Meninism, by definition, is “a global organization of men that believe in and support the feminist principles of women’s political, social and economic equality,” according to feminist.com. So why does meninism appear to be a separate, self contradictory movement which opposes feminism in practice?

Current meninist principles, according to Buzzfeed, dayofthegirl.org, statenews.com and other  websites, are merely to empower the idea that men need equality and also to mock feminism.

Men have had their grip on being the dominant gender in America since the genesis of this country and practically since the beginning of humanity. Since women have been speaking up more and acting on the injustices that they see, opponents have been confusing the real feminist motive, equality for all, with a false agenda; equality for just women.

People often misinterpret what it means to be a feminist. When they hear the word feminism, many automatically think that its sole purpose is defending female rights and completely disregard the broad scope of people whom the feminism movement champions.

Because of the fact that feminists traditionally focus more on fighting for women than men, “meninism” was created. Sure, feminism in the 1920s focused primarily on women but people tend to forget that, like many other things, movements adapt to their surroundings.

In modern times, a feminist is someone who not only wants the total equality of women, but of all people, regardless of gender. So basically, the meninists who mock feminism are contradicting their intentions by refusing feminist principles.

Meninists frequently counter feminist ideals by stating that “men get raped too,” “men get cat-called too,” “men are insecure too,” and more.

But what they’re forgetting is that feminists know this. They are aware of the fact that men undergo many of the same difficulties as women.

Meninism has made feminism seem silly and made actual feminists seem “crazy” and “man-hating” because they call out these feminist ideals that aren’t even real.

In many circumstances, such as sexual harassment scenarios and more obscure cases like custody battles, yes, men can be vulnerable and in need of equal rights and protection. But that’s what we have feminism for, since the feminist ideals have evolved over the years and now include equality of all genders.

For example, according to the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties, 1 out of 33 men in the United States are rape victims. While that is significantly less than the 1 out of 6 female victims, it isn’t a statistic that goes ignored. Feminists recognize these numbers and work toward diminishing them.

While the posing meninists are frolicking around the internet raising dispute among themselves and feminists, they’re forgetting one key fact: true meninism is feminism, so there’s no need for separate labels if their intentions are the same.

If a meninist wants equality between men and women, that person should call themselves a feminist.

So, instead of jumping to conclusions and stereotyping feminism to be just another fad, “meninists” should take their time and do some research to find out what exactly feminism is all about. They will hopefully realize that they’re battling their own fundamentals by opposing feminism.

There is no need for a meninist movement if their principles are the same as the feminist movement. If you advocate feminism, call yourself a feminist. It’s as simple as that.

Feminists want equality for all. They want women to be on the same platform as men, they don’t want to tear men down, like meninists make it seem.

Personally, I am proud to call myself a feminist. And anyone who supports the idea of equality among ALL genders should be proud to consider themselves a feminist, too, regardless of their own gender.