When I tell another person that I am a feminist, the general response is, “well, I’m a humanist.” Although this term has unofficially become an alternate to the feminist movement, it’s not.
The ideas of humanism first originated during the Renaissance, a time when women were not even considered people. Humanism initially stressed the idea that human beings have value over religion.
Although it is often thought of as such, humanism is not a current political movement but rather a philosophical position. Feminism, however, is a clearly determined cause that fights for the equality of the sexes.
While identifying yourself as a feminist is considered too radical for some, it is the term that best captures the movement to end gender inequality.
What many humanists do not realize is that humanism and feminism are not mutually exclusive. You can be a feminist and a humanist because contrary to popular belief, the terms are not opponents.
Though many will claim otherwise, those who identify themselves as humanists commonly do so to deviate from the feminist movement. This is due to the fact that feminism has been endlessly stigmatized by society.
Rather than partaking in a movement that is so defamed, individuals are choosing to identify themselves as humanists because it is unlikely to cause public disapproval.
Identifying yourself as a humanist rather than a feminist can be problematic because the term deviates from a female-centric cause.
The reason it is called feminism rather than a more inclusive term is because females are the underprivileged sex. So, in order to achieve gender equality, we need to focus on ways we can improve the rights of women in our patriarchal society.
The term humanism is also too vague to align itself with a specific political movement because it can potentially be used to fight against many other kinds of bigotry like homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, etc. Although it is more convenient to identify yourself with a philosophy that believes in the rights of all human beings, humanism has the effect of promoting passivity.
If you do not fight for individual causes, it can weaken them.
Identifying yourself as a humanist is also counterproductive because it can further generate more stigma around the feminist movement and gender equality as a whole. Humanists are weakening the feminist movement by stressing their philosophy’s inclusiveness while condemning feminism for being too exclusive to females.
Humanism has become the unofficial opponent to feminism for those who believe in gender equality but refuse to align themselves with the feminist movement due to societal pressure.
Although I would prefer if everyone identified themselves as feminists, judging those who are afraid to come out as such is counterproductive as well.
However, it is wrong for humanists to denounce feminism because they believe their philosophy is morally superior when ending gender inequality. The activism that is often present in feminism must be present to effect change.
Humanists were not present when women gained the right to vote in Canada. Humanists were not there to march alongside women to fight for pro-choice. Humanists were not there to condemn rape culture.
Call yourself a feminist or stay out of our way.
