Like many women and men before me, when I was introduced to feminism, it changed my life. Unfortunately, education about gender equality often doesn’t happen until college. It usually takes enrolling in a general education women’s studies course or checking out student organizations, like UW-L’s Women’s Studies Student Association (WSSA), to really get introduced to feminism. Therefore, we often have to wait until we’re adults to get educated about something that impacts us all from the moment we’re born. While I treasure the random events that led me to minor in Women’s Studies, I know my enlightenment is not unique. Here are five things that happen when feminism graces your existence.
Critical thinking becomes second nature
We’ve all been told that critical thinking is important; it’s the pedagogy of our generation. Even in grade school, teachers would follow up questions with, “think critically!” and we would all stare blankly until that one nerdy kid came up with something that completely blew everyone’s minds. Well now, that kid is me, only I’m doing it All. The. Time. The moment a gender-, sexuality-, race-, or ability-related issue enters conversation, I’m the first to argue on behalf of the marginalized group.
Acceptance becomes your “thing” and you love it
It becomes your thing because it’s all you know to do. Because feminism is about understanding and rejoicing human differences, you become an ally for all people who don’t fall into the mythical “norm.” The best part about this is that your friends feel that they can talk to you about anything because you’re so open. Go you.
Curiosity starts taking over your life
And what could be better? Feminism uncovers an entire world of important societal issues that you never knew were even happening. This has only caused you to stop and ponder about what else you may not be thinking about. This leads to asking more questions, doing more research, and learning from the people around you because you understand that everyone has a story to tell and everyone deserves to tell that story.
You suddenly notice sexism/racism/homophobia everywhere
The default pronoun is always “he,” people tend to assume heterosexuality, the word “b*tch” is hardly thought twice about…I could go on forever. It’s a harsh reality when you see all of the horrible things you’ve never noticed before, but it also gives you some authority over the messages you choose to internalize. When you recognize insensitivity, you can either address it or brush it off because you really get right from wrong.
You gain more confidence
You start realizing all of the ways our world has shaped you. For me, I began thinking about crucial pieces of my identity—especially those that tend to bring me down, like my negativity about my body or my tendency to allow people to talk over me. I also started taking pride in pieces of who I am that are often undervalued, like my Liberal Arts majors or my femininity in general. Feminism teaches you that you are awesome and powerful and that all you need to do is reclaim your voice.