Sorority Vs Feminism

On more than one occasion I have had to field the question, How can you be in a sorority and be a feminist? Gented those who are close to me and feel comfortable asking this are aware that women’s rights are an issue I care passionately about. To me, that question is totally off base itself: I do not see a conflict, because in my experience, sororities are feminist. Still, I am not going to ignore that I always finish watching a recruitment video that has gone viral with a tinge of disappointment. I feel that way because the message the videos send is not focused on founding ideals but rather display a message of, Be thin. Be straight. Be white. Have long hair. This is is frustrating, as I know that sororities can be better, I know this because
my membership in Phi Sigma Sigma has been better. My experience is not the same as others, and not even of those who look like me, but it is valid and has strengthened, not weakened, my feminist ideology.
Being a feminist means trusting my intuition when faced with difficult choices, it means speaking with sincerity and defending myself, and it means taking control of my environment. It is not letting someone tell me I am incapable because I am a woman. It means advocating for women’s rights that are relevant now more than ever in America like, reproductive rights and equal pay, as well as recognizing my privilege and lending my voice as a white woman to other women and minorities who are not heard in their fight for equal rights. It means speaking out in defense of all women, even those who are not confident in the idea of being a “feminist.” Being a feminist is asking for constant and consistent equal treatment. You can be a feminist in evident or subtle ways, it does not matter. What matter is that it is always valid no matter how you believe in it.