Taking a Stance or Just a Last Name?

I believe that taking the males name implies that you are becoming part of their family and any children you will spawn will also carry out the husband's family name. This I believe was a practice founded in a patriarchal society which may be the reason feminist are bring it up now.

However, I agree with the idea of giving up your name. Not to sound anti-feminist, but the idea that you are now starting a new family and you want to have your family under the same united name makes total sense. To switch that to all the men changing their names could be just as offensive as women having to change their names. This is an issue that is specific to the situation however. If a family decides that they want their names to all be the same then one of you must change it and more often then not it is the women out of habit. I also totally understand when women want to keep their name because their name is known or they want to help carry on their family name when no other options are present.

In conclusion, I think that this issue is as individual as picking a car, house or school. I believe that everyone has and should continue to have the choice of what to do with their last name after marriage. I think calling it a anti feminist act is going to an extreme that is not necessary. If you personally have a problem with it, then don't change your name, but otherwise, let those who want to do the traditional thing do the traditional thing.

Be Who You Want No Matter What You Are

Emma Watson, the new United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador has spoken a lot recently about the stereotypes of women. She speaks to how young girls are taught to want to be princesses and fairies. This general assumption does not always coincide with gender. More and more we see guys liking girls toys and movies and girls wanting to be worriers from a young age. Or at least I do when I babysit.

What I am saying here is that just because of what gender we were born into doesn't mean that we choose all the same interests as our given gender. If we stopped categorizing work as "a mans job" or "women's work" and let people work in the field that interests them we could capitalize on everyone's strengths.

I do not particularly call myself a feminist because the effects of this have not had impact on my life. Very rarely, if ever, does being a girl impact my opportunities. However I do notice the stereotypes in the adult/ working world. Also this is no longer confided to just females. Recently a movement of males who believe that they receive judgement for being more sensitive or "girly" makes them inferior have risen up. This group has materialized partially being called "bronies" which is specifically a group a grown men who like My Little Pony because it has good family values and a positive message. I think that we as a society need to stop thinking of people as defined by these predetermined gender and instead let people redefine what it means to be a man or a women.

~Sahale