constantly keep up
with feminist topics, but not paying attention to current issues, modern-day feminism, and claim that the movement isn’t needed in the western world isn’t encouraging.

 

#6 – They Put Down Feminism Around Specific People.

There is a pretty good chance that if you call yourself a feminist around someone you don’t know, they may have a negative first impression. It is import
ant to stick with your beliefs around everyone and be honest. Why would you want to be friends with someone who doesn’t respect a big part of your identity? Even if you know someone won’t approve, you shouldn’t deny it.

 

#7 – White Feminists
When intersectionality isn’t important to these so-called activists, are they really feminists? If your feminism doesn’t include people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, mental health issues, maybe you should rethink what you call yourself. When feminism was first created, it was very exclusive to white women, and they were often racist. With the way it has evolved now, that’s not the standard case anymore, even though it does exist.

 

Actions speak louder than words, and doing your part in creating awareness whether it’s speaking up on social media, discussing matters with friends, or calling out misogynist ideas is an excellent start. Feminism means different things for different people, and there is no rulebook. Although, you have to support the equality of the sexes and it takes a lot more than just stating that. There are sexist ideas and sayings a lot of us don’t even realize are misogynistic because they’re so normalized in our society. Becoming aware of this and using it in your daily life is key.

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