If chivalry means all of us being polite and thoughtful, I'm all for it. If chivalry means that men should treat women as if they're somehow more fragile or might topple off that proverbial pedestal, then I pass.
So yes, I am a feminist. A feminist is a person, man or woman, who believes in equal rights for women, pure and simple. The word may at times be applied to those who have twisted that simple definition to such an extent that is unrecognizable, a not uncommon phenomenon in any "radical" social movement, but that's what feminism means.
For those of you who dismiss it casually, please remember It wasn't until 1920 that American women could even vote in federal elections, thanks to the Nineteenth Amendment and that it's really only in the last several decades that women have been able to enjoy the same advantages as men and have begun to be respected as equals. Now, women have the CHOICE, if economically feasible, to stay home with their children or the CHOICE to have a career.
We may have come a long way (baby), but I am constantly reminded by news events and by often subtle anecdotal evidence that we shouldn't become complacent. So I'm less interested in someone opening a literal door for me solely because I'm a female than I am in society continuing to open the door of opportunity for women in general.
So yes, I am a feminist. A feminist is a person, man or woman, who believes in equal rights for women, pure and simple. The word may at times be applied to those who have twisted that simple definition to such an extent that is unrecognizable, a not uncommon phenomenon in any "radical" social movement, but that's what feminism means.
For those of you who dismiss it casually, please remember It wasn't until 1920 that American women could even vote in federal elections, thanks to the Nineteenth Amendment and that it's really only in the last several decades that women have been able to enjoy the same advantages as men and have begun to be respected as equals. Now, women have the CHOICE, if economically feasible, to stay home with their children or the CHOICE to have a career.
We may have come a long way (baby), but I am constantly reminded by news events and by often subtle anecdotal evidence that we shouldn't become complacent. So I'm less interested in someone opening a literal door for me solely because I'm a female than I am in society continuing to open the door of opportunity for women in general.