“Extremist.” “Aggressive.” “Radical.” “Man-hater.” “Bitter.” “Lesbian.”

These are the words that often come out of students’ mouths when asked what words they associate with the word feminist. Some students define feminists this way, whereas others can recognize that these words are stereotypes; however, everyone knows the connotations. The stereotypes are present in their minds. Students who actually consider themselves feminists consider this a problem.

“I am not some man-hating, bra-burning bitch!” said Elissa Bassist, a sophomore and a self-proclaimed feminist.

Nor are most people who consider themselves feminists. Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards write in their book, Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future: “By feminist, we mean each and every politically and socially conscious woman or man who works for equality within or outside the movement, writes about feminism or calls her- or himself a feminist in the name of furthering equality.”

Those students who consider themselves feminists have similarly positive definitions of the word.

“If you want to want something and you want to have the opportunity [to get it], you’re a feminist,” Bassist said.

Another feminist, sophomore Emily Dorfman, considers feminists “women having the freedom to be themselves and not be constrained by expectations.”

Although feminists are not their stereotypes, the associations are still dangerous, said women’s studies professor Susan Stiritz.

“Women are afraid [of calling themselves feminists] because the images are so negative,” Stiritz said. “Why would you ally yourself with those images?”

Students who openly call themselves feminists have definitely had their fair share of negative encounters.

“One night there was a guy in my room, which has a women’s lib poster and a poster of a vagina,” Bassist said. “The guy asks me, ‘Oh my god, are you a lesbian? Do you hate men? I feel like you hate me ’cause I’m a man,’” remembers Bassist. “I said, ‘I can’t believe my posters conveyed that to you.’”

Feminism is inclusive of movements for gay rights as well as for racial and economic equality; calling a feminist a lesbian is only negative in the sense that it is not based on actual representation. There are many kinds of feminists.

Dorfman has an anecdote of a similar nature.

“I was at a party and my friend told these guys she was taking a women’s studies course, and they asked if we were feminists. We said yes, and then one of the guys asked, ‘Do you shave your armpits?’ I asked, ‘Do you shave your balls?’ I don’t think [not shaving your armpits] is a symbol of feminism at all.”

From sophomore Dave Baker’s point of view, calling oneself a feminist could turn off a possible friend.

“If someone feels the need to define themselves as a feminist, then they’re probably more aggressive or intense about the ideas than I would want to be involved with,” said Baker. “I mean, it’s something that everyone should be, but if you have to say it…”

For others, a feminist friend would make them a bit uncomfortable.

“I have not a problem offering my hand in friendship to [...] a feminist,” said senior Kent Mahoney. “However, I do find it harder to open up as much, as I feel I have to censor what I say for fear of having my testicles removed and placed in a jar on the mantle in the common room of Lee zero.”

Although many students define feminists by these stereotypes, such conceptions of feminism as an ideology are fairly consistent with those of actual feminists. Baker said he thinks feminism is “a movement to get rid of inequality between the sexes.”

Mahoney says feminism “embodies the desire to obtain equal rights for both women and men. It promotes awareness of still-existing inequalities and stereotypes.”

These definitions sound strikingly familiar to the definition of feminists given by authors Baumgardner and Richards: “In the most basic sense, feminism is exactly what the dictionary says it is: the movement for social, political and economic equality of men and women….Feminism wants you to be whoever you are-but with a political consciousness. And vice versa: you want to be a feminist because you want to be exactly who you are.”

There is a glaring discrepancy here. A feminist, which dictionary.com defined as “person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism” is thought of as a radical, man-hating weirdo, yet the same people often describe feminism as a movement to secure equality and respect, which they see as positive.

“I’m all for feminism,” said sophomore Nick Niles.

Why then do feminists have such a bad rep?

“Everyone’s scared of inferior groups trying to gain power,” said Bassist. “Men are intimidated by the label [of feminist].”

According to professor Stiritz, “people are brainwashed by the media. They have destroyed the word feminist.”

She gave the example of an article from Maxim called “Cure a Feminist,” that ran with the explanation: “Turn an unshaven, militant, protesting vegan into an actual girl.” Stiritz said the picture accompanying the article makes a beautiful girl look like a dirty slob to illustrate a feminist.

“The media gives images of feminists as very unattractive, whining, shrill, obnoxious women, when of course they’re not,” Stiritz said. “Powerful women are punished in our culture-they’re labeled as unfeminine and demonized-because it’s not in our social scripts to have powerful women.”

But feminists are not who the media says they are. Dorfman said that she is a feminist because she believes in “female self-esteem and empowerment.”

Bassist said, “I don’t consider being a feminist a negative. By calling myself a feminist I’m trying to transvalue [or make positive] the word.”

How radical.

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