Fear of being 'labelled' a Feminist: what has young women so afraid to identify? Fear of what men may think

Question

'The central feminist tenet that the personal is political is profoundly threatening to young women who don't want to be called to account. It is far easier to rest in silence, as if silence were neutrality, and as if neutrality were safety. Neither wholly cynical nor wholly apathetic, women who fear feminism fear living in its consequences…. Women fear taking a public stand, entering public discourse, demanding and perhaps getting
attention. And for what? To be called a "feminazi"? To be denounced as traitors to women's "essential nature"?

HAPPY BULLET (ET AL) I AM ASKING THE GROWN-UPS HERE SO GO PLAY 'CHICKEN' ELSEWHERE.

It's really sad that I need to insert that (above) but these guys are angry and feeling threatened....are younger women really afraid to offend such rabid dogs as this?

The current and longstanding downward slide in American pop culture towards anti-intellectualism, influence of conservative ‘cranks’ such as Limbaugh and use of the term as a dirty word by the media all have had an impact, this DESPITE the fact that:

“‘Rejection of feminist identity by many individuals prevails even as support for the goals of the women’s movement has increased since the 1970’s and individual women acknowledge that gender based discrimination is problematic.”
AS I READ IT, THEN, YOUNG WOMEN ARE NOT QUESTIONING THE GOALS OF FEMINISM...

Others’ Perceptions of Feminists as a Barrier to
Self-Identification

“I’m not a feminist, but...”
Many women, even as they embrace feminist
principles, are loathe to be labeled as “feminists.”

This is evident in the oft heard statement, “I’m not
a feminist, but...,”in which, as a precursor to
aligning herself with any particular feminist principle, a woman rejects thelabel or identity “feminist”outright

In earlier work, Zucker(2004) argued for the
existence of three distinct feminist identity groups:

*Feminists, who endorse both feminist beliefs and the feminist label

*Egalitarians, who endorse feminist beliefs but reject the feminist label

*Non-feminists, who reject both feminist beliefs and the feminist label

WHY DO ONLY SOME WOMEN WHO ADHERE TO FEMINIST BELIEFS SELF-IDENTIFY AS FEMINISTS?

**The news media has turned feminism into a dirty word by depicting feminists as deviant, man-hating, unrepresentative radicals who are a threat to society (Douglas, 1994).

Answer 1

Short answer...yes. Rush Limbaugh and the like have done a great job of demonizing feminists, and many are afraid of that stigma. In fact, many have adopted the hate rhetoric of the "anti-feminists" themselves, while enjoying the benefits that the feminist movement has afforded them.

Answer 2

I think if young women are truly afraid of being labelled feminists, then the movement itself should take a good long look at what they have created.

Feminism was originally created to provide women with 'choice'. Sadly, however, extremists took that notion and wanted 'dominance'. As a woman, I take responsibility for myself...if I want something, I recognize it is my responsibility to make it happen. It is not my entitlement.

Answer 3

Lets see women who promise their men they expect them to do "their share" in the household at the same time they are of the opinion that they cant for over enough money ever, screaming indipendence and embracing any kind of law that says he has to give her money, also there are ample promises of sexual liberation aka the right to say no in bed, which she assures him of it, she will make amlple use of. Yeah sounds like a real dreamdate for a guy. Its no coincidence the majority of active feminists are miserably lonely, bitter and childless. Oh and avoid throwing around your tantrums and insulting people you just make a fool even more of yourself.
Oh and maybe she wants to get married. If her mother is divorced and on top of that she labels herself a feminist, the most divorce happy kind of woman on the face of the earth, bubu bear is going to give it serious thoughts.

Answer 4

Even men, as a rule, supported equality in the beginning, obviously or else women would never have been entitled to vote. Due to the actuality of what feminism has become, most men and women have shied away from feminism as one would from terrorism.
Those women who refrain from the title "feminist" have come to realize, like many men, that the entire movement is one of superiority and/or demonizing men.
Equality, for the most part, has been achieved and exceeded putting women ahead of men in many, if not most, areas.
Issues like many of the statements made by radical feminists, even the more innocuous ones like "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" (Gloria Steinem), who then later marries a man proves the point was just sound-bytes, nothing more. Hatred for men, even in the most harmless forms is still hatred.
Add to that those who are rabidly anti-male and there are many and they are vocal and one winds up with an organization to be avoided. Things like “I want to see a man beaten to a bloody pulp with a high-heel shoved in his mouth, like an apple in the mouth of a pig.” (Andrea Dworkin), “All men are rapists and that’s all they are.” (Marilyn French), “I feel that ‘man-hating’ is an honorable and viable political act, that the oppressed have a right to class-hatred against the class that is oppressing them.” and “I claim that rape exists any time sexual intercourse occurs when it has not been initiated by the woman, out of her own genuine affection and desire.” (Robin Morgan), “All sex, even consensual sex between a married couple, is an act of violence perpetrated against a woman.” (Catherine MacKinnon).
Yes, these and many, many more are sayings of the rabid, anti-male feminsts but feminists they are, which is the problem. If you want to be associated with this type of hatred, you'll not gain a large or faithful following of sensible, equality-loving people.

One of the major "issues" for feminists is the so-called "wage gap", which when researched, is bogus on it's face. It is comparing the majority of women's wages with the majority of men's even though women are largely working part-time or in areas that permit them flexible work days/times while men overall work longer and in the more difficult, dirty and dangerous jobs. One would think that a roughneck, which is one of the most dangerous jobs anywhere or a garbage worker, would make more than the cashier at Wal-mart. One would also expect that the employee that has been on the job for 10 years would be paid more than another employee that took a year or two off work for personal choice or the employee with more senority, education or ability would be paid better. Feminism is demanding women be paid equal to men without further qualification such as senority, ability, tenure or dedicaton.
What started out with a slogan of "equality of opportunity" has morphed into "equality of outcome", regardless of ability. Inequality of wages is illegal. Any employer who tries to pay an employee less based on their sex, religion, gender preference, color, etc., will be prosecuted by the government and can be sued as well. Several have been. Still the myth remains.

I observed another self-claimed feminist to make a statement on Y!Answers that no woman had ever "been allowed" to run for president. Fact is, at least nine women have run,several even before suffrage. THIS is an example of the type of things that have been turning women, and men, against organized feminism. The truth is, more women vote than men. If no woman has been elected to any position, blame the women who chose not to elect them.
Another chestnut is that since men are the majority of politicians, they deny women rights in legislation. It then becomes very hoary to explain that men and only men gave women the right to vote to start with.
The short answer is that intelligent people can see that modern feminism is an organization built and continued on a basis of lies, half-truths and innuendo. Feminists have become as raffish as the men they demonize.
For the most part, I think you are incorrect in thinking that young women somehow fear "being called to account"; I feel they while many have learned to disdain, even loathe what feminism has become, most are too intelligent to fall for the idea that "man=bad; women=good" fallacy of feminsm.

Answer 5

Probably because they would be associating themselves with the likes of you. Also maybe because support for a hate movement might not have any realistic beneficial outcome.

I replied, anyway.