Why I'm not a feminist (let's kill the myths, people)

aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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For me, feminism will always be, at its core, the same exact thing as egalitarianism, or the ideal that no person ought to be discriminated against solely for their gender, race, sexuality, etc. etc.

So, if you're for equal rights, but don't identify as a feminist, to me, that's like someone who doesn't believe in god choosing not to identify as an "atheist".

Fact is, they are atheists, regardless of how they personally choose to identify themselves.

You might be able to say that you're not a "third wave" feminist with a little bit more confidence, but let's not pigeonhole the entire philosophy with people who are concerned about the petty issues that are bitched about on Tumblr.

Why be a feminist when you could just be an Equal Rights activist without all the stupid feminist baggage? Feminism is outdated in modern Western society - and despite what all feminists will clamor to say, it's not equally about men as it is for women. Not by a long shot.
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 02:31:56 PM by Verbatim wird verzögert


 
Verbatim
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For me, feminism will always be, at its core, the same exact thing as egalitarianism, or the ideal that no person ought to be discriminated against solely for their gender, race, sexuality, etc. etc.
Sure, but feminism is explicitly active. It's a position of advocacy, not mere neutrality. Feminism has won, it's goal has been accomplished in the Western world. It's defunct.
We still have a duty, of course, to educate future generations about feminist/egalitarian ideals, though, do we not? That would be a great example of active feminism, I think. Disassociating the current stigma attached to feminism--that's part of what feminism is and will continue to be.

You can argue all day about wage gaps and the patriarchy and other nonsense all you want--but again, I just take umbrage with the pigeonholing. To say that you're not a feminist because you don't agree with a select few feminists is myopic at best, and just... ignorant bigotry at worst (because to reject feminism on its face is to reject equal rights--you can be a feminist and still argue with other feminists about pertinent issues regarding the philosophy).
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 02:53:20 PM by Verbatim


 
More Than Mortal
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This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.
We still have a duty, of course, to educate future generations about feminist/egalitarian ideals, though, do we not?
Education, however, is not the same as advocacy. We have a duty for education's sake, not for feminism's sake. I find it incredibly hard to believe that we will find ourselves, as a society, in a situation wherein we see some sort of regression back to sex-based bigotry.


 
Verbatim
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Why be a feminist when you could just be an Equal Rights activist without all the stupid feminist baggage?
Because the two are mutually inclusive, which is my argument. I'm saying if you are an "equal rights activist", you have no choice but to be a feminist. You can choose not to identify as one, but don't say that you aren't one. It doesn't make any sense.


aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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Why be a feminist when you could just be an Equal Rights activist without all the stupid feminist baggage?
Because the two are mutually inclusive, which is my argument. I'm saying if you are an "equal rights activist", you have no choice but to be a feminist. You can choose not to identify as one, but don't say that you aren't one. It doesn't make any sense.

That is false, feminism is more geared to women than to men. To deny this shows your complete arrogance and how you fall into the fold of feminists in denial trying to change the definition of feminism by claiming it to be something it isn't.

Being an equal rights activist does NOT make you a feminist. Don't bring your psuedo-bullshit into it.


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If I'm not here, I'm doing photography. Or I'm asleep. Or in lockdown. One of those three, anyway.

The current titlebar/avatar setup is just normal.
Praise Meta for digging up the science.

I'm saving this thread for when the time comes that my roommates argue over this again.


 
Verbatim
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That is false, feminism is more geared to women than to men.
So? I'm just saying, if you're for equal rights, you can't exclude women. You can't.

When someone says, "I'm not a feminist," to my ears, that means, "I don't support women's rights."
I know that's not what Meta means, but my point is, you shouldn't say something that you don't mean.
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 03:13:08 PM by Verbatim


 
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This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.
That is false, feminism is more geared to women than to men.
So? I'm just saying, if you're for equal rights, you can't exclude women. You can't.
The point being that feminism, being more geared towards women, is defunct in the Western World.


aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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That is false, feminism is more geared to women than to men.
So? I'm just saying, if you're for equal rights, you can't exclude women. You can't.

When someone says, "I'm not a feminist," to my ears, that means, "I don't support women's rights."
I know that's not what Meta means, but my point is, you shouldn't say something that you don't mean.

I'm not a feminist. I'm for equal rights.

Wow, that sounds wayyyy better.

Not being a feminist does not mean you're against women's right, don't be an arrogant jackass. "If you don't support Affirmative Action, you must be a racist."
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 03:30:39 PM by Verbatim wird verzögert


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Khilafah420
That is false, feminism is more geared to women than to men.
So? I'm just saying, if you're for equal rights, you can't exclude women. You can't.

When someone says, "I'm not a feminist," to my ears, that means, "I don't support women's rights."
I know that's not what Meta means, but my point is, you shouldn't say something that you don't mean.
Dear fucking God...


 
Verbatim
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Not being a feminist does not mean you're against women's right
That's not what I said. I said that's what it sounds like. I personally wouldn't go out of my way to say that I'm not something if I supported everything that it stands for. That's kinda fucking backwards and stupid.

Of course, you're under some delusion that feminism isn't just the supporting of women's rights, which we're going to fundamentally disagree on. I don't think you're going to find any evidence beyond the anecdotal for that bogus claim.
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 03:32:31 PM by Verbatim


aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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Not being a feminist does not mean you're against women's right
That's not what I said. I said that's what it sounds like. I personally wouldn't go out of my way to say that I'm not something if I supported everything that it stands for. That's kinda fucking backwards and stupid.
Then don't even bother saying it if you know that's not what people mean in the first place. Otherwise you just come off as arrogant and an ass.


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Khilafah420
Not being a feminist does not mean you're against women's right
That's not what I said. I said that's what it sounds like. I personally wouldn't go out of my way to say that I'm not something if I supported everything that it stands for. That's kinda fucking backwards and stupid.
Then don't even bother saying it if you know that's not what people mean in the first place. Otherwise you just come off as arrogant and an ass.
I think that Verby wants to come off as arrogant and an ass because he's probably extremely shy and meek in real life and he's compensating.


 
Verbatim
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"If you don't support Affirmative Action, you must be a racist."
Terrible example, by the way. Affirmative action is in no way equitable to something as broad as feminism.

Anti-racism is equitable to feminism.

"If you're not an anti-racist, then you're a racist."
I think most people could say that without too many people getting angry.

But it's the exact same thing as saying that, "if you're not a feminist, you're a sexist."

Even though even I wouldn't say such a thing.
I would say, "if you're not a feminist, you're kidding yourself."

The only people who aren't feminists are people who want to subjugate women.
If you're for women's rights, you're a feminist. Period. The end.
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 03:39:56 PM by Verbatim


 
Verbatim
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Anti-racism is defunct, though, because non-whites have equal rights, now. Racism is dead. :^)
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 03:42:33 PM by Verbatim


 
More Than Mortal
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This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.
Anti-racism is defunct, though, because non-whites have equal rights, now. No one's racist anymore. :^)
Anti-sexism =/= feminism, however.

I'm absolutely an anti-sexist, but feminism is more akin to civil rights activism. Institutional and systemic racism isn't a problem any more.


God | Ascended Posting Riot
 
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Anti-racism is defunct, though, because non-whites have equal rights, now. Racism is dead. :^)

Noone these days uses 'anti-racist' as a label to identify themselves by, so that's a really poor analogy for the point your trying to make.


 
Verbatim
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I'm not talking about the label; I'm talking about the ideology.


Not Comms Officer | Legendary Invincible!
 
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Khilafah420
Anti-racism is defunct, though, because non-whites have equal rights, now. Racism is dead. :^)
Are you kidding me?

Racism is far from dead. Very, very far.


 
Verbatim
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I'm absolutely an anti-sexist, but feminism is more akin to civil rights activism. Institutional and systemic racism isn't a problem any more.
Of course--and you've done a good job of demonstrating how institutionalized sexism isn't much of a problem any more, either. But still, personally, I don't see that as a good reason to eschew the label. For as long as women remain sentient, I'm going to identify as a feminist no matter what.


 
Verbatim
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Anti-racism is defunct, though, because non-whites have equal rights, now. Racism is dead. :^)
Are you kidding me?

Racism is far from dead. Very, very far.
The :^) denotes facetiousness. I was being sarcastic.

...Obviously.


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I'm not talking about the label; I'm talking about the ideology.

You don't think feminism is a label? Your position makes a lot more sense now.

But language isn't static, in reality the meaning of a term is more dependent on what public perception of the term is rather than the official dictionary definition. That's a fundamental concept in linguistics.

Call yourself a feminist all you like but remember semantic disputes are rarely productive. If you already understand what Meta meant, that is to say people who identify with the feminist label rather than people who fit the technical definition of a feminist, it should end there. No single person has the power to dictate how language is used and trying to do so makes you seem arrogant which is not an effective way to convince people as demonstrated by the reactions you're getting.


aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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"If you don't support Affirmative Action, you must be a racist."
Terrible example, by the way. Affirmative action is in no way equitable to something as broad as feminism.

Anti-racism is equitable to feminism.

"If you're not an anti-racist, then you're a racist."
I think most people could say that without too many people getting angry.

But it's the exact same thing as saying that, "if you're not a feminist, you're a sexist."

Even though even I wouldn't say such a thing.
I would say, "if you're not a feminist, you're kidding yourself."

The only people who aren't feminists are people who want to subjugate women.
If you're for women's rights, you're a feminist. Period. The end.

Except you're wrong, that is false equivalency and my example was making a valid point. I am for equal rights, but I am not a feminist. Feminism is not the broad, all-encompassing all-ending movement you make it to be. You're just trying to equalize it with whatever you can because you know if you didn't, feminism would be a joke (and it is).

inb4psuedobullshit


 
Verbatim
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Feminism is not the broad, all-encompassing all-ending movement you make it to be.
But I don't. It's a necessary piece of the equal rights puzzle, and that's all that I'm saying.


aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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Feminism is not the broad, all-encompassing all-ending movement you make it to be.
But I don't. It's a necessary piece of the equal rights puzzle, and that's all that I'm saying.

It isn't. Feminism ran it's course and succeeded. Now it's a game of redundancy and even damaging to current society.


 
Verbatim
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Which is less feminism, and more individual feminists with misguided, albeit well-intended, ideas. There are feminists, such as myself, who don't subscribe to the ideals of Tumblr feminism. It's possible.
Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 04:38:53 PM by Verbatim


aREALgod | Legendary Invincible!
 
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Which is less feminism, and more individual feminists with misguided, albeit well-intended, ideas. There are feminists, such as myself, who don't subscribe to the ideals of Tumblr feminism. It's possible.

Yet just considering the damage done to feminism overall from those misguided, I could never subscribe myself under that ideology umbrella.


 
Verbatim
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Well, that's your prerogative. I don't think it's logical, but do what you will.


 
 
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I'm absolutely an anti-sexist, but feminism is more akin to civil rights activism. Institutional and systemic racism isn't a problem any more.
Of course--and you've done a good job of demonstrating how institutionalized sexism isn't much of a problem any more, either. But still, personally, I don't see that as a good reason to eschew the label. For as long as women remain sentient, I'm going to identify as a feminist no matter what.