1. "Lean In is annoying." The book and Lean In movement, launched by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, have gotten a lot of media attention, yes. But a lot of women asked for a raise after reading Lean In. In an age when women still earn a fraction of what men make for doing the same work, sit back at board meetings, and don't ascend to the highest ranks of corporate America at anywhere near the same rate as men, anything that gets women asking for what they deserve or talking about what they're not getting is a fantastic thing.
2. "[X insignificant thing] sets women back 20 years." Insane legislation surrounding reproductive rights will set us back. An article about sorority hazing? Ugh, no.
3. "I like men too much to be a feminist." Feminism has nothing to do with liking or disliking men. It's about women and men being societal equals. Feminists don't hate men. They just want men and women to have an equal say in the workplace, government, and home.
4. "Beyoncé/Miley/Lady Gaga need to put their clothes on." No, they don't. Women shouldn't be denigrated for displaying their sexuality.
5. "Beyoncé just says she's a feminist to sell albums." It's also possible that she (like a great many people in this country) believes women should have the same earning power and authority in the world as men. Why is it so hard to believe she or any of her peers would actually want that?
6. "The wage gap isn't real." The wage gap varies by state, but it sure as hell exists.
7. "But you're pretty!" Because my level of attractiveness should diminish my investment in women's equality?
8. "The feminist movement happened decades ago — hasn't everything been done already?" First, see No. 6. Then, read up about how Texas will soon have only six abortion clinics in the entire state. Oh, and how Mississippi might soon have zero.
9. "Don't you think Hillary Clinton is too old to be president?" Ronald Reagan took office when he was 69. Do we really need to discuss this further?
10. "Men face discrimination too, you know." Sure they do, but while many men experience unfairness or shoddy treatment, they haven't faced centuries of entrenched sexism that denied them legal, social, political, and economic rights. So sorry, guys, but in competition for "the gender treated worse throughout human history," you lose —because pretty much everywhere else, you won.
11. "Feminists are just angry." Yes, I am angry. I am angry that most women I know will never earn as much as their husbands and hold elected office. I am angry that they get catcalled when they walk down the street. But this is not a defining characteristic of how feminists are as people. You can believe in a movement without being constantly angry.
12. "It's a compliment!" (In responses to gross ogling and catcalls.) No, it's not. It's something that makes women think twice about wearing a certain dress or walking a certain route, and it's just not quite the same as your girlfriend at work telling you she loves your shoes.
13. "I don't like the term feminist. I prefer to call myself a 'humanist.'" Do you believe in the equality of men and women? Congratulations! You're a humanist and a feminist. Look at you.
14. "How can you be a stay-at-home mom and still consider yourself a feminist?" The two are not mutually exclusive. You can make a choice about what works in your own life and still want to see a woman elected president.
15. "You're not as extreme as most feminists." It's not about extremism. It's about equality.
Related:
10 Fierce Quotes About Being a Woman
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Amy Odell is the former editor of Cosmopolitan.com. Chief amongst her interests are cats and Beyonce. She is a feminist (thank you for asking) and ex-fashion journalist. She is the author of the hilarious book of essays, Tales from the Back Row: An Outsider’s View From Inside the Fashion Industry.
