Feminism: Need a new word?

I was reading an article today on Jezebel.com that really caught my eye. When I teach the feminism comes up in most, if not all, of my classes at some point.  I remember when I labeled myself as a feminist one time someone asked me how I planned to be a mother and a career-oriented woman. I responded that the two were certainly not mutually exclusive in my mind. What comes to mind for you when you hear the word feminist? Are you one? Are you proud or do you identify as a feminist in only certain situations or around certain people? These questions are not to lay on a guilt trip, but truly to help start a dialogue around this word and what it means to different people. I often ask my students whether men can be feminists. Usually they all jump to yes (surprising perhaps). But, I can see some of them thinking more and more about it. I can see that this "yes" response doesn't sit perfectly with everyone. Can a man be a feminist?

For me a feminist is someone who supports equal rights between men and women. There is no set appearance, sexuality, education level, religion or any other social characteristic that dictates whether someone is a feminist or not. Take a look at this video:

What do you think? Surprised by any of the responses? Maybe not surprised, but disappointed. Yes. I am.

So, this article I read, it was all about renaming feminism. Making it more socially acceptable. Softer. Jezebel solicited suggestions and the following list was created:

Misogylypse
Non-Cookers
Flesh-Hungry Young Slutism
Lieutenant Ripleyism
Legitabitch
Reallyism (as in "really? In 2011 that's acceptable behavior or thought to have about women? really?")
Equality for everyone regardless of their genitals
Equaligasm (an adherent of equaligasm would be an equaligasmitist)
Vagarchy
She-quality
FYATPHPHYRIO? (Pronounced Fee-Aht-Fee-Ree-Oh): Fuck You And The Privileged Heterosexist Patriarchal Horse You Rode In On
GEM (Gender Equality Movement)
eGALitarian
Clitanetics
Decency (feminists are "decentists.")
Vaginist
Femalicious
Vagenius
Feminis-awesome
Gendequality
Equalia
Genégalitism
Equalettes
Gynocrat
Vagitarian
Uteritarian
Antiobjectificationist
Diva-is-a-female-version-of-a-hustla-ism
Gynequity
and special mention to [a symbol of our choosing]

But the winner?

Equalism

I'm not going to lie, some of these suggestions are funny. Some I don't like. And some, well, are very bluntly correct, in my opinion.

So what is wrong with feminism? Do we really need a new word? Is there harm in using a new word? Won't it too just be labeled and negatively sanctioned?

I think this topic is important because we're picking on a word. A word that symbolizes equality between sexes. Is it really a battle against a word, or is it really a battle against equality, which our society is scapegoating a word?

If you'd like to read the jezebel article, click here.