Really, I'm not. I do not consider myself a feminist...however, I do have feminist friends, and I have feminist acquaintances who I have come to respect.
This was not always the case. A year ago, I was the one poking fun at women's issues, calling feminists "Femi-Nazis," not understanding what feminism really is, and relishing my ignorance.

I took a Women's Studies class at my college, mostly to get the know "The Enemy." I went into that class as a bitter skeptic. I left as a believer.

I understand why people hate and fear feminists. I also understand why the shouldn't - and that's what this Hub is about. I'll try to address, within an admittedly short space and time frame, the supposed "evils" of feminists and the reality behind the myths.

Myth 1: Feminism concerns only women

It's easy to understand why people believe this - feminism has strong connotations of "feminine," which applies to women. However, not only are their male feminists, but feminism in general is a people's issue.
Maybe feminism first set out as a way to benefit women; I don't know. What I do know is that there is no single definition for feminism. You can basically interpret most of it however you want - the main idea is equality for all (men, women, no matter the race or income).
Feminists have worked to help women, of course, but they have also worked to help men.

Myth 2: Equal rights would be bad

I used to think that "equal rights" would lead to things like women being drafted into the army or men and women sharing the same bathrooms.
I think one of the biggest problems with the idea of equal rights is the Equal Rights Amendment. While most people believe that this has been passed, it hasn't. The Equal Rights Amendment states:

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Now, the ERA website makes it sound like this is a good thing. However, I have a huge problem with the ERA: it is way too vague. And I believe the vagueness has a lot to do with why it hasn't ever passed. Judging by the wording, Congress can do whatever they want and call it "equal rights." Yes, that is a problem.

When considering the idea of equality, we should all understand what "rights" are. You have the right to remain silent...you have the right to the pursuit of happiness...you do not have the right to refuse to cooperate with the police, and you do not have the right to attain happiness (which is a pity).

Women and men should...

1. Have the right to take time off work, while still being paid, after a baby is born (and for women, right before the baby is born, presumably)
2. Have the right to be treated as more than just "objects."
3. Have the right to get paid for an equal amount of work/effort
4. Have the right to either pursue a career or not

See what I mean? How many times does an American man get time off work after the birth of his child?

Myth 3: Feminists are whiny "victims"

Sure, some are. But certainly not all. I don't feel like I've been constantly degraded and objectified by every man in our society. That would be ridiculous. I feel like a strong woman who can help change things.
When feminists bring to people's attention the wrongs of our society, they are not claiming that each wrong has been done to them. They are not claiming to be victims. They are simply bringing people's attention to a certain issue. Rape is a issue. Sexual harassment is an issue. Treating men and women like they are objects instead of people is an issue. I have never been raped (I have been sexually harassed, but so have most people). But I know that these are issues.

Myth 4: Men have already attained equality

This is definitely not true. Men have to deal with the negative aspects of gendering just like women.
Go watch TV for awhile. Take note of the commercials. How many define "masculinity" as being buff, drinking beer, watching sports, checking out hot women, doing home projects, getting into rowdy fights, and so on and so on and so on? And how many show men as being incapable idiots at home? Let me tell you, it's not just women who should be annoyed at their representation in the media. It's completely ridiculous to tell men that "You CAN do this, and CAN'T do that, and THIS is what makes you a MAN." Men don't deserve that kind of treatment!

Myth 5: Feminists hate men and children

I used to think of all feminists as bitter and man-hating (although not necessarily children-hating). During some cultural events that I've attended at my college, my future women's studies professor caught my eye. She seemed so relaxed, so normal, and she constantly talked about her children. So I took her class, like I mentioned, and I have really come to like this woman! She shows an obvious love for her husband and her two children. She just glows when she talks about her family.

For the rest of you, I would just considering getting to know some feminists. I don't mean watching TV or surfing the Internet, I mean going out into the real world and talking to some of these women and men. You might really be surprised (I was).

I hope this helped...

That's all I'm going to write for now. If you have any questions, anything to add, any complaints, etc, just leave a comment. I might write another Hub later.

And definitely check out some of the links if you're interested in learning more.