The "F" Word and a Can of Worms

I am probably going to make some people very angry with this post, but I'm okay with it. That being said, let's talk about feminism, shall we?

Feminism can mean a wide variety of things to a wide variety of people. To some, it means equal wages and equal rights as citizens; to others, it means fighting against our established social structure to break down the patriarchy; and to others, it means arguing for feminine existence separate from the influence of men entirely. This makes it understandably difficult to have a conversation about feminism because there is no set definition. It also means that conservatively-minded women may be loathe to refer to themselves as feminists in order to avoid being lumped in with the extremist viewpoints oft associated with the term.

I have no problem calling myself a feminist, but I prefer to preface it with the modifier “conservative.” I believe that if a woman performs the exact same job functions as a man, in the same location and economy, with the same precision and efficiency, she deserves the same pay. I believe that women are entitled to the same inalienable rights as citizens of their respective countries as their male counterparts. I am also passionate about a woman's right to freedom from sexual harassment and abuse, whether in the workplace, on the street, or in their own homes.

However, I do not adhere to the following “feminist” viewpoints:

• I am not a separatist. I do not believe that the only way to achieve total feminine freedom is by rejecting the patriarchy and the entire male gender.
• I do not believe that pornography or prostitution are empowering when the choice is made freely rather than by necessity; I think that both industries are enslaving and demoralizing by their very nature.
• I do not believe that men and women are essentially the same; while we are both human and share many biological features, we are quite different in the way our minds and bodies are wired. (Oh, and I believe we were designed that way; I don't believe it was some cosmic happenstance.)

Then, of course, there are the sticky issues that I would like to clarify before saying with any finality whether I am for or against. For example, reproductive rights. Of course women should have the same amount of say (if not more) in whether to pursue having children as their partners, and they should have the same access to contraceptives like birth control pills or condoms. However, an overwhelmingly popular point of argument with modern feminism is the right to choose abortion, which I am passionately opposed to. The pursuit of reproductive rights only goes to the point where it doesn't impinge on the rights of someone else, specifically an unborn child. Go ahead and hate, but this is a stance I will not budge on.

I could talk about some of the more offensive thoughts I have on female gender identity, such as outward appearance and stereotypical femininity, but for now I'll leave those to rest. Besides, many of those opinions are constantly evolving, so I'll let discretion be the better part of valor.

I'd be interested to hear any thoughts my (few) readers have on this topic, but I would ask that you keep any posts to a kind tone that promotes open conversation (rather than anger and/or swearing).

Anyway, have a wonderful weekend, and God bless.