Although I support equal rights for all, I despise feminism. It's a misnomer. Feminism claims that they want gender equality, only focuses on women's issues. Men have issues too. We have to face discrimination in the law (e.g. child custody laws, child support laws and the fact women serve less jail time than men for the same crime) in the media (i.e. women hitting men is condonable, while men hitting women "promotes" violence against women). I am not saying that women don't have issues, but what I am trying to say is that men have issues, and they are usually overlooked. I can see why the OP's parent's might have done what they did.

I see no problem here. If your family has a problem with equal rights for both genders (trust me, as a soldier in the military I _know_ gender equality is still the source of a serious struggle on all fronts, from female equality in the workplace to accepted notions of what females can't do and what males can't do, to males who have to struggle to convince anyone that they're victims of domestic abuse), then why would you even want to talk to them? I would avoid them, myself.

If that's their reaction, doesn't seem like much of a lose.

I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a door mat or a prostitute. ~Rebecca West, "Mr Chesterton in Hysterics: A Study in Prejudice," The Clarion, 14 Nov 1913, reprinted in The Young Rebecca, 1982 Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. ~Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler

But are you? Because if you are, YDI.

So, the rest of your family DOESN'T think men and women are equal? Return the favor. Call them Misogynists...because that's what they are.

Being a feminist isn't bad though...

Diseases aren't contagious ;)

Tell them, "So you don't think men and women should be equal"?

Oh yeah, standing up for equality is such a crime..how could you?