Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ora!ora!daemon
From: t-ellens@microsoft.UUCP (Ellen SPERTUS)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: What is Feminism?
Summary: Yeah, I think women are equal, but I don't like Dukakis, etc.
Message-ID: <56304@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 5 Aug 90 05:39:08 GMT
References: <141@sierra.STANFORD.EDU> <11103@chaph.usc.edu>
Sender: ambar@ora.com (Jean Marie Diaz)
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In article <11103@chaph.usc.edu> wilber%nunki.usc.edu@usc.EDU (John Wilber) writes:

>Think it is an agends that lumps feminism, socialism, and an odd
>grab-bag of other isms together that has stalled the feminist
>movement.  I very much support women's rights, but I am absolutely
>opposed to pacifism, socialism, environmentalism (as practiced these
>days), and affirmative action.  By lumping together the good positions
>of feminism with these other (and might I say *wrong*) ideologies, the
>feminist movement looses the support of the majority of the
>population.

Agreed!  I've been reading a lot of feminist works lately, and it's
driving me crazy.  In one place, Gloria Steinham (for example) defines
feminism as a belief in the equal humanity of men and women (agreed!),
but in other places, a feminist is expected to believe in all the things
you list.  They're squishing out people like me --- an aspiring computer
scientist ("male science") who's politically libertarian (pro-capitalist
and for minimal government) --- even though I agree that women are treated
poorly and that much social change is needed and have worked to do what
I can.

I can't find a good reason why feminist positions exist on vegetarianism,
South Africa, etc.  To me, they seem based on the stereotype that
women are more compassionate than men, to say nothing of the arbitrary
grouping of people.  I probably have more in common with computer scientists
or engineers in general than with females or feminists.  Can anyone
illuminate this phenomenon for me?

					Ellen Spertus
					ellens@ai.mit.edu