Tuesday, October 28, 2014

what being a feminist means to me

[read this first]

I am a feminist because I am a Christian 
I am a feminist because I believe that the world's greatest champion of women & womanhood is Jesus the Christ
& I am seeking to follow Jesus Christ 


my faith informs my feminism. 
i believe that in the eyes of God, women & men are equal
{i believe it is possible to be equal without being the same. basic algebra taught me that} ;)
i believe that God loves me
that He created me
that He loves me for being a woman
& that I have divine possibilities & capabilities as a woman
and that i am not lesser in any way for my gender

furthermore

i believe that every human should have every right & opportunity to grow & progress & be who they were created to be
a person's womanhood [or manhood] should in no way hold them back

i believe that men & women are infinitely more than their appearance
& that we should treat each other as children of God
not merely bodies
or objects

i believe that socially prescribed gender roles & stereotypes are harmful 
to both genders

i believe that popular societal ideas of "true beauty" "womanhood" & "manhood" are harmful and wrong
& also, that they can change.

i believe that my gender is an important part of my identity
not my entire identity

i believe that every voice is important
male & female

i don't believe in erasing all differences 
i believe in celebrating them

i don't believe in prescribing a role & characteristics & opportunities & a LIFE for someone
based solely on the genitalia they were born with

that just seems silly.

i believe that men & women are capable of so much more
& the gender equality will help us to achieve it

i believe that when you elevate women, you elevate men
& vice versa

i am a feminist because i know how it feels to not match up to everything society tells you a woman should be
and that's not fair

i am a feminist because i know that every woman will not have the same experience
& every man will not have the same experience
& i believe that humans have the God-given gift to choose for themselves 
& decide what God wants for them
without societal pressure dictating what they need to be to be successful & happy

there is more than one way to be a woman
there is more than one way to be a man

perhaps most importantly,
i'm a feminist because i have sisters
and brothers
and i love them 
more than anything else in world



i am a feminist because i believe society needs to change
& i believe society can change
& i believe it starts with me.


----------------------------

~other people who have said the things in my heart better than i could~

Feminism does not mean "down with men"
Feminism does not mean women are trying to turn into men
Feminism does not mean hatred for men and love for women
Feminism is simply advocating opportunities for all people regardless of gender
Feminism is an idea "wouldn't it be great if gender didn't impede a person's progression?" and then all can differ on how and the details.
Feminism should never be about forcing, shaming girls into one particular idea of womanhood. It's about opportunities, choices.
Feminism says, who do you want to be? What do you want to do? No one can tell you you can't because you're a girl. You can be that person.
Feminism says that if a man is more qualified for a job than a woman than he should get it
Feminism says if a woman is more qualified than a man for a job, then her femaleness shouldn't prevent her getting it
And then feminism says if men are more qualified than women for certain jobs let's look at why and help girls get educated.


"Man can not degrade woman without himself falling into degradation; he can not elevate her without at the same time elevating himself" 
Alexander Walker


emma watson

 Because we live in a world where strength and power have always been defined by men, many think that they must be the same as a man to be strong and powerful. The idea implies that only what a man does is of worth, and therefore, if a woman wants to be of worth, she must become like a man. This is wrong. Women should be valued for what they contribute based on their own individual and differing strengths, not based on how much like a man they may have become.

"In an age when women were generally expected to provide only temporal service, the Savior taught Martha and Mary that women could also participate spiritually in His work. He invited them to become His disciples and partake of salvation, “that good part” that would never be taken from them"


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