Recently in Anti-Feminism Category

Show of hands: How many of you ladies have mothers who encouraged patriarchal ideals? Forced anti-feminist view on you? Do you think these experiences made you more likely to become a feminist? Are you wary of motherhood, in case you pass on the same ideals?

There's a million ways I can think of that mothers are doing this, sometimes its subconscious, just from being a part of this society, and other times I think the mothers are doing it on purpose.

Did your mother ever put you on a diet? Mine did. I was 10. I wasn't fat. I wasn't allowed to eat watermelon, because it was pure sugar! She did this so I would be one of the popular girls, she hinted at a few years later. Popular girls have perfect, tight, toned bodies, and everyone knows that watermelon goes right to your thighs!

Did your mother force you into traditionally female pasttimes? I always wanted to play soccer. But no, only boys play soccer. Soccer is violent, there's running, and there's kicking. There's sweat. Sweat is manly. Nice girls don't sweat. So I was signed up for ballet classes. (On my first day the teacher told me I was fat and should work on sucking in my stomach, I was 7. But that's a whole other post, isn't it).

Did your mother pressure you to be popular (and promiscious) while at the same time pressuring you to be sweet, innocent, and feminine? I think this one is mostly subconscious, because of the virgin/whore complex that's often talked about on here. I don't think mothers would try and confuse their daughters like this on purpose. I've been (VERY) happily single for about a year now, and my mother has asked me more times than I can count some variation of these questions:

(1) What's wrong with you?

(2) Maybe you're just a bitch. Have you tried being nice? 

(3) Are you a lesbian?

The funny thing is, despite this pressure to be popular, promiscious, and constantly boyfriended, I suspect most of our mothers also encouraged us from a young age that "boys were trouble" and/or "nobody will buy the cow if you give away all the milk". I personally didn't enjoy being compared to a milk-less dried out old cow, but thankfully, there was also "nobody will buy a loaf of bread if you've given away all the nice middle slices and there's only the crusty ends left". Once I dared to sit with my knees a (horrifically slutty) 2-3 inches apart, and was quickly reprimanded, before anyone could see what an STD-infested slut I was. (...)

Please share any and all thoughts! (esp. the questions at the top, pwetty pwease).

This is a direct address to all people who use the term "feminazi" or "feminist nazi" to describe someone you don't agree with. Because, you see, I get sick enough of all the eye-rolling at pro-woman sentiment, but this phrase makes me want to beat the shit out of the person who uses it.

By using that phrase, not only do you show your own pathetic cowardice, you also try to belittle the work, the blood sweat and tears of every woman who fought tooth and nail to acquire respect for herself as a human being. You belittle the work of the foremothers who worked so you, and/or your daughters, sisters, and mothers could vote, hold a job, be respected, acquire higher education, run for elected office and have reproductive rights.

You also take a huge shit on the pain and suffering of six million people who were killed, tortured and starved for being different. You think the Holocaust is funny? You think calling someone a "Nazi" makes you sound intelligent? Or was it tolerant?

You think it makes sense to call someone a "Nazi" because they believe in equal rights? Because they argue with you? Because they see something sexist that you, in your possible blindness, could not?

So you use the term "Nazi." Because someone who thinks that a boyfriend locking their girlfriend in his house to control her, who thinks that rape should be punished, who thinks women should have access to reproductive health is in the same league as those who believe in ethnic "purity" and ethnic "cleansing" at any cost. You think a feminist is in the same league as the group of people who slaughtered six million people.

I understand, it's because they disagree with you. And a Nazi is someone who takes a stand on an issue you're uncomfortable with. That's the proper way that word should be applied.

Anne Frank did not die so you could smear a movement that worked for social equality, she did not die for your effort to belittle a person who opposes you.

This is what Feminism looks like:

And this is what Naziism looks like:

You can't tell the difference?

It's very frustrating to me as a college student just starting to dip into the world of internships and careers that being defined as a "feminist" can have a negative effect on my job application.  Apparently in the business community being a feminist means a crazed activist more bent on all-encompassing social change than on doing well in her job.  I found this out from my mother, of all people, someone who I would absolutely consider a feminist.

I am currently a cultural anthropology major/Spanish minor at a small liberal arts college, and because my focus tends to be on feminist thought and how it affects my areas of study, I thought about adding a Fem Studies minor.  Because I love and respect my mom, I called to ask her if she thought I could do it (although intelligent, I'm not exactly known for my study skills).  And yes, she did warn me about loading myself with too many classes considering my schedule already.  But the other part of her warning had to do with the actual fem studies minor.  She said that's not something I would be able to put on my resume because most employers will see "Feminist Studies" and shy away from that candidate.  So add the minor if you really want to, she said, but be careful about where and when you advertise it.

I'm new here and it's not like me to post rants but this one I feel like this is something I just want to bring up with this community to see if I was in the wrong or not.

I'm a 16 year old girl and I was simply riding the bus to school today and my shirt today showed some cleavage but not a lot to catch a lot of attention. I was minding my own business until a woman older than me asked me if I had any other shirts so I refused to answer her because it was none of her business.

That's when she demanded me to cover my cleavage up and when I asked if they were a problem she said my breasts were obsene and offensive. So that's when I ignored her again and she started telling me how I was being disrespectful but I refused to answer her.

That's when she went extremely low and said, "and girls your age wonder why they get raped." I was too shocked to say anything in response but I was tempted to reach for my razor.

I'm just questioning if I did anything wrong or if this is just another case of anti-feminism?

I'll admit, I did too at first.  But thanks to this site, I've been able to see both sides of the issue and come to terms that patriarchy hurts everyone, even men. Gender equality is something I'm truly passionate for as a feminist because it's good for both men and women.  Yes, being a feminist means I take a special interest in how things affect women, but I'm very interested in how sexism hurts men as well.  This mainstream dogma of what it is to be "manly" fascinates me to no end.

We've seen the men's rights movement come up before with that guy who's sueing Columbia for Women's Studies (I'm bad with names) and today with the Men's Rights and the Domestic Violence ads.  I'll be honest, my main beef with Men's Rights is how they target women in divorce courts and sebsequently blame feminism for the unfairness to men with child support and how "men can't get out of fatherhood".  This really hits a personal chord since my mom was divorced twice and barely scraped a good deal out of both of them.  Also my cousin lost her little girl to a crack-addict and the court knew he was one.

Divorce is messy.  Unless it's an annullment or other circumstances, usually no one gets what they want.  That's what makes it a compromise, n'est-ce pas?  I'm not saying that there aren't cases where things were heavily in the woman's favor, and there aren't cases where things are heavily in the man's.  This I bear no grudge.  The system is just heavily flawed due to emotion and bias.  But to go and blame feminism?  Divorce has been around *way* long before the feminist movement.  And yes I'll admit has had some impact on it since the first and second waves.  But it doesn't have it's iron grip upon it. Hell, what does feminism have a firm grip on?  All I can think is sufferage (don't forget to vote!) and even then not really. 

The point is that I base my opinions upon fact and research.  I don't agree with masculinism because it's about men.  I disagree with it because it's flawed and ultimately reinforces gender stereotypes. And the whole reason I'm writing this is because my male feminist friend accused me about being sexist for that reason!  I don't need to ask you as a community if he's right.  I know he isn't.  But to be called a sexist blatantly.  I am upset.  I don't think I'm sexist for disagreeing with masculinism.  I'm entitled to my researched opinion.

I'm not totally off the mark, am I?

Can I get some feedback on how my argument is going? Here's what the anti-choicer said:

"In conclusion, as far as the whole abortion thing goes: you can be against it, but you cannot deny another person their own reproductive rights."

What happened to the baby's right to live? I mean come on, what if your mom decided to abort you? where would your friends be right now? reproductive rights, eh? zip up. Don't have sex unless you are open to raising a kid... that's what it is for anyway you know.

and as for Rape/Incest abortions - they total at 1% (1300) a year in the US. So 1,300,000 bambinos are slaughtered every year only because the mother didn't feel like raising a child... even though about double that number of families and individuals are out there who cannot have children and would do almost anything to love and raise an adopted child.

I just did a google search to find the "what about our daughters " blog and "Marry Our Daughter " came up in the list. I clicked to find a website I hope is a joke but doesn't look like it is one... does anyone know?!

Parents are selling off their American daughters to American men. There's a short paragraph for each girl, a foggy photo, and a price. Men can click propose if they want to propose.

Here is an example: "Kyra likes the outdoors, more the open air of the beach or the desert than the woods.  She would love to live somewhere away from it all.  She is bright and funny and full of life and while she has little direct experience with the opposite sex we have made sure she is aware of everything she needs to know to be a good wife and mother." She's 14.5 years old and is the cheapest bride-to-be on the first page, $27,995.

These have got a be a joke, right? Oh gosh, the testimonials are so bad. Please be a joke! It's too horrifying not to be...

Cross-posted from Fundamentally Flawed , where the worst, stupidest garbage published about marriage equality gets the public shaming it deserves!

From blogger and columnist Wayne Lusvardi comes this gem of an article: No on Prop 8 is Anti-Feminist . Wayne, as you'll immediately see, is both a champion of feminism and a brilliant scholar:

The word "marriage" comes from the Latin word "mater" for mother.

Great point! Except....it doesn't. It comes from Old French (marier, "to marry"). He's thinking of "matrimony."

And "mater" is what matters in marriage. Marriage is unavoidably built around female sexuality and procreation. Marriage can only concern a relationship to a woman for procreation. It is the opposite of concubinage, which is an involuntary relationship with a man of higher status in a traditional society.

All, first, can we get T-shirts that say "MATER IS WHAT MATTERS"?

Second, let's take a moment to marvel at the egregious, oblivious sexism in this paragraph. "Marriage is unavoidably built around female sexuality"? Wayne, that's not true, but if it were, you could try not to sound quite so bummed about it. Check out that third sentence, too, which quietly assumes that marriage is the exclusive domain of---guess who!---heterosexual men (who, in their enlightened feminist benevolence, generally opt nowadays to possess us one at a time rather than keeping entire harems).

A social order that doesn't protect a woman from rape or incest or concubinage can't give women the freedom to control who the father(s) of their children are, or their own bodies, or even their own health. Marriage is the structure of this freedom of choice for women in modern society. Women's freedom to control access to their body for procreation is what modern marriage is all about. Without that, there is no societal or religious basis for laws to protect marriage, particularly gay marriage.

Aren't you glad that Wayne is such an ardent supporter of women's rights to control their own health and their own bodies? I think we can safely assume that he's on the front lines of the fight to keep abortion and contraception legal and available, to offer comprehensive sex education in all our public schools, to protect rape victims and toughen laws against rapists, and to provide universal health care to all Americans......oh. He thinks a husband is all we need? Well, he should know, being a man and all.

Defining marriage down to a contract between companions or non-procreative sex partners will only end up harming all women for if everyone can marry, no one needs to and it becomes meaningless.

Yeah, yeah, the magical hedge of protection . We already know. Move on.

Women will ultimately suffer most. Gay marriage robs something that belongs exclusively to women.

Fallopian tubes? Kotex? Supermarket Sweep? I give up.

Traditional man-woman marriage is not anti-gay, it's pro-feminine. Same sex marriage is anti-feminist.

Let's review:

THINGS THAT ARE FEMINIST: All straight marriages, including those that involve spousal abuse and domestic violence; the use of "feminine" as a synonym for "feminist"; men who tell women what's feminist and what's not.

THINGS THAT ARE NOT FEMINIST: Lesbians.

Any questions?

    I got off the bus today at 9:45 to go to class and work.  I attend NC State University and I work at our main campus library.  At NC State, if you plan to be on campus any given day, you will probably be in the Brickyard.  It’s a large open area where hundreds of students congregate between classes.  Something happens in the Brickyard every day- activism, bake sales, crazy “preachers” yelling at girls wearing skirts, you name it- but today was different.

The latest cover of Newsweek magazine, which features a photograph of Sarah Palin, is causing controversy: on an October 8th episode of Fox's American Newsroom, Andrea Tantorus, a Republican media consultant, argued to host, Megyn Kelly, that the photograph "is a clear slap in the face to Sarah Palin." And why is it a veritable slap in the face? Precisely because the photograph does absolutely nothing to the Republican vice presidential candidate's visage.