To be honest I am a feminist and I think it’s time for men to take on this label on a much bigger scale. Many people believe feminism is a “dirty word,” but this stems from a common misunderstanding that feminism is anti-male. This, however, is not true. Feminism is purely about empowering women and promoting gender equality. Males at William Jewell College have even had the idea to start a male empowerment group, but let’s be real, men don’t need any more empowerment.
Common phrases I have heard around males: “Why would I be a feminist? I’m a guy,” or “I’m not a feminist, but I believe in gender equality.” But this is coming from a view of feminism that is inaccurate. If a man doesn’t agree with feminism, then he is obviously blind to the fact that gender equality will not just empower women to have equal opportunities as men but will also help men by beginning to break down this small-scoped, American view of what it means to be a man.
I encourage males at Jewell to start having an open conversation about gender equality and thinking how being a man doesn’t mean having an overpowering amount of testosterone, degrading women and not caring about anything but yourself and your success. Being a man should mean being who you are, not who others want you to be, and empowering others to be who they are as well. It should mean that you are equal to everyone else in the country.