Recently, it’s been brought to my attention that the social stigmas placed on feminism — and in turn, on my fellow feminists — aren’t limited to the darker corners of our MU campus, but rather are ubiquitous, parasitic sentiments that resonate with otherwise reasonable individuals.

Indeed, in the middle-finger-christened irony, the opinion “I support equal rights for men and women, but there’s no way in holy hell that I’m a feminist” is _incredibly_ common, usually followed by an apologetic “after all, I don’t _hate_ men, and I’ve never set a bra on fire. I’m a loud and proud humanist because that’s about human progress, and that’s for _all_ people.”

Admittedly, I used to dismiss such motley demonstrations of ignorance as innocuous and trite, but I’ve found these and similar sentiments to be far too common in our contemporary marketplace of ideas, and as such, I’ll address them appropriately.

For examples, I’ll use a few quotes ripped from [a Salon article](http://www.salon.com/2013/04/06/im_not_a_feminist_but/) regarding celebrities and their individual takes on feminism. This is to emphasize that celebrities are especially deserving of intersectional scrutiny and that they should be held to a far higher paradigm of responsibility. Hopefully, pointing out the flaws in actualized opinions will be more efficacious than pointing out the flaws of hypothetical hypocrites. I implore you to keep an open mind throughout the whole affair, as you may find your own judgments challenged.

**Taylor Swift:** “I don’t really think about it as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life.””

And there you have it: –feminism as ““guys versus girls.”” Contrary to popular belief, this _couldn’t be further from the truth_. Feminism isn’t an exercise in misandry or an ill-conceived war against men. It’s an attempt to get men and women to work _together_ to help members of _both_ groups. There’s another popular misconception: the idea that feminism is solely in the interest of women, on account of the “fem” in its name. Just because it isn’t called “egalitarianism” doesn’t mean that isn’t _exactly_ what it is.

As to how feminism helps men and women alike, it’s rather simple. Feminists seek to shatter the glass ceilings and social barriers governed by patriarchy — and included in said barriers are the social constructions of gender roles. In turn, feminists will campaign for the acceptance of men and women expressing themselves as they please: free of “alpha” idealism, machismo or similar shackles of cultural expectation.

A common example is that of custody in divorce settlements. Men are invariably seen as incapable of handling their own children due to the construct of “absentee fatherhood”, so custody can often be given to the otherwise inferior parent. In this instance, the feminist would campaign for the superior parent to the receive superior custody of the child regardless of gender. This is something that once again will serve both genders in an equal manner.

**Lady Gaga:** “”I’’m not a feminist. I hail men, I love men, I celebrate American male culture —– beer, bars and muscle cars.””

Again, contrary to popular belief, there is nothing in canonical feminist literature that explicitly prescribes feminists to“ hate men”, as Gaga seems to imply. As for celebrating American male culture, most feminists _will_ find ample cause for contention, and rightfully so;– the stereotypical “American male culture” to which Gaga was referring disenfranchises the many and benefits the few.

Some offhand examples of this: ““stud” culture” often turns flirting into anything but fun (and terrifying for anyone who isn’t socially adept), romantic interactions are framed as challenges or causes for judgment, and the longevity of the sexual double standard is alive and well. It’s an all-around grim affair that again disadvantages men as well as women. –

This only raises the question: “Why are there so many few male feminists?”

**Madonna:** ““I’m not a feminist. I’m a humanist.””

I rarely use the following terminology, but this sentiment is legitimately _stupid_. First and foremost, “humanism” has just about _nothing_ to do with any contemporary social movement, let alone social justice. Rather, it’s a varied philosophical school of thought that involves empiricism, rationalism and similarly secular approaches to interpreting the world.

Let me put it another way: When people say that they’re taking a “”humanities”” class, _that’s_ when you have humanism, and perhaps then you can properly identify someone as a “humanist.”

Of course, I know what Madonna _meant_. She meant that she supports equal rights for all people, or rather, all humans. Pleasantly enough, there’s pre-existing terminology that fits such a definition and then some: feminism! Indeed, contemporary feminism has adopted intersectionality in an intimate sense, and if there’s any singular movement that can truly be considered “for all humans”, it would be intersectional feminism.

Again, I implore you to consider intersectional feminism for your own sake if you already haven’t, as it truly is a worldview that is in the complete and utter interest of every living, breathing person out there. In other words: Don’t let the “f-word” scare you.