In A Nutshell

Without even looking at what prompted this (partial) recounting of beliefs by Kaetlan, it's perfect. And perfectly stand-alone.

My feminism is confined to the freedom to make choices, and for equalization inside the social sphere. I support equal pay for equal work, but I reject the condescension of Affirmative Action. I support the woman who wants to pursue a prestigious education and career. I also support the woman who wants to stay at home, whether she's raising children or not. I even support the woman who feels she can 'have it all', no matter how misguided I feel that notion to be -- have at 'er, just don't complain to me about how tired you are.

I want women to be able to have abortions should they want to and NO, I don't include any qualifiers. I want women to be proud of themselves, but I also want that for men. I despise violence against women, but I despise violence against any person, irrespective of sex. I support advocacy for women living in countries where they're treated like chattel, and can be killed by their menfolk for whatever supposed breaches of family honour they've committed. (I won't even address how idiotic is the cognitive dissonance to believe murder is somehow not dishonourable.) The voiceless need a voice, and we, with our greater resources and cultural tolerance, are morally obliged to speak for them out of principle.

This advocacy doesn't include anyone currently residing inside another human's body. Sorry. That's just me.

I don't hate men, and I don't believe them to be the source of everything wrong with women's status in this society. For that, I blame Nature. I don't believe women are possessed of moral superiority to men. I don't believe if women ruled the world, violence would magically disappear --violence is the ravening wolf in all our hearts, and requires constant suppression by conscious decisions negotiated through moral and ethical codes. I don't believe women should be afforded any special privileges, and that includes the fascist 'safe office' policies and speech codes employed by an alarming number of corporations and universities. These policies infantilize women, and I wholly reject the idea we're all frail, hot-house orchids who need protection from Big Bad Men. I don't believe porn degrades women. I don't believe strip clubs degrade women simply by virtue of their existence, nor do I believe the women who work in them are degraded. I don't believe prostitutes are victims, though it's a dangerous line of work, and it's obvious the more visible of their number (the streetwalkers) are more likely to be victimized, whether as a result of prevailing public attitude (including the indifference of police officers), or through their very real vulnerability on darkened city streets.

And, having borne witness to the sheer fickleness and spite with which women can treat other women, I believe the idea of an all-embracing sisterhood to be a colossal joke, but conspicuously lacking a clever punchline.

Comments

[special k]

Well, holy shit. I've been cited.