Welcome to the column where I encourage you to expand your human point of view. I'm transferring my brief notes from my old web page and journals.

Now, I'm sure you've heard this before, but billions of ignorant folks still don't get it. I've gotta admit that…

I enjoy being a girl.

One night, a friend and I were discussing guys. Specifically, we were referring to one particular man and how disillusioned I had become with him. Which led to our discussing what was appropriate to expect in a relationship. Which immediately led to a discussion of women's needs and expectations. Then she said it:

"I don't mean to sound feminist, but…"

This wasn't the first time she had begun a statement with these words. It also wasn't the first time I gritted my teeth when I heard it. Whenever I learn of a peer or public figure's apparent urgency to denounce feminism, I have only one reaction: I want to stop the woman cold and ask her "Why? Aren't you proud to be a woman?"

What is it about the feminist label that people--especially certain women--shy away from it? I asked myself this question for a while, eventually coming to the conclusion that perhaps people found the "ist" objectionable. ("Ist" of course, being the darling three letters at the conclusion of words such as racist and sexist--words invoking images of hate-filled bigots, out to oppress others because of their inherent differences.)

Contrary to what seems to have become popular belief, I know that a true feminist is not anti-male. To me, a feminist is a woman who believes that we as a gender deserve to be treated just as fairly as men are. In a nutshell, a feminist is a woman who is proud to be--she believes in her feminine strength and all the glory that comes with it.

Has anyone stopped to think about the type of people who support the fallacy that feminism is bad? Considering it's a movement that we women gave birth to, I'm suspicious.

My skepticism has led me to hypothesise that the movement against feminism is little more than a ploy, designed to oppress women. To make us believe that something we feel has merit can't possibly be worthwhile…Because we are, after all, women. How dare we attempt to signify, solidify, and give a name to the idea of believing in ourselves?

I say…How dare we not?