This is my response to a post by JennInCanada on her blog, Fat and Unafraid, commemorating the one year anniversary of the killing of multiple women at the Polytechnique School in Montreal. I wanted to post it on the blog entry but for some reason her blog is being uncooperative!
The erroneous idea that women who identify as feminists are all "man-hating femi-nazis" is, I believe, a throwback to the idea that women are supposed to be subservient to men rather than being independent and self-sufficient. It is very sad that this archaic notion manifested itself in such tragedy.
This is my favorite quote about feminism. It definitely applies to my thoughts on the matter.
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a door mat or a prostitute. ~Rebecca West, "Mr Chesterton in Hysterics: A Study in Prejudice," The Clarion, 14 Nov 1913, reprinted in The Young Rebecca, 1982
One day all people will be treated equal and then there will be no need to identify as a feminist if one believes in equal treatment and opportunities for females. Until then, I am not about to be one of those apologists out of whose mouth falls the words "I'm not a feminist, but I believe that women should be afforded the same opportunities as men."
If you believe that, then you damn well are a feminist, whether you are male or female. Don't be afraid to wear the title proudly.
