5 Reasons I Hate Being A Feminist

So, today my mother and I had a long discussion about feminism and rape culture and all those nice things. And the longer we talked, the more I realize that being a feminist is HARD, and definitely puts you in a very small minority. And I started to realize that I face a lot of problems being a feminist, both from a mental perspective and stemming from society in general. So here are 5 reasons that I hate being a feminist.

*Disclaimer: None of these make me any less willing to call myself a feminist. And honestly, they should make you as a reader MORE upset and willing to help the feminist cause. These are just basic issues I face when I label myself as such.
1. I can no longer enjoy a lot of things I used to.
Movies, books, television, music, etc. A lot of things that I would normally love are tainted with slut-shaming, virgin-praising, misogyny, and the occasional "get in the kitchen"-esque joke. In these instances, I either start to completely dislike an otherwise really cute/funny/entertaining thing, or I like it but feel guilty about it. And maybe it's just me, but I feel like when I am significantly put off by a large portion of the entertainment industry because they are completely sexist, that indicates more than "Oh, she's just being touchy." Actually, NO, I hate it when people say that. Because "just being touchy" would imply that there's not an issue with funneling blatant sexism down society's throat.

 2. People are uncomfortable around feminists.
I am a teenage girl. I like to have fun, make jokes, or anything else. Shoot, I'm even guilty of laughing at a few sexist jokes. But it feels like when I mention that I am a feminist, the air is sucked out of the room and everyone kind of acts like they need to walk on broken glass around me. Look, a few things:

• There is something to be said about the way feminism is portrayed if people are made to treat it like a mental disorder.
• I won't crucify you if you call someone a slut. (Okay, I might tune you out a bit. And if we're close, I'll definitely offer you a few reasons why I don't like the word and ask you kindly to try to avoid using such terms around me, but no crucifixions.)
• I want to express my beliefs in a positive way. It is the OUTLINING REASON that the feminist movement is here: women started talking and men made them feel uncomfortable for thinking about things other than fashion and procreation.

3. It is entirely too depressing to see women who are so against the feminist movement.

I realize that there are many women are there who are all for equality, but avoid the term "feminist" for reasons I'm not sure about. These women are NOT who I am targeting. I am targeting women who honestly believe that men should lead the household, and that equal pay for equal work isn't an important issue, or is nonexistent. I am targeting women who don't actively work to end rape culture, and who shamelessly call each other sluts and whores for no reason. I am talking about women who keep our cause from elevating and gaining great momentum.

4. My feminist belief system is so far beyond normal for my part of the country.

I live in Southern Arkansas, a vast kingdom of chicken houses and Bible-thumpers who have never read the Bible. So when I may mention on occasion that I am completely for the legalization of prostitution, don't think women should have to "dress conservatively", support the pro-choice movement with all my heart, or even that I think women should be represented completely in government, I am often bombarded with condemning comments and looks of pure horror at my disgusting beliefs. (Legalize prostitution? Those women are DIRTY WHORES! We need to get them off the streets and into prisons! [Where they can be raped repeatedly, and where they won't make money to support themselves like they did when they were forced to find an alternative such as prostitution, with a pimp that takes advantage of them and their money, etc. etc.])

5. There's a need to be one.

I hate being a feminist because I shouldn't HAVE to be. This problem shouldn't exist. We've gotten past so much prejudice, and I feel like feminism should have been solved long ago. But women are still being blamed for rape. "Misandry" is becoming a prominent counter-issue that was invented by men to try and downplay feminism and make men seem like they've really been the victims all along, and that we're on an even playing field. My best friends still call girls whores if they reveal a bit of cleavage. So I'm still a feminist. And I'm still fighting every day to be an equal human being, sadly.