The socially acceptable F-word.

The topic of feminism is a tough one to talk about openly. Use that mighty F-word in a casual conversation and you can immediately see people gathering on either side to defend their stance on the subject.

According to Merriam-Webster, Feminism is "1. The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes" or "2. Organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests." Feminism is about equality. It's about how she should have the same rights as he does, and he should have the same rights as she does. Now some people might read the second definition about how it is focusing on women's rights and say "Aha! It's not about equality, it's about women!" Let's stop for a second, we're all educated people here, with at least some knowledge of the past hundred years. If one group were to need a bit of focus to make everyone equal, wouldn't it be the almost universally worst off women? That's not to say that we should stripping rights away from men and giving them to women, it means that we should focus our efforts on getting aid and representation for the group that needs it most.

Feminism has become something of a buzz word in pop culture today and everyone seems to have an opinion on it. It's great that we as a culture are finally beginning to change and slowly but surely all groups are beginning to get the equality they've been striving for. Unfortunately, with that rise in popularity came the creation of the Feminazi.

Feminazis are some of the worst people around since they commandeer the name of a genuine struggle and use it to further their own ambitions. Suddenly any perceived slight, be they real or imagined, is an insult to feminism. Every activity they pursue, no matter how little it has to do with it, bears the stamp of feminism. These people no longer strive for equality of sexes, they instead seek to show their superiority over the opposite sex. Not only do these people insult the cause through their actions, they deter possible supporters who do not want to be associated with such people. I myself have struggled with the title "Feminist" because of run ins with Feminazis. It wasn't until I read a rather intense declaration from one of my favourite actors, Marc Ruffalo that I began to research the subject and finally embrace the title.

In short, feminism is a beautiful thing that every good level headed person should be supporting. It's a fight where the loudest voices are often the worst examples but it is a fight for equality that should have been won long ago.