Feminism is the belief held by a
feminist. A
feminist, in turn, is someone who believes that women are entitled to equal rights which in turn means equal pay for equal
work.
While there are most assuredly some feminists who are extreme in their beliefs, and who do dislike men (usually as a result of abuse or
rape) most feminists -- and one need not be a female to believe in equal rights for both sexes, in fact, one wonders why everyone doesn't believe in equality -- most feminists are simply seeking equal rights under the law, and equal pay for equal
work.
Feminists do not
hate men, nor are they "
ugly dykes" -- it is infuriating to see hateful,
useless, polarizing descriptions of this kind. In point of fact, the men who define feminists as "
ugly dykes" are almost always the kind of men who create extremists; if I'm trying to obtain equal pay for my
work, and I'm told that this is not a legitimate goal, but instead that I am "an
ugly, hairy armpit, fat, can't get laid bitch" (this comes from one of the definitions) then I'm likely to feel extreme dislike for that individual.
If this happens enough times, you can see why a
feminist would turn into an extremist and start hating the people who delight in mislabeling her and distorting her beliefs.
And of course there are greedy,
ugly souls out there who are women, just as there are greedy, ugly people who are men. Given the dispersement of wealth in this country, the majority of these people are men, not women.. but there are a small minority of women who are as bad as their greedy, uncaring, "it's not my problem" male counterparts. No argument there.
The MAJORITY, however, of feminists are people who
work for a living, work hard, and are frustrated at having to work twice as hard to make less money than their male colleagues. They
don't want to make MORE for less work, or less experience.. simply equal pay for equal work, and equal protection under the law.
The only thing really in question is why anyone WOULDN'T support that. Why would anyone be AGAINST equal protection under the law, and equal pay for equal work unless that individual believed that women were a lesser life form or not as "human" as men, and therefore deserved to be treated without equality under the law, and without equal pay for equal work.
And if you believe that... well, then you're not quite sane, are you?