some feminists say...?

Question

that most women are feminists...
because, allegedly, feminism is about equality.
So, does that imply that practically all men aren't?
As men are specifically omitted from the statement - it's safe to assume so that indeed, men aren't feminists.
So, how can those who do claim 'most women are feminists' be so sexist as to paint the other half the planet's population as not feminist?
Or, does that also mean most men are anti-feminist? In my (and the average a/f POV) view, being a/f means we're fighting for true equality as feminism only focuses on rights of half the population, while ignoring the other half as well relying on falsified statistics to paint untrue pictures of us. So, anyman who doesn't want to be painted as 'inferior' or a 'rapist' or 'batterer', surely must be a/f?

To address a couple (or so) points:
Quickeningwind - I think you have so far got the point entirely.. women & men are different and we are supposed to compliment one another, not fight. Feminism creates (sex) war...
GCB - currently, prostate cancer kills more men than breast cancer kills women.. yet, because b/c repeatedly 'hogs the limelight', poeple 'assume' b/c is the bigger killer - same thing as only saying one half of any two-sided coin.
cupcake, feminism may 'claim' it benefits men & women, but it doesn't - unless you mean the feminist who said men falsely accused of rape can gain from it. (we're still looking for a guy who has gained).
RIO: I agree with you here, so why do feminists try to speak for all women when they clearly don't want them to?
Chevalier/kellym - spot on.
Rebel F: What of guys who recognise injustices against men, such as myself?
Ash H: it's not about equality, else we'd see them demanding fair access to divorced kids, but we dont 'cos of inequality

Answer 1

First of all, feminists don't speak for me, and I resent like hell that they think they do.

Second, and more importantly, feminists don't stand for equality, and I resent like hell that they SAY they do.

I don't think that most men are anti-feminist, although I think more and more and becoming anti-feminist every day as they are constantly bombarded by the evidence of feminist equality - meaning women are more equal than men.

I do think that those men who support feminism are treading dangerous ground. All it takes is one woman getting the idea that you have somehow wronged her, one phone call with a false allegation, and your life as you knew it is over pal.

Just please keep your eyes open, fellas.

EDIT

Ashley h:
[i]aren't you offended when you hear about men who act as if they are above women? [/i]
No. I’m only offended when I see men who act as if they are above women. And, while I have seen it, it is Loch Ness Monster rare. Which would indicate to me that it isn’t a society-wide problem caused by patriarchy, but a personal problem for those particular men. Which does not justify anger at an entire gender.

don't you feel offended when you find out that a man working in the same position as you is making more money?
That would offend me, yes, if it were true. This is a very well known piece of disinformation that keeps getting reported as if it were fact when it has been debunked many, many times. The fact is, the wage-inequity argument makes no economic sense. If businesses could get away with paying women less for doing the same job, why in the world would they hire men at all? Paranoid fantasies of the patriarchy are one thing, but the almighty dollar is another thing entirely. Believe me, the vast majority of businesses operate to get the most popular return on their dollar (or pound, peso, euro, or any other form of currency). Besides all that, the wage-inequity studies that are cited by feminists don’t take into account the fact that men take the more dangerous, dirty jobs, and that men are far less likely to take time off to raise a family.

don't you want both sexes to be treated the same?
Of course I do. I want to see an end to Affirmative Action, I want to see every applicant have to meet the same standards to do and keep every job, I want custody in divorce cases to go to the parent who is proven to be the better parent, I want everyone to serve the same sentences for the same crimes. All of these things, and more, are currently set up to advantage women in our society.

I would just add that ignorance is defined as the state in which you do not have the facts about something, and therefore draw faulty conclusions. I am clearly not the ignorant one here.

Answer 2

If a man believes that women deserve equal rights and opportunities as men (as most younger men nowadays do) then he IS a feminist, regardless of whether or not he likes the title.

EDIT:

"What of guys who recognise injustices against men, such as myself?"

I don't deny that there are injustices against men. But here's the thing...you're assuming that a person can't be a feminist and a "masculist" (if there is such a thing) at the same time. Why can't they be? A feminist believes that women should have equal rights to men, a "masculist" believes that men should have equal rights to women...sounds pretty similar to me. Why can't you be both? By being "anti-feminist" you ARE being anti-equality. The very act of calling yourself an "anti-feminist" suggests that you want to undo all the positive things that the feminist movement has done, such as giving women the right to vote, the right to an education, and the right to do something other than being only wives and mothers, if they choose. Do you REALLY want women to only be wives and mothers, with no other choice in life and no real rights?

It's totally understandable if you want to reverse some of the negative impacts that feminism may have inadvertently had on men. But don't call yourself an anti-feminist unless you genuinely are a chauvinist who wants to take women's rights away from them, because the movement as a whole has been a positive step towards equality. Even if there is still inequality in some areas (some directed towards women, some towards men), men and women are more equal now than they were before the feminist movement.

Answer 3

I will say that I believe that most people are not anti-feminist even though they might claim they are. That word in recent years has taken on such a negative meaning that people who actually might be feminist are often afraid to admit it publicly. If you truly are an anti-feminist man, you would not want your wife or daughter to grow up to be anything but a wife and mother. However, if you want her to go to college and have a career, you actually have feminist ideas even if you don't want to say so. If you're truly an anti-feminist woman, you would not even be thinking of a career. You would be looking for a husband while you're still in high school so he can support you. You would not even think of going to college either or if you did go, you would only be there to find someone to marry. You would not graduate. You would drop out as soon as you found someone. This is the way many people lived their lives as recently as 50 year ago. The fact that people have choices and aren't herded into stereotyped gender roles shows that feminism has had an impact on society by changing people's attitudes. Back then, women were considered freaks if they wanted to pursue careers or not get married at all.

Answer 4

I agree most men are for equal treatment of women so yes if you are for equality you are an anti feminist. Logic 101 shows that feminism is about women not equality for both genders or the fem in feminism would not be there. I say that using the same logic feminists use by the way they like to take the word man out of words IE womyn. Also if they were for equality so many fathers wouldn't be forced out of homes and be just considered atm's. And after studying feminism and reading these great works of male hatred and family destruction I have also viewed feminist websites and the hatred of men is pretty evident as it is any where womyn gather. If feminism were about equality then after four decades of it there would be some. If you are for equality then by default you are an anti feminist. Pure and simple.

Answer 5

I'm just curious, where did you hear that prostate cancer kills more men than breast cancer kills women? Prostate cancer is extremely slow-growing and very treatable. Breast cancer is faster growing, and much more dangerous: it can quickly infect the lymph nodes and spread throughout the body. If it is true that prostate cancer kills more men, these men are dying at an old age. Women that die from breast cancer are dying young. That's probably why breast cancer gets more attention. It's not to be discriminatory against men.

Most women are feminists, even if they don't label themselves as such. Truthfully, I think most men are feminists, too, but definitely have more trouble labeling themselves as such. Just because most people probably do believe in equality doesn't mean that they always practice it, or are actively advocates of it. What I'm saying is that people can have good intentions, and still end up making choices that don't always support their beliefs. However, most of us, I think, actively try to live by what we believe in, and I think most of us do believe in equality.

Answer 6

There are very few true feminists, according to the definition. I think most are women's rights advocates who want to advance causes for women, but don't want complete equality.

The majority of these women want partial equality (equality *only* when it is advantageous), and INequality when THAT is advantageous.

By definition (Webster's), feminism is:

1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.

Therefore, for a woman to truly qualify to be a feminist, she must believe that there should be equality in all social, political, and economic situations - with NO exceptions.

By that standard, there are very few real feminists, mostly women's rights advocates.

Even most of those who claim to be feminists here don't want COMPLETE equality; they want only PARTIAL equality (see definition above).

So, for anyone to insist that virtually all women are feminists is far, far from accurate.

I'd like to see a list of "feminists" who actually want complete equality (treat women exactly equal to, just like, men - in ALL situations and with zero (0) exceptions).

I'm pretty sure that it would be very short list.

Referring to themselves as women's rights activists would free them from the shackles of claiming the design is for equality but then constantly getting called on the carpet for demanding INequality.

Answer 7

kelly m: you sound ignorant. i don't know why you believe that feminists believe they are "more equal than men", but it just is not true. aren't you offended when you hear about men who act as if they are above women? don't you feel offended when you find out that a man working in the same position as you is making more money? don't you want both sexes to be treated the same? if you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you are a feminist. i'm sorry?


i think that plenty of men are feminists. most people who support feminists theory are just too scared to say so because of the silly stereotypes that get spread around. not evert feminists is a "big hairy dyke" that hates men. most just want equal rights. what is so wrong with that? how can you fault a person for simply wanting to be treated equal. and before you say women are treated equal, you need to take a look around.

feminism is not about sexism, it is about equality. if you have a problem with that, then there is something seriously wrong with you.

EDIT::::"it's not about equality, else we'd see them demanding fair access to divorced kids, but we dont 'cos of inequality".....really, what are you trying to say here? i'm not being a smartass, i just don't get your logic here.

Answer 8

Could you restate the question? Feminists, while probably well intended, are sexists. It has been proven again and again that women are denied promotion, pay and benefits because of their gender. But, women also use their gender to their benefit in many situations. We humans are an imperfect bunch, but it beats the alternative I guess. It cracks me up, feminists hate equal parenting, but then complain when a woman (who misses time from work with sick children, etc etc) doesn't get as big a pay raise or promotion. It works both ways, we both have a long way to go.

Answer 9

No, I believe that most men agree that women should be equal. Only a minority of both men and women think that one sex or the other should have more or less rights.

Answer 10

I believe that feminists saying that, "Most women are feminists" has allot more to do with the fact women tend to say they aren't, but support feminist philosophy or feminist stances on issues.

Of course, because they didn't mention men in that one quote, Feminists hate them all and they reek of rape and violent plunder.

Give me a break. Feminists also say that, "Feminism benefits everyone, male and female."

Bottom line: Taking things out of context is just a bad idea; applying anti-male logic to them when there is none just makes you look foolish.