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MALE_FEMINISM_TRAP
May 4, 2017
February 18, 2019
I have some standard advice
for guys that runs like:
Under no circumstances should you claim
to be a "male feminist": the women will
figure you're scum who'll say anything to There's a grim irony about sexual
get laid, and the men will think you're a harassment complaints against
chump for thinking that's going to work. guys who have self-identified as
"male feminists". These are not
But then, you can believe in justice exactly unheard of.
and equality and believe in
supporting it even when it's not
personally to your benefit.
Though personally, I try not
to assume that I know A particular peeve of mine
precisely what feminism is the phrase "third wave",
means-- the occasional which I used to associate
insistance that it's "just with the "sex positive"
equal rights for women" is feminists of the 80s, but
somewhat disingenous: the now is more likely to have
meaning varies with different something to do with
people, places, and times. "intersectionality".
And I try not to assume I know
I have some long standing, though what someone means by
perhaps relative minor grudges with "intersectionality" either, but
some of what gets called feminism. I would take it as a recognition
that racism and sexism are
One example: there are a lot of overlapping problems.
women who seem to use reasoning like
"if I don't like something it must So there isn't any good language
be hostile to women, because I am a to describe flavors of feminism
woman and I don't like it". If they the "waves" don't have agreed-on
run into another woman who doesn't meanings, and adjectives like
agree, then that woman must be lost "extreme" or "radical" are
in some sort of false consciousness: typically meaningless rhetorical
all true feminists agree with me, dodges in need of explicit
because I am a true feminist. definition. Likewise, there
doesn't seem to be any good way
The periodic attempts at demonizing of identifying what should be
pornography are a classic example. considered "mainstream".
There's an undercurrent of puritanism This is a particular example
that flares up where feminists often of a broader problem--
seem to be hostile to any sort of
sexual behavior. Contending with an activist
movement is dealing with an
Something that began to amorphous social entity--
bother me back when I was a it's not even so much a
teenager in the mid-70s is doctrine or an ideology.
that feminists seemed very It might be an evolving
strong on thou-shalt-nots collection of common
but weaker on any sort of slogans, positions,
guidance on how you're rhetorical moves...
actually supposed to live.
If you're feeling inspired
"Consciousness raising" to argue with it, you find
seemed like a cruel trick yourself in really awkward
to play on an already territory where you need
self-conscious teenager to defend your perception
like myself. of what it's about, but
there's no definitive work
you can quote, there's no
one handing out membership
cards, or electing spokesmen.
You end up arguing on what
feels like very weak ground:
"Someone said something dumb
to me once and they said
they were a feminist. Or
kind-of acted like one."
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