Last Thursday’s edition of The News contained an article about the feminist magazine skirt!, and how the new rag is trying to expand by publishing in more cities, including Boston. I, along with some of the women quoted in the article, think there is a need for such a feminist magazine to counter articles in other publications like Cosmopolitan and Glamour. Women should feel happy with who they are and keep in mind that they should always be fighting for equality. I truly hope this magazine will accomplish informing women about these ideas.

But one concern I have for the magazine is the feminist label may keep women from reading because of the negative stereotypes associated with feminism.

To be a feminist, you have to believe in equality for all and take action toward correcting a wrong. There already has been strides in the fight for equality, but there are still many problems that need to be addressed. In 2006, only 10 Fortune 500 companies had female CEOs. And according to last year’s Census reports, women only earned 77 cents to every dollar men earned. We may think women are equal to men, but the facts seem to prove otherwise.

This is why there is a need for feminists. They take it upon themselves to fight for total equality for women and men. So if this fight is necessary, why does feminism come with such a negative connotation?

Even the latest edition of the Northeastern Patriot, the university’s conservative student-run newspaper, describes a feminist as “extremely angry.” This is a stereotype people need to realize is false. One of the most famous feminists, bell hooks, was quite angry and made sure her thoughts were heard. But not all feminists are like that.

Feminists can be quiet, and yet are still very effective. They do not need to be angry to get their point across. They start nonprofit organizations, write essays and create publications to educate others about their cause. They may sometimes picket outside of speeches or to counter pro-life protests at Planned Parenthood, but these loud women are not the norm. They are simply the ones most often noticed.

The first wave of feminism, better known as the suffrage movement, was successful in getting women the right to vote. Similarly, the second wave, which followed World War II, helped women make strides toward equality in the workplace.

Postmodern feminism, the third wave and the one we are currently a part of, is most often seen in academia and it is sometimes difficult to understand its ideas. These feminists are preaching the concept of inclusion.

As a part of the third wave, which started in the early ’90s, feminism is becoming all inclusive. While the first two waves often only helped middle class white women, the third wave invites everyone – women, men and those from all different backgrounds – to be feminists.

Yes, men can be feminists, too. Men used to be seen as the enemy in the quest for equality, so feminists would not allow them to help the cause. But now they are seen as another voice fighting for fairness.

Also, not all feminists are lesbians. In The Patriot, one of the daily tasks of the “extremely angry feminist” was to “go to bed with life partner, argue over who gets to be the little spoon.” This is a complete stereotype. There are some vocal celebrities who are feminists, including Ashley Judd, who is happily married to a man.

After taking two gender classes recently, I have begun to consider myself a feminist – and no, I am not angry. I am also not a lesbian.

As a feminist, my lesson to you is this: Please don’t let the word “feminism” scare you. Instead embrace it and help the fight for equality.

To foster change and help assist in the quest for equality, I have a few suggestions. Try to instill knowledge of equality in children. Start feminist groups within your community. Write letters, start petitions, complain and draw attention to the cause (which does not mean you have to be angry, by the way). And also, most importantly, inform other people about the problems and take action.

My action to assist the feminist movement is writing this column and educating the university community about gender roles. Now the ball’s in your court.

– Ashley Traupman can be reached at [email protected]