5 Myths About Feminism That Make It Seem Scarier Than It Is

“Why is it so scary to call yourself a feminist?”

That’s the question Melissa Fabello, managing editor of Everyday Feminism, asks in a new video from Moral Courage TV. While the feminist label has been embraced by mainstream culture in recent years, many people still struggle with feminism and the negative assumptions that so often come with it.

Now an editor of a feminist news outlet, Fabello explains that it took her a really long time to call herself a feminist. “There are so many myths around what feminism is that it makes people really shy away from it," she says in the video above.

These myths about feminism are often rooted in fear, Fabello points out. She says that people are often afraid that the feminist label will somehow misrepresent their sexual orientation or people will start seeing them as "too serious."

As Fabello points out, these myths are just that -- myths. “For me, calling myself a feminist is a really great way to keep myself accountable to make sure that my actions always match my values," she says.

Every person has the right to identify as a feminist or to not identify as a feminist -- it's an individual choice. As for Fabello though, she'll wear the feminist identity proudly (and so will we!):