Xe4 said:

What shift? That was literally my first post on the topic. I think you're thinking of a different poster. And in general, two parents are better than one, simply due to the fact that they can go to better schools, live in a better area, be able to spend more time with their children instead of working 24/7, and more. Sure, one loving parent is better than two neglectful ones, but two average parents are better than one average parent, which on the whole means that we should be striving for less single parent households.

Again, if you're in a good place in your life and can dedicate time to raising a child, there's no problem with being a single parent. But let's not pretend this is anywhere near the majority of cases. The majority of the time, it is because of a guy abandoning a girl after she gets pregnant in her teens or early 20's. That's not ok, and will never be ok.

Also, I don't care about the gender of the parents. Again, I think you're thinking of someone else. they can be two men, two women, a man and a woman, an communal household, or whatever.

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Yes, I apologize. I did reply thinking you were someone else, my mistake!

I think the following is a good definition for being a feminist:

You acknowledge that there are patriarchal structures that hold women back relative to men, both in terms of economical outcomes and agency. Furthermore, you are in favour of measures that seek to tear down these structures and, in the meantime, lower or eliminate the effects they have on outcomes. What specific measures you support are a function of your overall ideology.

I would definitely call myself a feminist according to this definition, though as I said earlier, I'm not sure I would be welcomed into those ranks if my porn habits were known

I am all for equal rights but no, I would not opt for the label for myself.
It's the same reason that I refrain from using the Muslim label for myself. Because even though I follow Islam, people do dumb shit under the guise of the label and suddenly you become accountable for everything anyone does under the said label.

Basically fuck labels and classifications.

Adam_Vania said:

*snip*

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Thanks for the detailed post, and I totally get all this. Obviously sexism and antipathy towards feminism goes back a long way. I'm not trying to ascribe more power to MRAs than they actually have. But the number of people in this thread (even those in support of feminism!) who have specifically referenced MRA talking points ("blue hair," "feminazi," "militant feminist," etc.) shows that their message of what a feminist looks like is warping public perception beyond what actually exists.

Indeed

clearacell said:

LOL well I don't really do much research on people I can't stand listening to, but I am glad there is a big group of people that don't buy her at all.

For celebrity feminists I think more of Jessica Chastain or Brie Larson.

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Yeah, Lena Dunham made a good show with a lot of feminist themes, but she's an icon of tone-deaf privilege more than an icon of feminism.

No, I don't.

SynthFetish said:

Yes.

Anyone who says other wise has two options.

1. They are confused by what it means.

2. They are an asshole.

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This is one of the many reasons why. Modern feminists often seem to deal in absolutes when the world simply doesn't work that way. People may be supportive in most areas, but if you disagree in one, people quickly turn on you and call you an "asshole" or some other colorful term, or push the idea of internalized misogyny among other things. I find rarely that a discussion about individual issues can be had anymore. It seems to be an all or nothing deal, otherwise you are given a bad label.

jrh2 said:

The number of people that don't want to "identify as feminist" sadly shows bullshit MRA propaganda is working.

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This is another reason. I don't doubt MRA crap is influencing some, but people would rather continue to blame other groups and not themselves.

The real reason I don't consider myself a feminist, even though I believe in equal rights and opportunity for women, is how hypocritical the modern movement can be. Everyone put on pink pussy hats and marched throughout Washington and elsewhere. They claim to fight for women's rights worldwide. Yet when incidents happen around the world, I see very little action or awareness being raised.

A lot of people tweeted the leaders of the Women's March about Dina Ali Lasloom, a Saudi woman who was held up in the Philippines just recently until male relatives could fetch her and force her to return home. She was begging people for help in a video recorded on a phone and saying she will be killed, and another video out there shows her screaming as she is dragged back onto a plane. None of the leaders of that march helped raise awareness or cause a public outcry despite people begging for their help. I'm also not seeing much in the way of marches or a public outcry against the increasing number of FGM cases in the US that are being reported on. It may already be illegal here, but it isn't stopping, and these little girls need help and to know there is a supportive group out there if they are willing to speak up.

This is just a few examples of many. Meanwhile, instead of being outraged about this stuff, I see feminists making statements with free bleeding or singing songs about their vagina. I see articles about the air conditioning in an office being sexist (reported on by multiple major outlets no less!). The most mundane crap while women have acid thrown in their faces for going to school in Afghanistan, or sub-Saharan African women being sold into sex slavery as they try to escape the already crappy lives they live.

I am all for equal rights, but modern Western feminism has little going for it beyond wage gap and abortion discussions. My desire is to help women in other countries that can't even leave their homes without a high risk of abuse or male approval. I couldn't give a shit about peoples' air conditioning woes in the US or them wanting to bleed without sanitary products and be unhygienic.

Sorry for the rant, but as a woman, this whole topic frustrates me to no end. Not to mention the fact one of the leaders of the Washington march wanted to take the vagina away from some women according to a tweet. Sorry, but if this is what constitutes a feminist today, no thanks. I'd rather help women without wearing that label.

ginger ninja said:

I am all for equal rights but no, I would not opt for the label for myself.
It's the same reason that I refrain from using the Muslim label for myself. Because even though I follow Islam, people do dumb shit under the guise of the label and suddenly you become accountable for everything anyone does under the said label.

Basically fuck labels and classifications.

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Shouldn't it be fuck people who hold others accountable for the worst of the worst of their groups?

I mean you can feel free to label yourself how you please, but Muslims shouldn't be held accountable for the absolute evils some do in its name.

I prefer Egalitarian, but assholes are using it to justify being assholes, so I just go with Feminist most of the time.

No way in hell i would call myself a feminist, i'm all for equal rights and shit but feminists in my country, or especially on the internet make my face hurt so much. Here in my country we still have conscription for some BS reason, few months ago i saw some feminist raving about equal pay and some weird shit about how we should feel bad as white people that african slaves were a thing in, the thing went on and on and at one point she was asked about conscription and if women should have to go to the army since every healthy man has to. She started backpedaling instantly pulling shit out of the bag how women shouldn't learn to shoot and how army isn't a place for women. I have seen too many people like that and wouldn't in a million year group myself with them.

Ruff said:

I support Equality for women, men and all races really. No one should be treated differently. However I would never associate with the tumblr crowd version of feminism which is starting to mean "hate all men just for being men".

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That would not be true feminism. Your feminism is truer than theirs.

Temp_User said:

Which image? The middle one that argue for equity for socially disenfranchised groups . . . . . like women? Tell us why would feminists be against it.

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Because the literal definition for feminism that we've hashed out in this thread is about equality, not equity?

Many of you should be deeply, personally embarrassed at your parents'-basement-anime-body-pillow-tier opinions.