It’s like feminism never even happened

That scene in Miss Congeniality where Sandra Bullock is an undercover police officer in a beauty pageant rings through my mind constantly. “It’s like feminism never even happened” she states as she enters this beauty pageant, where women are judged on their body, their face, the swimsuit competition, and occasionally a talent. 

I’m still astounded at the conversations I have and the stories I hear in 2025 when women’s voices are not valued equal to mens’. It really is like feminism never even happened. Imagine bringing your child home from a visit with someone, and seeing her act out erratically in ways she’s never acted before, yet told “you’re the crazy one” in court. A buddy system between the judge and defendant is stronger than an innocent child. Unbelievable. And happening all the time.

I first started learning about the history of feminism in a summer therapy class I took. Real feminism is simply the equality of the sexes; not the angry, man-hating, weird feminism that has taken hold of society. It's simply egalitarianism. Feminism in Europe rose with this mindset: that the sexes are completely equal, yet uniquely different, both having an equal contribution to offer, but both being uniquely different. Feminism in America rose with a different mindset: women have to become like men to be valued as equal. Men are emasculated and women are taking on male attributes because that is the only way to be credible. 

But men and women should be celebrated for our differences. We need what each sex brings. A healthy man brings provision and protection. A healthy woman brings intuition and beauty. A husband is the head (which means “source”) of the wife. As my favorite bible teacher says. 

Source. Not head to Lord over, but: “a point of origin or procurement : beginning. (2) : one that initiates : author.” 

I used to say “I’m just being crazy” when I felt really passionate about something. Its actually not true. (and to be honest, if men had the amount of hormones with the cycles that women have coursing their bodies, they would all be “crazy”). I make my opinion inferior just to keep the peace, but honestly, we need women’s voices. It’s not “crazy” to have an intuitive feeling when something is off with your child. It’s not “crazy” to feel creeped out by someone looking at you weird. And it’s certainly not “crazy” to think the female voice is equal to a man’s voice. 

Feminism has happened. Healthy feminism is happening. And I’m here for it.