I am a Feminist.... even when I never wanted to be...

Feminism is a word I think we think we know what it means
At least in my mind the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word feminism is women living there lives in a way that basically says "I am better than men and don't need a man, or any man, in my life".  Now this clearly is a very misguided viewpoint of feminism.  But even still this is what I think of when I see the word feminism.  And because of this view point I want nothing to do with that mindset.  I want nothing to do with a group of women who live their lives like they are better than any man and that the world would be better without men.

But here is the problem That Is Not FEMINISM
Feminism at its core fights for women to be heard.  It fights for women to be equal, not above or below.  It fights for women to be able to do what makes them come alive. Feminism fights not for a world without men but fights for a world where women are on a level playing field with men.  Feminism at its core is equal rights.

One of the saddest conversations I had recently was with a friend of mine
Who happens to be a women.  The words she said are stuck deep in my brain as she said "You will never find a less feminist women than me."  Wait what?  You don't want women to be equal and have a voice to speak as loudly and as often as any man?  You want women to be in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant at all times?   If that is the case I think you missed both the point of feminism and have been miss reading parts of the Bible.


Now I get it we all have bad thoughts about good things sometimes
I admit I sometimes have a hard time with Black History month and I consider that one of the greatest months of the year.  But we can't let our negative view of a word stop us from living out the truth that is behind the word.  Feminism's goal is equality and I believe in equality and because I believe in equality I must believe in Feminism even when I don't want to be associated with the word that has become something totally different than what it was meant to be.

Feminism to me is like the word Christian
Follow me on this for a second.  Christian and Christianity have a lot of bad viewpoints and thoughts about them.  Christians are often thought of us gay hating, judgmental begets.  And Christianity is often viewed as the thing behind the Crusades and the whole thing with the Catholic Church and child abuse.  But at the end of the day even if I don't want to be labeled as a Christian there is just no way to better describe my beliefs.  Because at the end of the day my goal is to be a Little Christ, which is the true meaning behind the word Christian. And there is the thing about feminism.  Is no matter how hard I try there is just not a better way to describe the way that I want to fight for women's rights than to call me self a feminist.   Because at the end of the day I believe in fighting for equal rights for everyone because that is what I believe my Savoir, Jesus, would want.

So even though I don't want to be a feminist
Because the word has lost its true meaning in many ways but my goal is equal rights and an equal voice for both male and female and as such I, Adam Nash, am a Feminist even when I don't want to be.

(This post is a post in the three day syncroblog called Femimisms Fest.  Here are the links to join in the conversation.  Enjoy.     http://www.fromtwotoone.com/2013/02/announcing-feminisms-fest-synchroblog.html  And here is the other one.  http://loveiswhatyoudo.com/2013/02/26/feminisms-and-me-femfest-link-up-day-1/)