How To Be A Feminist in 2012.

Having identified as a feminist for over seven years now, I’ve reached the stage where almost no amount of stupidity can shock me. Newbie feminists, however, should at least get a heads up about what to expect and how to handle future episodes of stupidity they’re bound to face. Cuz this is ain’t the 70′s, friends, there are people called Snooki running around, and the image of a feminist–a person who simply believes in equal rights for women–has been distorted by numerous backlashes and trite stereotypes continue to live on. Thus, below are the most common things you can expect to hear from an anti-feminist, and how to deal when you do:

“So you hate men?”

This is almost guaranteed to be the first thing that comes out of an anti-feminists’ mouth. It’s the most tired and cliched of the stereotypes. Stretch your arms above your head and yawn for like three minutes to demonstrate your excruciating boredom with this particular topic. If the anti-feminist is still there when you’re done, kindly enlighten them to the fact that you do not spend your spare time throwing darts at pictures of penises and orchestrating castration rituals for kicks. And while you may hate a few particular men who believe themselves to be superior and therefore entitled to impose violence, gender expectations, or unfair legislation upon women—you don’t have a problem with the species in general. That you may even be dating, married to, cohabiting, or gettin’ nookie from one right now, which might be difficult to do if you actually hated peen.

“So you’re a lesbo?”

This is the second most common thing an anti-feminist will say to you. They fancy themselves with the idea that you only identity as a feminist because you either aren’t attracted to or “hate” men (see above) or are still “scorned” from a past heterosexual relationship and have since sworn off men and became a feminist out of revenge and deep seated anger. If you are a straight woman they will expect you to get all defensive and start “proving” your sexuality to them because apparently, there’s something wrong with being a lesbian. Refrain from punching people. You’re too cool for that. Instead, roll your eyes and let them know that feminism and lesbianism aren’t synonymous, there are plenty of straight, or bisexual feminists and plenty of lesbians who aren’t feminists at all.

“Have you ever noticed its usually the ugly girls who are feminists?”

This brand of anti-feminist is already armed with assumption that feminism is only limited to chicks whose faces induce nausea on sight. (because “pretty” women don’t care about pay equity, reproductive rights, violence against women, or social progress—only makeup.) Direct them to the nearest mirror as if to say, hey, you’re no church picnic yourself, dude. On the off chance that they are actually attractive, casually mention that when Rush Limbaugh said that feminism was a way for ” ugly women to get into the mainstream” he did so without realizing that he looks like a generic version of Archie Bunker but fatter, balder, and with man tits on the side.

[read the rest of this post and more at http://negress.wordpress.com]