Young: Reinforcing Stigma Against Feminists

We have all heard of it: feminism, the belief that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities. It is an obvious concept that should be universally accepted, but unfortunately it is not—something 13-year-old Sophie Thomas soon discovered after wearing a t-shirt adorned with the word “Feminist” to a class photo. When receiving the photos a few days later, she noticed her shirt had been censored. Kendra Young, the principal of the school, had ordered the word to be removed from the photo, claiming that it might seem “offensive” to some, although it did not violate the school’s dress code.

First, Kendra Young, we would like to point out that we do not think you know what the word feminist means. If you did, you would see there is no offense in feminism. We would additionally like to point out to you the two sides to the “argument” about feminism; you either support it or are fundamentally misogynistic. And these fundamentally misogynistic people, just like those who are fundamentally racist or homophobic, are not the people to whom you or anyone else should cater.

You, Kendra Young, are part of the problem. You are trying to please everyone. By doing this, however, you are actively deciding that the movement of people just like you who are fighting for you—and who have fought for you since well before you knew they were fighting—are less important than the feelings of misogynists. 

A woman named Libby Bruce wrote a short column responding to women who claimed they weren’t feminists concluding with the powerful statement, “You reap the rewards of these women’s sacrifices every day of your life. When you grin with your cutesy sign about how you’re not a feminist, you ignorantly spit on the sacred struggle of the past 200 years. You bite the hand that has fed you freedom, safety and a voice.” Additionally, Bruce eloquently pointed out the hard facts of why we need feminism. Around 170 years ago, feminists were fighting for your right to own property, and fewer than 100 years ago these same women were detained and had feeding tubes shoved down their throats just for fighting for your right to vote. Until 1936 information about birth control for women was classified as “obscene,” and until 1963 it was legal to pay a woman less for doing the same job as a man (a problem that still has yet to be rectified). Until 1972 you were deprived of your right as an unmarried person to contraception and your privacy regarding it. Until 1973 you were deprived of your right to a safe and legal abortion (a right that is still challenged today). Until 1985 it was illegal for you to divorce your husband, and until 1993, it was legal for your husband to rape you. 

Again, Kendra Young, in the words of Libby Bruce, “you know not what you speak of.”  Feminists have been fighting since the beginning of time for you. You go about your everyday life and do not understand what they have fought so hard to gain for you. And Sophie Thomas is simply the next generation of these selfless women who want you and everyone else like you to see a better future for themselves where the fundamental discrimination of persons based on gender is eliminated. So we feel truly sorry for you and whatever compelled you to tear this girl Sophie Thomas down and additionally whatever compelled you to reject the movement itself. 

Whatever it is, Kendra Young, you need to understand that this kind of censorship is so outrageously unacceptable because of the message you as a woman in a position of power and role model are sending to every single girl who attends your school. You are telling every girl to sit down and shut up about their rights. You are telling them they are not as important as boys. You, ma’am, are reinforcing misogyny and whether it’s conscious or not, you are actively inserting yourself as just another reason on the massive reasons that demand the presence of the feminist movement. 

We hope for your own sake it is your ignorance and misinformation. We additionally hope that you learn from this experience, as does Sophie Thomas. As in response to the apology that came from your censorship, Thomas said, “I want you to have someone come into the school and educate everyone about feminism. We want us to go to the news station together and show the people that we are working together to make this school and our community a better place for everyone. We don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

In closing, Ms. Young, we hope you learn from your mistakes. We hope Sophie Thomas has opened your eyes to the privilege the feminist movement has gained you. We hope you can serve in the future as a role model for these girls and not someone who reinforces the popular conception that these girls face every day that reminds them their rights are not as important as those of their male counterparts and encourages them to repress their beliefs.