North Texas Daily

The line of questioning never changes: “Well, don’t you believe in equality of men and women under the law? Equal pay for equal work? A respect for and recognition of women as an autonomous group?”

“Yes,” I reply with unwavering confidence.

“Then you are a feminist.”

If only the matter were that simple.

Unfortunately in today’s political culture, adopting this title comes with much more than the questions above suggest. And, as I am soon to explain, I am no longer welcome as a feminist.

This conversation has sparked numerous debates among me, my friends and my girlfriend. Look, I know this topic can raise some eyebrows and has the propensity to provoke even the most level-headed of people, but the truth of the matter is that feminism is no longer as simple as the aforementioned line of questioning suggests it is.

So, like I do with those close to me, allow me to get the “givens” out of the way.

I am passionate about and believe strongly in equality under the law for all individuals. We have, in the United States, moved well beyond the barbaric days of the past during which women were not only viewed as second-class citizens but were represented as such under our nation’s laws. Women and girls should have the ability to make the same choices as their male peers in all aspects of life, whether it be pursuing a job in the health industry as a doctor or staying home to watch closely over the upbringing of their children.

Good so far?

Good.

Feminism is not just an ideology, however. It is an ever-evolving movement, highly susceptible to shifting sociocultural values. It has come in waves, and I won’t insult the reader’s intelligence by subjecting him or her to yet another mundane summary of such (not to mention I have a word limit).

Rather, I’ll briefly discuss some areas in which feminism has moved beyond the pale of reason for me.

The call for “access:”

First of all, this verbiage drives me nuts every time I read or hear it. It could not be broader in terms of  “access,” what it means and how feminists propose to achieve it.

More importantly, feminism has adopted the idea that contraceptive care and abortion services should be tax-payer funded and readily available on-demand.

As an individual with strong libertarian leanings, I fundamentally disagree with the idea that I, or institutions such as Hobby Lobby, should be forced under rule of law to subsidize or provide any commodity or service, laying waste to deeply held foundational values.

Yes, I am saying contraceptives are a commodity.

How has this movement made an effort to push out opposition? One only need look back to the Women’s March of 2017. Multiple pro-life organizations were either rebuked for their view of life, despite strong support of women, or removed from the event completely.

Discrepancies? It must be sexism:  

One of the most irksome reflexes of leftist feminists is that which suggests any and all discrepancies in representation must inherently be the result of institutional sexism. In some cases, this may be absolutely true. And, if feminists are willing to point to those specific instances of sexism, I am more than willing to fight alongside anyone who opposes it.

However, to suggest the overall reason men dominate the engineering field is due to patriarchal sexism is to insult individual choices made by women. That is, unless you are willing to submit to the idea the nursing field is equally sexist, as women absolutely dominate that profession.

These are only two of many reasons (with a larger word count, I’d gladly give you more), I find it difficult to continue calling myself a feminist. I want to, with all of my heart, but the movement has strayed from its roots and has taken up arms against any who challenges its political leanings in other spheres.

For that reason, I am no longer welcome.

Featured Image: Illustration by Austin Banzon