Might help also to describe what you think feminism is, since it's one of those terms that is overloaded.

I once had a physical therapist tell me she wasn't a feminist because she thought women couldn't be as physically capable as men when serving as soldiers, and seemed to believe feminism requires treating women exactly like men.

I told her I was a feminist because I believe in equal rights for men and women, an idea she did not seem so opposed to.

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[–] 19 points 1 year ago

I like the Rebecca West quote: "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 doormat."

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I prefer the term egalitarian or something to that effect. I definitely fall under the definition of a feminist, but I think it's sort of ironic that a term for equality has an inherent bias for women in the word itself, even if it is not the intended meaning.

    I think the word itself has actually harmed the movement significantly. Turns out the words we use matter a lot. So again, I prefer a more neutral sounding term, like egalitarianism or equal rights.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I think its one of those things that doesnt translate so well outside of its time/place. Here in the UK we had people scoffing at "black lives matter" because "surely all lives matter are white people not as important..". We're not feeling systemic racism nearly to the same extent America is and the movement loses a lot of its power based just on the name. I think feminism has caught the same thing being out of its time.

    There's surely some issues still to work on with gender equality, but the main big ones have been pretty much solved as best we can. Women can vote, drive, work etc. On the surface the works already been done.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I think you might be on to something there. I'm in Denmark and Scandinavia have been forerunners when it comes to equality and LGBT+-rights and such, so perhaps the use of the "fem" in the term feels undue for my cultural background.

    There’s surely some issues still to work on with gender equality, but the main big ones have been pretty much solved as best we can.

    I think this very much depends on where you live. I'd say that even in Denmark, which is very well ahead of most of the rest of the world, there are still lots of gender equality issues. We've only "solved" them in the sense that the laws are fairly equal (not equal to the extent I would like it, but almost), but the culture is still somewhat unequal. Women still take much more parental leave than men do, for instance.

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    JK Rowling and the other TERFs have kinda ruined that term just like the american right soiled the flag.

    I prefer "egalitarian" at this point, less loaded, and gender inclusive. I'm one of those radicals where I want non-traditional families, no gender roles, and all the vanilla straight stuff to all exist side by side in harmony.

    Also, women's clothes needs real pockets. And men need cuter clothes like shortalls. That's a world I want to be a part of :)


    The one thing I'm not egalitarian about- straight men need to be taught to pee sitting down, or at least lift the seat, damn. I know it's not all of you, but there are a couple of animals out there that need help. :p

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago*

    The one thing I'm not egalitarian about- straight men need to be taught to pee sitting down, or at least lift the seat, damn. I know it's not all of you, but there are a couple of animals out there that need help. :p

    This isn't really a gender issue, either, but I acknowledge men tend to be more of a problem here. But the solution is simple and egalitarian (or feminist, if you prefer): If you make a mess, clean it up. It also works in places besides the bathroom.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I call myself egalitarian. It distinctly means what you mean by feminist without being so readily confused with what she means by feminist.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    ironically I think it's more confusing, if I tell someone I'm an egalitarian they honestly might not know what that word means at all, whereas at least if I say I'm a feminist they are closer to understanding that I'm in favor of women's rights ...

    What my physical therapist considers "feminism" is not something I generally take seriously as a real meaning of feminism, it's a strawman, and it feels wrong to me to cede the meaning of the word to something so contrary to the actual context of what feminism is (both historically and in its present forms).

    There are a variety of feminisms, but none of them advocate for the kinds of things my PT believed, so ... I don't know, it doesn't seem reasonable to only call myself an "egalitarian" and not use the term "feminist".

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Don't get too caught up in nuance and small strains of academic philosophy here. The difference is clear:

    Egalitarianism is a philosophy that asserts equality among all people. An egalitarian holds the belief or principle that all people are equal and should be treated equally.

    Feminism is a social movement born out of the pervasive and systematic disenfranchisement, oppression and abuse of women, which holds to an egalitarian philosophy of equal rights between men and women. A feminist is an advocate for the equal rights of women.

    One is an abstract idea that influences modern humanism, liberalism and democracy. The other is a struggle to make that ideal a reality, that has a different face in every different time and place that it's happening. Both are virtuous.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago*

    I place the result of 'What's an egalitarian?' as better than the die roll as to whether they will take it as one or the other, or even a third interpretation. If I say egalitarian, and they can't define it, they'll probably go into a questioning mode, which helps make them more open to discussion. The number of people who could define it AND be against it would be minimal. On the other hand, feminist has become almost an epithet to a significant chunk of the English-speaking world. It's a word that shuts down empathy and critical thinking for those people, even if they couldn't define it, which your anecdote helps show it can be hard for people to do at any rate.

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  • [–] 29 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    feminist as in "tear down unjust hierarchies", and definitely not feminist as in "girlboss yay we need more ladies oppressors"

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Exactly, also this "all men are bad and monsters" has to stop. This is not how you get the good men to help you stop and punish the bad men.

    But yeah, fuck the patriarchy, women should have just as many rights and freedoms as men do, in theory and in practice.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    reversing sexism isn't a solution to any issue, it's the irrational hierarchies that are bad, not the fact that it's not your people on top.

    also, I don't think I've ever heard a feminist talking about "all men are monsters", but I've definitely heard antifeminist men claim they do.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I agree, but sadly I have seen posts claiming that all men are monsters and lots of people agreeing online, and not just once or twice.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    (This comment uses translation software.)

    Yes. I am a feminist, though I am skeptical.

    Some feminists argue(Article in Japanese) that the gender equality brought about by feminism also liberates men from the suffering unique to them.

    I take a similar stance, believing that the 'gender equality' brought about by male feminism, which seeks happiness for men, also liberates women from the suffering unique to them. In some ways, I am a reactionary feminist.

    Previously, I was a male feminist with old-fashioned thinking, striving to eliminate only women's suffering, not men's.

    However, I changed my mind after the Japanese government, where I live, adopted a policy of allocating "female admission quotas" at prestigious universities, including national universities, as part of its affirmative action program, modeled on America's racial admission quotas.

    Even back when I supported traditional feminism, I was critical of the current state of university education in Japan, where there are public women's universities but no public men's universities. I also believe that expanding these quotas to general universities would violate the Constitution, which proclaims gender equality. I cannot trust traditional Japanese feminism, which supports the unconstitutional status quo, and that is why I have become the skeptical feminist I mentioned earlier.

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  • I consider myself egalitarian

    I feel like the term Feminist gives too much of an impression that I tolerate or encourage misandry, which I certainly do not. That and if you look at feminist groups throughout history TERFs have been the norm, not the exception.

    Egalitarian, because sexism cannot be tolerated no matter which direction it's facing.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago

    Yeah, specifically I'm fairly third wave in that I've been convinced of the value of an intersectional perspective, am pro modern sexual liberation (including the freedom to not want it), and generally am more aligned with the feminist critiques of the second wave. Furthermore I find a lot of the fourth wave to a shitshow, though considering the concept of the fourth wave is not based on academic ideas or coherent demands, but rather the idea that social media changed feminist discourse so radically as to constitute a change to a different wave.

    Feminism has always had multiple sides, and like most liberatory movements it has people who are cringe, who are counterproductively hostile, and who generally suck. It will try things that don't work or push things in bad directions. Also college students and young people will do it in ways that look terrible. But feminist theory is also insightful texts that challenge cultural biases. And in a time where rights such as abortion are under attack and government officials are expressing their opposition to women's suffrage, the principle of equality and fundamental rights remains even if it looks different now from when our grandmothers and great grandmothers were fighting for the right for a bank account.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Yes, in the sense that I believe men and women should have equal rights. I suspect people who say they aren't feminists have a different definition of it.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    To be fair, the word feminist is super outdated, since it has the connotation of being for women because of the "femi". Well... It kinda was during the feminist movements of the early 1900s, but that in itself was as a fight for equality.

    Point is, I'd love a rebrand to something like "Equalist" or something better sounding but with the same connotations.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    I'm a feminist and a men's liberation kinda guy. Feminism is necessary and useful as theory and as a movement. It benefits both men and women

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  • I believe in equal rights and opportunities for all, be they man, woman, in between or none of the above.

    But saying (and perhaps believing) one is a feminist and actually acting like one are often two different pairs of shoes. We all are confronted with so much discrimination, with so much bias, with so much misogyny, it takes active labour to actually behave like a feminist, because no matter how you think about yourself, at some point and to some degree, all that shit we get confronted with every day will rub off on us, and we have to understand that and constantly check ourselves so that it does not influence us in our thought patterns. Constant mental garbage collection, if you want.

    That is true for all kinds of discrimination, no matter what it is based on.

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  • [–] 20 points 1 year ago

    As a CIS male I consider myself a feminist because I recognize that women continue to face systemic challenges that demand more than just abstract ideals of equality. To me, feminism goes beyond egalitarianism. It’s not just about treating everyone the same, it’s about recognizing the different challenges people face and working to change the systems that create and sustain those imbalances.

    I was raised by my mom and 3 sisters, and that gave me a front-row seat to the everyday injustices women face. Everything from subtle slights to overt discrimination to being victim of abuse. It wasn’t theory for me, it was lived experience, just one degree removed. I've seen the strength and resilience of the women in my life, and I’ve also seen what they’ve had to push through simply because of their gender.

    Now, as a father with a daughter, I feel an even deeper responsibility to be part of the shift. I don’t just want her to grow up in a world that pays lip service to β€œequality”. I want her to live in one where she’s safe, respected, and empowered. That means doing more than being β€œnot sexist.” It means actively pushing back against the structures and behaviors (the patriarchy) that holds women back.

    I have zero tolerance for toxic masculinity and so-called β€œalpha male” attitudes that promote dominance, entitlement, and emotional repression. That culture hurts everyone, but it especially harms women by normalizing control and aggression.

    I want my daughter and every woman to see examples of men who are allies, not bystanders. Feminism is a promise: to show up, to speak out (or more often shut up), and to help dismantle barriers so that every person, regardless of gender, can thrive without restriction or fear.

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago* (5 children)

    There are various schools of feminism, some of which have conflicting opinions. But the common feminist standpoints, like equal rights, seem to be just common sense for me, especially in this day and age. I'm not sure where the requirement for equal physical ability fits into the equation.

    At least for me, going out and saying that you are feminist carries a sort of special connotation, and since I haven't participated in any explicitly activist events related to feminism, I wouldn't readily emblazon myself with the feminist label even though I stand by those ideas.

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  • [–] [S] 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    the physical therapist had a misconception of what feminism is, probably due to conservative misinformation that presents egalitarian movements like feminism as forcing men and women to be treated the same, and in this case the PT thought this meant soldiers were being forced to have women on their units that would slow them down or make them less effective because they weren't allowed to vary the tasks based on strength because of "feminism". I'm not even sure her story was based in reality, tbh - I'm not sure whether the military integrates women soldiers that way, but either way she has internalized some griping from her husband about this.

    Either way, it's interesting to me you wouldn't identify as a feminist even if you agree with feminism - I wonder what connotations it has, and how those connotations will change if people who are feminists don't own that ... That was part of why I owned being a feminist in my interaction with the PT - she clearly had a misunderstanding of what feminism is, so I clarified why I see myself as a feminist. Otherwise she might not ever be challenged in her views, and "feminism" just becomes the absurd strawman she rejects.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    If, say, I hear that "Bob is a feminist", I reflexively think that Bob is somehow renowned or outspoken in contrast to the general public for supporting feminist causes, perhaps as an educator, figurehead, or activist. I'm not sure what other specific situations I would emphasize myself as feminist, but I'd do the same if put in your situation as a way of standing up.

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  • [–] [S] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    oh interesting, the idea is that being a feminist is more than just about beliefs, it implies something more, like being an activist ...

    I tend to think identifying as a feminist is a lower bar, it just signifies you are in favor of equal rights among genders. I would have no problem identifying as a feminist just broadly - like on a bio, or in conversation.

    I have to think about your meaning more, though - I feel like I have some sense of that, it's maybe a bit like being "vegan" - it implies not just a belief, but maybe also actions you take. Perhaps being a feminist implies something like that in your world, that you are actively engaged in the feminist movement - whether organizing, theorizing, etc.

    Either way, thanks for expanding my mind!

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    it just signifies you are in favor of equal rights among genders

    It doesn't "just signify that" though, as much as feminists act like it does. The term "feminist" does signify a person who, at least ostensibly, is in favor of equal rights among genders, but using that term also, necessarily, implies belief in the harmful dogma that is inseparable from the term itself (patriarchy theory, etc.). This creates a false dichotomy that makes people feel that in order to support equal rights they must also buy into feminist dogma, and that's not at all the case.

    Luckily, though, feminism doesn't have a monopoly on gender equality, and it's important to let people know that fact, both because of how incredibly misleading "feminism just means gender equality" is and because there are plenty of other more useful, more egalitarian frameworks through which to view the push for equality.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    I think the reflex naturally makes sense, but from the people I personally know to be outspoken and definitionally feminist, it's more like calling yourself a feminist says you explicitly side with the feminist cause. Sort of like saying you're anti-racist rather than identifying as someone lacking racism, which is actually a farce when we're all biased.

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  • [–] 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    Yes.

    Down with the liars who are talking of freedom and equality for all, while there is an oppressed sex, while there are oppressor classes, while there is private ownership of capital, of shares, while there are the well-fed with their surplus of bread who keep the hungry in bondage. Not freedom for all, not equality for all, but a fight against the oppressors and exploiters!

    – Vladimir Lenin, Soviet Power and the Status of Women

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence. I hear the roar of women's silence. I sense the rumble of their storm and feel the fury of their revolt.

    • Thomas Sankara
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  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    I am a feminist because I believe men and women should have equal rights. I think a lot of people fell for the propaganda that feminism is about women over men or something. The thing a lot of men fail to realize is that "the patriarchy" hurts them too. A lot of the things you see men complain about like being told to "man up" or not being able to express their feelings without being mocked are 100% a side effect of patriarchy.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)

    I would love to rephrase the word to "Equalist".
    Equal rights for all!

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  • [–] -2 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    "Man up" isn't always about bottling your feeling like the US internet says. More often it's "stop complaining and just do it". And someone has to do "it". And it often leads to growth.

    The internet often distorts things.

    As for the topic, I am a feminist. The first and second wave feminism, that is. The equality ones. Not the pink haired screaming "all men are evil and should pay" third wave. Everybody screaming "patriarchy" while sitting on their bed, not even looking further then that. Looking at everything black and white.

    Actually, I'm kinder to women then men...

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    "Man up" isn't always about bottling your feeling like the US internet says. More often it's "stop complaining and just do it". And someone has to do "it". And it often leads to growth.

    I'm sure telling people who are hesitant to open up about their feelings and want to express them more to "stop complaining and just do it" will definitely make them open up about their feelings. πŸ™„ Way to miss the point entirely.

    Not the pink haired screaming "all men are evil and should pay"

    I don't think that caricature helps promote gender equality.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago

    As for the topic, I am a feminist. The first and second wave feminism, that is. The equality ones. Not the pink haired screaming "all men are evil and should pay" third wave.

    Actually, I'm kinder to women then men...

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  • As an anarchist, sexism and cisheteropatriarchy are unjustifiable hierarchies, and therefore I oppose them. In turn, this makes me an intersectional feminist.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    If a feminist is just anyone who supports woman’s rights then yes I am a feminist. I’m not an activist though I don’t go out of my way to help.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago*

    I don't like labels and I never considered myself a feminist but I probably am compatible to this label. I simply try to be a decent person to everyone regardless of virtually everything, and constantly ask myself whether any kind of bias or prejudice played a role in an opinion or decision I made.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    I will say yes, because I am a woman who has benefited from what feminists did in the past, and don't believe in strict gender roles for men or women, and my kids were all born as girls, I had to work a lot to get them good education, my focus has necessarily been more on advancing the lives of girls than boys, I didn't get boys until I married.

    I think humanity as a whole is stronger when women are stronger. Empowering women empowers men too, when we all do more we are stronger, it's not a zero sum thing.

    So yeah I think so, yes, soy feminista.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago

    Yes, my whole life. It's how I was raised, but now that I'm an adult, it's also what I choose for myself and how I'm raising my own children.

    Feminism is the radical idea that a person's worth, dignity, rights, and social status are not and ought not to be determined by their genitals.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    If feminist just means I think women deserve the exact same rights as men, and same with any other gender, then yes I'm a feminist.

    If feminist means a woman advocate who strives to push more female perspectives in a world dominated by male ones, well I'm a cis man so by definition I can't do that. If I want to support that, and I do, the best thing I can do is stop talking and listen.

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  • [–] [S] 0 points 1 year ago

    hm, don't you think cis men can be woman advocates who help female perspectives be seen?

    Thinking of examples here like Poor Things, which is written and directed by men, but which clearly pushes, at the very least, feminist perspectives (if not "female perspectives").

    John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women likewise comes to mind - we need men taking & putting forward feminist perspectives, to help female perspectives get traction in a patriarchal society.

    Listening is helpful (mutually), but I don't think it's the only role for men.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I've always thought of women as people. Wild I know. Also I'm transitioning towards being one so y'know, some selfish desire for women's rights and safety too.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    I don't care about gender. If you want to identify as a man or a woman, then you're free to do that. If you want to identify as something else, that doesn't bother me.

    But if you want to take someone's rights away because of who they are and not for what they've done, then I'm against your ideals.

    If you call me a feminist for that, then I'll happily accept that title too.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    Yes. Because we should strive to treat everyone equally

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    I'm not, because I do nothing actively in feminist political spaces. I believe opinions count nothing and don't change the world, so I don't want to be bundled up with the plenty of people who use it as a label for virtue signaling while not actually putting the effort in.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I am not a feminist.

    Feminism has a variety of different flavors with sets of specific ideals that are not a priority in my view, however the basic idea of equal rights is definitely important to me. The more I think about it, the less I feel I know what I'm talking about which is also why I don't wanna signify I have strong foundational knowledge on this topic. "Equality" is kind of baseline and not what you expect most kinds of feminism to expand to.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago

    Hm, equality is precisely what I think feminism is about, some of the most famous feminist works like bell hooks' Feminism is For Everybody is entirely about how feminism is an egalitarian movement.

    What do you expect feminism to expand to, and why do you think that? It's interesting you feel like you might not know much about feminism - have you read or studied any feminist authors or books (like Simone de Beauvoir's Second Sex)? What has informed your view of what feminism is?

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago* (4 children)

    Yes, as in "women deserve equal rights across the board"

    No, as in "feminism is the synonym to and only valid kind of antisexism and every gendered issue should be seen exclusively through women's struggle"

    I'm here for the equality of men and women, and believe that only in cooperation, through consideration of issues on each side, we can efficiently combat sexism.

    Feminism should not be "us vs them". It should be one part of the larger circle that is looking at how we can improve things for everyone - women, men, and nonbinary people.

    We should bridge the gap on all sides, so that whatever gender you are, you have equal possibilities in life, career, and everything else, you are safe and can build your life the way you want.

    That means no one should be targeted by sexual harassment and exploitation. No one should be denied jobs or have lower salary based on arbitrary characteristics. No one should be forced to choose a binary gender if they're neither. Kids should not be indoctrinated with traditional gender roles. Etc. etc.

    And, honestly, I don't think many will disagree here. Many of those who "do not support feminism" don't mean they go against equality - they are rather concerned about a specific form of particularly loud online feminism pretending men are all evil and that there's no related struggle on men's end.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    It should be one part of the larger circle that is looking at how we can improve things for everyone - women, men, and nonbinary people

    Modern feminism does exactly that.

    I get that people get hung up on the label, but other demographics' issues are absolutely part of it. It's called intersectionality.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (2 children)

    The label is important, though, because as long as we call it all feminism, any conversation that does not explicitly target women audience may be maliciously hijacked. I've seen this happening in the wild a lot - people arguing that we steal feminism when talking about issues from another perspective.

    Also, speaking of intersectionality, isn't it weird for it to be a subsection of feminism again? Intersectionality commonly includes issues of race, disabilities, transgender individuals, and so on, and as such, men along with nonbinaries who struggle on each of the axis may not get adequate attention and representation under the umbrella of feminism, as again, it's "about women" (it kinda is).

    To me, antisexism should cover feminism, masculism (a term recently hijacked by bad actors, but initially coming from the same place as feminism - equality for all, focus on instances of male discrimination), a movement of nonbinary people.

    Intersectionality should go above feminism, and above antisexism for that matter. It is about all struggles of all groups of people, and ultimately stands to cover it all - antisexism, anti-racism, trans inclusion, inclusion of people with disabilities, etc. etc.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (1 child)

    I don't think that's necessarily malicious. Sounds like those people may have a thing to learn about feminism as well.

    It's not about being a "subsection". It's not a competition who's on top. It's about recognizing how these issues share a common core and many negative effects, and need to be addressed together rather than competing for attention. That's exactly what intersectionality addresses.

    As far as I'm aware, the inclusive movement that focuses on male issues in a way that regards itself in cooperation rather than competition with feminism (after men's rights was successfully taken over by the right-wing) labels itself men's liberation.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Fair enough - but malicious or not, it does cause issues and builds barriers to inclusion.

    Talking about subsections is not about competition. It's about unhealthy arrangement that, again, can easily be used to exclude people. It just doesn't make sense to divide it this way.

    Intersectionality talks about many issues, and one of them, part of it, is sexism. So, putting it under umbrella of feminism is like putting animals under the umbrella of bees.

    My experience interacting with men's liberation is mostly just men going 100% into misandric narrative that men are to blame for anything and everything. As one person underscored it under one such post, "if a woman struggles - it's society's fault. If a man struggles - it's a man's fault". There's no room there for not blaming men for the discrimination they receive.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    It means if you think women should have the same rights as men. I am a feminist.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago*

    Id say yes, wouldn't give myself the label though, lots of crap online interactions have made me just want to never talk about politics with randoms ever again, its too mentally draining.

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago (10 children)

    I am a feminist.

    Feminism means all genders should be treated equal, but that does not mean men should also get paid menstrual leaves at their job. Equal rights, yes. Everyone should be treated fairly.

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  • [–] 56 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Defining it as paid menstrual leave is kind of the problem. Hear me out.

    Women should be able to take paid leaves from work to deal with menstrual problems, but it shouldn’t stop there. All people should be able to take leave from work when they need it.

    So, if it is redefined as paid leave, then it equalizes the field.

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  • [–] [S] 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I think the "when they need it" part is where the feminism becomes relevant - there is a history of women (and men) being denied leave when they need it for sexist / patriarchal reasons (e.g. men are generally not given paternity leave, women might not be allowed to take leave due to menstruation).

    The scope of acceptable reasons to take leave is what is debated and where feminism has pushed for paid leave for reasons previously denied to both men and women.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I get you. But say, a company has a policy that we give employees 2 paid leaves per month, for example, a woman can take those 2 paid leaves for the same reasons as the men do, but they would also need a day more of paid leaves to deal with the menstrual pain/stress. If that extra day is not defined as "menstrual leaves" men would argue that why are women getting more leaves, and hence the feminism thing will be broken as both are not treated fairly.

    Same in the case of pregnancy. Companies give 2 months of paid leaves for that.

    Or maybe the right thing to do is, just say, if you're pregnant, you get paid time off, if you're having periods you get paid time off. Do not include gender in it.

    Idk man.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I get what you’re saying, but if a woman is given more benefits than a man, businesses are disincentivized to hire women.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago*

    Unless the government subsidizes their wages or reduces tax burdens for companies that have more diverse hiring

    That's what we do in my country. If you hire only men you generally qualify for fewer government programs. In some cases you cant bid on the job if you don't have sufficient representation for specific groups.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago

    But I think the idea is that men should get the same lenience, i.e. just-feeling-wrecked-leave rather than menstrual-leave. The difference in having a baby should be that one needs medical leave too, in my mind.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    It's a really shit word to use if it's supposed to mean equality.

    Are there any other words we can use to replace feminism that doesn't show bias towards one side?

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    isn't the nature of inequality that one side is privileged while another is marginalized?

    Feminism is about gender equality, which means addressing the inequality that exists. You seem confused about what equality is about ...

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  • I'll accept that feminism is about furthering the rights of women.

    It's not about equality, though, which is why we never hear feminists complaining about men in the draft or a lack of female representation in sanitation services.

    It's also a terrible word to use if it is about equality because it clearly favors one group over others. If you want to support equality, you should use a different word.

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