Tell me feminism isn’t necessary.
That we don’t need to fight for women’s rights.
It’s all good now.
Tell me we don’t need to worry anymore.
We’re safe.
Well, we’re not that safe if we’re walking late at night
Or when we wear a revealing dress.
Or shorts
Or jeans
Or leggings
Or, well, anything.
But, God forbid we wear nothing,
Because we’re asking for it with our bare bodies in crude display.
Tell me feminism isn’t necessary
When young girls are told to cover up
Because young boys get distracted
And boys will be boys.
So girls will be girls and live accordingly.
Tell me feminism isn’t necessary
When I’m told at the office that I look
Very pretty when I’m wearing a dress
Very professional when I wear pants and a tie.
Tell me feminism isn’t necessary
When the presidential candidate of a major power nation
endorses and practices rape culture
Yet people only focus on the fact that
The word “pussy” was thrown in the equation.
Tell me feminism isn’t necessary
But feelings are weak and will be treated accordingly
So the only way to compete is to shut it all off
And master that fake smile we see on debate night,
Way too familiar because we’ve all done it
As a man who’s under-qualified and over-listened
Hovers over us whilst we put our personal safety to the side
To defend our intellect.
Tell me feminism isn’t necessary
When mothers bully their daughters into believing
They need to take better care of what others think of them,
They might come off the wrong way and we wouldn’t want that
Now, would we?
Tell me feminism is dead
Tell me it isn’t necessary
Because equality is unattainable
Demanding to be equal is unattractive.
And I’ll tell you I don’t want to be pretty,
I don’t want to be attainable
I want to be free
Just like you.