Feminism Essay

Gabel Cramer
Blue Group

Women must be given the same legal security that minority groups receive
because they are not given an equal rights amendment to the constitution. Contrary to
popular belief, a minority group is not established on population size but actually defined
as A social group that is differentiated and defined by the social majority, that is, those
who hold the majority of positions of social power in a society.(Wikipedia) In fact, a bit
over 50 percent of the entire U.S. population is women but women still are not give equal
opportunities (work, education, wealth, ect.) as the male population.
Starting in the 1960s and 1970s came a barrier-breaking era in the feminist
movement. Women were unhappy with their roles as simply being aid to the men in their
life. women had no choice but to let men be our lawful protectors (Brownmiller,
388) Brownmiller played an important role in the attempt to ratify the ERA. Susan
Brownmiller, author of Against our Will, a book that promoted the idea that rape was not
the victims fault, thought the ERA represented a radical action that would make up for
the past centuries of sexism. The other side of the argument was Phyllis Schlafly, a
conservative activist known for her opposition to modern feminism. Schlafly argued "the
ERA would lead to women being drafted by the military and to public unisex bathrooms."
Hate speech is speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race,
color, religion, ect. By this definition pornography is a hate speech because it can offend
and insult women and men. The thing is pornography might not be intended to be this

way. The people that make pornography dont necessarily intend to offend or insult
anyone but even so it is still considered to be a hate speech if it does. I dont think
pornography is used to keep women by anyone but that doesnt mean thats not what
happens. The viewers and producers presumably do not intend to suppress women as a
whole and are not using pornography to do so but at the same it unintentionally is. The
showing of sexual images or videos usually displays misogynistic and male powered
content. These sexist displays influence viewers and by doing so effect how those
viewers act towards and treat women.
From then to now the feminist movement has come a long way, breaking barriers
no one would even have dreamed of at previous times. In 2007, Phyllis Schlafly struck
again by publishing the article Equal Right for women: wrong then, wrong now, a piece
stating how 25 years after the ERA was rejected, a new amendment has come into play,
the WEA (Womens Equality Amendment). Schlafly says No matter its new name, the
same text that has been voted down, again and again, will again be rejected by the
American people. And this was only 8 years ago. Not until the late 70s was marital rape
even punishable and that if it was between a man and his wife, forced sex is a wifely
duty.(Rainn.org) Only in 1993, 22 years ago, did it finally become illegal to rape your
spouse in every state. Despite all these changes on the state level, marital rape is still
common today; and it is one of the least reported crimes. The feminist movement as a
whole has come a very long way but is nowhere near done yet.

Works Cited

Brownmiller, Susan. Against our Will. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

"Debating hate speech: students in action." American Bar. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2015.
<http://www.americanbar.org>.
Finkelhor, David. "Marital Rape." RAINN. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2015.
<https://www.rainn.org>.
Schlafly, Phyllis. "'Equal rights' for women: wrong then, wrong now." L.A. Times. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 3 May 2015. <http://www.latimes.com