Forget Fearing Feminism!

For a lot of teens, feminism is practically another "f-word," something that they don't want to be associated with. But feminism is an important ideology and one that more teens, both LGBT+ and hetero, might embrace might embrace if they had a clearer understanding of what it is and what it isn't.

What Feminism Is

One of my favorite quotes comes from a woman named Cheris Kramerae who defined feminism as "the radical notion that women are human beings." The feminist movement is one that hopes that people will be treated equally in society and will achieve justice regardless of their sex or gender identity.


Feminism wants to see the end of sexism in any form. This includes fighting to end discrimination against women, and if it occurs, against men as well.

Feminists can be any race, religion, ethnicity, age, class, sexual orientation or gender. Really, there is no one way to be a feminist and as a result there is a huge range of feminist views and perspectives on everything from politics, to family life, the environment and religion.

If you believe that people should not be discriminated against on the basis of their gender, then you might be a feminist!

What Feminism Isn't

Feminism isn't a movement of man-haters.

It is not only made up of straight women.

It isn't only made up of lesbians.

It's not just for white women.

Or older women.

It's not only for people who are politically radical.

It's not an extremist movement.

Like any other movement, the feminist movement has made some mistakes in the past. In the 70s and 80s it alienated a lot of lesbian women, and today many women or color still don't feel like the mainstream feminist movement has a place for them.

Additionally, at times, it can seem hard to understand or be overly academic.

Still, while the criticisms of the movement are legitimate, the core principals should make feminism accessible to everyone.

Feminism, Interesectionality and Sexual Orientation

Like racism, sexism and homophobia are both pretty common forms of discrimination, and one person may experience all these forms of discrimination at the same time.

Instead of compartmentalizing such an experience, one way of looking at this is through the lens of "intersectionality."

This is framework that sees all forms of oppression as being connected. So in this view, it would be impossible to fully understand the oppression that a lesbian woman has experienced just by looking at the sexism she faces, because you must also explore the impact of homophobia on her experience.

LGBT Teens and Feminism

Ultimately, defining oneself as a feminist is a personal decision. But one of the best things about feminism is that it is a movement that is open to growth and internal challenges.

As a result, even if an LGBT teen looks at the feminist framework and sees flaws, he or she can claim the label and work to change the movement from within. 

LGBT+  rights and the fight for gender equality are connected and it is important to realize that these are issues that affect us all!