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Well if you don't desire equality for all under the law, if you prefer special privileges based on gender or another arbitrary aspect, then you certainly aren't
by ewzimm 13y ago
Well if you don't desire equality for all under the law, if you prefer special privileges based on gender or another arbitrary aspect, then you certainly aren't a feminist. I won't argue that point, but I hope you understand my meaning of egalitarianism. I've often seen it confused with advocating weakness when it in fact means that everyone is treated fairly and given equal opportunity. I'm interested in what kind of position you do hold about how society should be structured. Perhaps you prefer a meritocracy, but that would require egalitarianism as a base state.
Feminists advocate for the rights of women but not exclusively so. We advocate equality and address inequalities. Feminists support men as well when they are victims of inequalities. Of course, feminism is a broad movement and not a dogmatic cult, and therefore you will find those who do not support the rights of trans people, but they are not representative of the majority of feminists.
Since its inception in the 19th century, feminism has expanded to address all aspects of gender in culture and identity. Many feminists like myself do not consider gender to be a binary position but a spectrum of cultural expressions. It is therefore impossible to advocate the rights of women without advocating the rights of men because no one is entirely "man" or "woman." No one fits neatly into static gender stereotypes. The rights of trans, intersexed, and genderqueer people are extremely important as we move forward.
In the long term, I feel it's especially important that we question traditional gender roles because we have an increasingly powerful ability to manipulate our biology. We will see increasing amounts of people with bodies and minds that do not conform to our expectations because they are fundamentally different, and we need to develop a cultural understanding for relating to people who do not conform to our preconceived notions of gender expression.