General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Is it possible for a man to be a feminist? [View all]gollygee
(22,336 posts)By that dictionary definition, obviously yes. Men can advocate for the social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.
But I think feminism should be defined by women, and the word feminism should be defined by feminists. And we will no doubt disagree, which is fine, but it's still our movement to define. I am not bothered by women who want to define feminism, or the word feminism, differently than I do, because it's their movement as well as mine. But it is not the movement of men, and when men get involved in the definition of it, it turns into them telling us what feminism is and what we should be working for, and why we aren't "real feminists" who say things they like to hear better, or something along those lines. Our movement isn't about making men feel good about themselves, or about giving men pats on the back for being decent human beings. I don't expect LGBT people, or people of color, to give me a pat on the back for not being a homophobic or racist bigot. I don't expect them to include me in defining their movements.