Many Radical Feminists view men as the creators of culture and womyn as beings ruled by nature. This gives men undue credit for the creation of civilization. In addition, Radical Feminism s perception of gender roles as fixed ignores human individuality. Their analysis of gender relations leads Radical Feminists to believe that womyn will only achieve autonomy in a society that excludes men. The ideal of many Radical Feminists is complete separatism from men, so they advocate a purely Lesbian lifestyle.
Separatism is problematic for several reasons.
First, because practicing Lesbianism is seen as the only way to be a true Feminist, womyn who have connections to men are excluded. In establishing Lesbianism as the only viable option for true Feminists, Radical Feminism fails to give womyn full control over their sexuality, limiting them just as the patriarchy does. Secondly, it denies the importance of racial, cultural and class distinctions between womyn. The failure of Radical Feminism to acknowledge the importance of these differences drives away most womyn who are not white and middle class by refusing to acknowledge womyn s varying experiences of oppression. This page was created by Anais Stenson, Alanna Sweeney, Katie Plumb, and Rebecca Bonneville, students in Scripps College's Philosophy of Feminism class.