I don’t think feminism stands to gain anything by pretending that it’s easy to be a feminist. When I see or hear things like “80% of the world is feminist, a feminist is anyone who believes women should be equal,” I’m not comforted. I don’t see what the movement has to gain by pretending that misogyny is not the default in most people, and that being a feminist is as easy as buying into a buzzword. Feminism is hard. It requires examining our own beliefs and behaviors, a constant struggle to root out misogynist and patriarchal beliefs and behaviors, analysis of how our actions and the actions of others are harmful to women, and a conscious effort to change. Not just one time, but every day. To pretend that anyone who “believes in equality” is automatically a feminist is to leave the status quo untouched, to dress up oppressive behavior as liberating if we affix a “likes women” badge to it. To pretend that the fix is easy is to ignore that the disease permeates every aspect of our society, and to avoid naming the problem and telling people that work is actually involved is to fail women in the name of making others comfortable.