Antifeminism

{{bronze}}
[[File:Feminazi STOP! cropped.jpg|right|165px|thumb|Antifeminist protest in Warsaw, [[Poland]] by the far-right {{wpl|All-Polish Youth}} (''Młodzież Wszechpolska'') group]]
{{mrm}}
{{cquote|[[Feminism]] is the idea that [[women]] should have [[equal rights]]. Anyone claiming otherwise is explaining what's wrong with themselves instead.|||''[[Cracked]]''<ref>[http://www.cracked.com/blog/8-a242423oles-who-show-up-every-time-word-feminism-used/ 8 Things Some A$$#ole Says in Every Debate About Sexism], Cracked.com</ref>}}
'''Anti-feminism''' refers to any ideology which:
*Thinks that feminism has already achieved its goals and that third-wave feminists are just whiny
*Thinks that the feminism movement uses wrong means or defines its goal incorrectly (criticizing the means and definition of goals is frequently an aspect within the feminist movement as well, however)
*Opposes the entire project of feminism
*Opposes equality between the sexes<ref group="note">By this definition, radical groups like the [[TERF]]s may in fact be considered to be antifeminist. And we got no problems with that.</ref>
*Considers one [[biological sex]] inferior to the other (typically women to men)<ref group="note">By this definition, gender-essentialist groups like [[Female_supremacy|female supremacists]] may in fact be considered antifeminist. And we got no problems with that, either.</ref>
*Engages in dismiss/downplay erasure of intersex people with either the intent or result of maintaining legislative enforcement of a strict gender binary.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20200516082218/https://disruptingdinnerparties.com/2014/04/08/take-the-red-pill-the-truth-behind-the-biology-of-sex/</ref> 
*In the United States, opposition to the [[Equal Rights Amendment]], in the United Kingdom seek to erode The Equality Act (2010).
*Any combination of the above

Worth noting is that people who ideologically oppose only ''certain schools'' of feminism, though ''not all'' schools, and do not oppose (but indeed support) the ''wider struggle'' of feminism itself are to be considered&nbsp;— as they consider themselves&nbsp;— feminists.<ref group="note">Assuming, naturally, that they don't also view one [[biological sex]] as inferior to the other, or oppose equal rights for members of each sex.</ref> With the increased tensions of [[culture war]], and the prominent activity of [[TERF]]s and other misandrists, it's however also worth noting that there's many who hesitate to associate themselves with feminism, not for ideological reasons, but because they wish to separate their own identities from those of people who, to such objectors, seem to have stolen the focus of and come to represent feminism.

For example, we all recognize that one may fully adhere to ''one'' school ''within'' politics (be it [[liberal]], [[conservative]], [[socialist]], or [[David Icke|miscellaneous]]) and that doing so is sufficient for said person to be safeguarded from accusations of being "anti-political" without needing to somehow endorse ''all camps and spectra in all of politics'' first.<ref group="note">By comparison: no individual feminist exists who simultaneously endorses ''every single'' school of feminism (as that would be [[Logical fallacy|logically inconsistent]]). This is only presented as problematic by those who [[FUD|wish to cast doubt onto feminism generally]].</ref> Yet, there's also persons who definitely hold political convictions, but still hesitate to make politics and political engagement part of their identity on account of taking a dim view of politicians and their methods, presenting themselves as anti-political.

Furthermore, acknowledging ''differences'' between the sexes is in no way inherently antifeminist&nbsp;— notably, celebrating the fundamental differences between men and women is one of the core tenets of the {{wpl|Postfeminism|postfeminist}} school of feminism.<ref group="note">What ''would be'' antifeminist, however, is — for example — seeking to [[Nadir fallacy|undermine]] or [[Apex_fallacy|embellish]] the quality of any one individual person by [[Sexism|appeals to their biological sex]].</ref>

Many ''individual schools'' of feminism are incompatible, just as many ''individual schools'' of politics are. This phenomenon is just as little a contradiction in feminism as is the identical cases of differing opinions within politics. Quite to the contrary, this diversity of thought is ''the opposite'' of [[dogma]]tic and is rather indicative of the nuance and richness of thought within feminism.

In fact, the very suggestion that the broad scope of feminism is some [[Cultural Marxism|monolithic ideological project driven on by a radical activist intelligentsia]] is nothing but [[Conspiracy theory|conspiratorial]] [[propaganda]] invented by [[Neoreactionary|neoreactionary]] anti-progressives and perpetuated by antifeminist groups like the [[men's rights movement]] as their continued [[Persecution complex|cultivation of victimhood]] (while themselves [[Manufactroversy|conducting a smear campaign against feminism]]) is crucial to the perpetuation of their [[fringe]] views.

The term "antifeminist" itself is rightfully considered pejorative among progressives, much as "feminist" is used as a snarl word by cliques espousing the views this article covers. However, many antifeminists do proclaim themselves as such.

==Traditional gender roles==
[[File:Phyllis Schlafly by Gage Skidmore 3 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|195px|Phyllis Schlafly, a woman who spent her life fighting against women's rights.]]
This view, disproportionately held by those on the [[right wing]], holds that there are "traditional" gender roles for men and women which are inherently good. Usually in the [[Western world]], these "traditional" gender roles are those held by men and women during the 1940s-1950s&nbsp;— as opposed to agricultural and pre-industrial traditional roles.

===Social conservative view===
[[Social conservative]]s are the most visible and influential opponents of feminism, often using a [[straw man]] depiction of feminists' support for [[abortion]] rights as an excuse not to take any of their other opinions seriously, turning complex arguments into one-liners like, "They don't want to take responsibility for their (sexual) actions" or "They want to have their cake and eat it too." This is depressingly similar to [[Religious Right|conservative Christians]] accusing [[atheists]] of being atheists only so they can live "[[sin]]ful" lives.

[[Concerned Women for America]] and [[Phyllis Schlafly]] have decreed that a woman's only place is in the home ([[Hypocrisy|despite Schlafly being]] a college-educated activist attorney who has worked outside it for much of her life) and that feminism destroys women.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190325014743/https://eagleforum.org/topics/era/hollywood-attacks-conservatives.html Help Eagle Forum tell the truth about Phyllis’ life!] by Anne Schlafly Cori, ''Eagle Forum'' (archived from March 25, 2019).</ref> Some female wingnuts (e.g., [[Ann Coulter]]) have stated a wish to abolish [[women's suffrage]] due to feminism's attempts to free women from their traditional roles as servants to their husbands.<ref>[https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/22/ann-coulter-says-women-shouldnt-have-right-vote-19th-amendment-missouri-state-university/8528256002/ Conservative pundit Ann Coulter speaks at Missouri State, says women shouldn't have the right to vote] by Andrew Sullender (4:52 p.m. CT Oct. 22, 2021) ''Springfield News-Leader''.</ref>

Another great example is [[Rick Santorum]], who has a gold mine of hilariously [[sexist]] views against feminism.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120319011913/http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/134547/rick_santorums_beliefs_about_women Rick Santorum's Beliefs About Women Should Terrify You], CafeMom</ref> He wrote a whole chapter of his book ''It Takes a Family''<ref>Santorum. ''It Takes a Family'' (2005) ISBN 1-932-23629-5</ref> about women and feminism. Its memorable moments include:

{{cquote|The [[radical feminists]] succeeded in undermining the [[Nuclear family|traditional family]] and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness. […] Radical feminists have been making the pitch that justice demands that men and women be given an equal opportunity to make it to the top in the workplace.}}
{{cquote|One of the things I will talk about that no president has talked about before is the dangers of [[contraception]] in this country, the whole sexual libertine idea. Many in the Christian faith have said, "Well, that's okay. Contraception's okay." It's not okay because it's a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be… I'm not running for preacher, I'm not running for pastor, but these are important public policy issues.}}

===Conservative religious view===
Due to the social conservatism inherent in many religions, many [[church]]es are behind the times in gender equality or even actively oppose it. This has made many religious communities a cornerstone of antifeminist sentiment.

A preacher at a tent revival once proclaimed, "Women's Lib! Let me tell you about women's lib. If my wife came home talking about women's lib, she'd (chuckle, chuckle) [[Domestic violence|she'd be picking herself up off the floor]]." At this point, the wife jumped up shouting, "Amen, Amen", which was quickly emulated by most of the congregation.<ref> Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, ''An American Life'', chapter 36</ref>

===Far-right view===
In populist far-right circles, it is also relatively common to pretend to be feminist while actively promoting traditional gender roles&nbsp;— often reminiscent of [[Kinder, Küche, Kirche]].

For instance, Frauke Petry, one of the three party leaders of [[Alternative für Deutschland]], said that "chance equality" is needed and not "result equality".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150116110821/http://www.wiwo.de/politik/deutschland/alternative-fuer-deutschland-die-frauenquote-sei-voellig-unausgegoren/11041706.html Die Frauenquote sei "völlig unausgegoren": CDU und SPD haben sich auf eine konkrete Umsetzung der Frauenquote geeinigt. Doch nicht überall findet der Regierungskompromiss Anklang. Kritik wird auch von der AfD-Sprecherin Frauke Petry laut.] (27. November 2014) ''Wirtschafts Woche''.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160306182302/https://www.alternativefuer.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/01/AfD_Leitlinien_2015_DE.pdf Politische Leitlinien der Alternative für Deutschland] ''Alternative für Deutschland'' (archived from March 6, 2016).</ref> In a party that has the enforcement of traditional gender roles in the party program, that certainly means a lot:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140626144038/https://www.alternativefuer.de/programm-hintergrund/programmatik/ Programmatik & Leitlinien: Programm für die Bundestagswahl 2013] ''Alternative für Deutschland'' (archived from June 26, 2014).</ref>

{{cquote|AfD wants the equality of genders and works to remove all the existing disadvantages. Despite this we refuse to address gender related quotes in jobs and politics that focus on the removal of traditional gender roles. Only ownership, ability and performance should be the decisive criteria. The AfD stands for chance equality, not result equality.}}

This equates to an unwillingness to push for increased female equality or break any hurtful gender norms, leaving the status quo intact.

===Choosing tradition===
Some feel that truly empowering women means they should be able to take on "traditional" feminine roles if that suits them personally. Some advocates for this broader approach to feminism argue that Western women are under pressure to do too much.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110820101304/http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/19/the-feminismhappiness-axis/ How Dutch women got to be the happiest in the world: Few Dutch women work full-time—does this mean they’re powerless, or simply smarter than the rest of us?] by Claire Ward (August 19, 2011 8:00am) ''Maclean's'' (archived from August 20, 2011).</ref> This has some genuine truth to it, but it is unclear how feminism would ''prevent'' women from pursuing whatever role they want.

==Feminism ''was'' good, ''is'' bad==
In some corners, feminism has gained a bad reputation; this is especially evident when pro-equality public figures refuse to use the term, with reasons ranging from a feeling that the term has taken on a negative connotation to an outright misunderstanding of core feminist beliefs and aims.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/09/why-women-wont-say-they-are-feminists Why women say they are feminists] by Barbara Ellen (9 Nov 2014 07.01 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref> According to a 2014 speech to the [[United Nations]] by actress Emma Watson, this is based on the idea that feminism is "[[dogma]]tic" or "[[Misandry|man-hating]]."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/09/22/emma-watson-recruits-men-to-make-the-world-safer-for-women-with-heforshe-campaign/ Emma Watson recruits men to make the world safer for women with HeForShe campaign] by Soraya Nadia McDonald (September 22, 2014 at 6:07 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> 

==="Modern feminism"===
[[File:Waves of Feminism.png|right|500px|thumb|How antifeminists see feminism. (Note that antifeminists of the time always saw the current "wave" as evil, much as current antifeminists see current feminism as evil.) In all honesty, every wave of feminism had a few bad eggs that shouldn't [[nutpicking|be used against]] the moderate majority.]]
It is common among [[MRAs]], conservatives, and other modern antifeminists to say that "modern feminism" is somehow different from "true", "real", "historical", or "traditional" feminism. Modern feminists are supposedly (1) supporters of [[female supremacy]] and/or (2) [[misandry|misandrists]].<ref group=note>There is some [[irony]] in this, as attitudes of antipathy towards all men were more prevalent in second-wave feminism than in the intersectional approach of third-wave feminism.</ref> These arguments are usually supported by quotes such as "all men are rapists" or similar instances of feminist extremism. However, such examples are extreme minorities within feminism<ref>http://battymamzelle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/This-Is-What-I-Mean-When-I-Say-White-Feminism.html#.V8uKxvS9KSN</ref><sup>[''better source needed'']</sup> (comparable to [[TERF]]s or [[Political lesbianism|lesbian separatists]]), as any investigation of feminism should show. Antifeminists often like to bring up how most of the opponents of the women's suffrage movement were other women without noting that there was a schism, particularly in the [[British]] women's suffrage movement, with the {{wpl|National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies}} (more commonly known as the suffragists) led by {{wpl|Millicent Fawcett}} favoring parliamentary discussion and the creation of Bills versus the {{wpl|Women's Social and Political Union}} (called "suffragettes" derogatorily by Charles Hands in ''[[The Daily Mail]]''&nbsp;– proving that old prejudices die hard&nbsp;– but quickly adopted this label themselves) led by {{wpl|Emmeline Pankhurst}} who preferred [[direct action]] and used more militant tactics.

==="Feminazism"===
{{main|Nazi analogies}}
[[Rush Limbaugh]] even invented his own pet [[Snarl word|derogatory term,]] "[[Manosphere glossary#Feminazi|feminazis]]."<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Rush_Limbaugh_Abortion.htm Rush Limbaugh on Abortion] ''On The Issues''. Considering he is saying it in the context of "militant feminists" allowing a 'Holocaust' of abortions, and the fact that Nazis were [[Abortion and Nazism|also pro-life (at least when it came to "Aryan" fetuses)]], it may be one of the most contradictory statements in American politics.</ref> He then tried to retract this, claiming that he has no regrets about using the term, although he insisted that not all feminists were feminazis&nbsp;– apparently, this applies [[Argumentum ex culo|to only 25]] of said feminists, who live predominately in the United States.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/03/12/feminazi-the-history-of-limbaughs-trademark-slu/186336 "'Feminazi': The History Of Limbaugh's Trademark Slur Against Women"] by Chelsea Rudman (12 March 2012) ''Media Matters for America''.</ref>

==="Egalitarianism"===
If you see someone proclaiming themselves as an "[[egalitarian]]" rather than a "feminist", try to figure out whether they're:
#Holding fundamental feminist views (read: striving for equality) but don't want the label (for whatever reason)
#A garden variety [[antifeminist]] [[concern troll]]

In the first case, it's people trying to evade the hate spawned by the rage fest that is the contemporary "debate" about feminism. Being egalitarian and feminist are not mutually exclusive. Crucially, egalitarianism is a central thesis of non-[[crank]] feminism in that it seeks to promote equal rights for everyone. It can be held to debate that the opposing syntactical term "machismo" is negative, turning "feminism" into the same thing on the opposite side of the spectrum and only positive by convention. The "Egalitarian" label attempts to keep the same meaning currently attributed to "feminism" without the bias or unwanted association with radical feminists (aka feminazis). This still carries problems, however. Similar to the problem presented by "All Lives Matter" responses to [[Black Lives Matter]], it is an empty, dismissive, feel-good platitude that doesn't solve anything while also diminishing the real disproportionate treatment of women by assuming men are equally mistreated; the goal of egalitarianism is, after all, to try to level advantages and disadvantages and thus by definition give proportionally more advantages to females and femininity than to males and masculinity.

In the second case, "egalitarian" is [[Dog_whistle|a strategic buzzword]] antifeminists and MRAs use to pretend to be progressive. It's the ideological equivalent of "[[Whataboutism|What about ''men{{'}}s'' rights]]"? In their minds, everyone already has equal opportunity (or [[MGTOW|''men'' are the oppressed sex]]), so feminism (and other progressive movements) are either unnecessary or [[Neoreactionary|outright harmful]].

Advocating for feminism is seen as discriminatory against the majority, rather than an attempt to correct centuries of bias against women and the [[LGBT]] community — a view based on [[nutpicking]] [[Andrea_Dworkin|certain]] [[Valerie_Solanas|radfems]] instead of focusing on sweet mainstream movements like [[Sex-positivity|sex-positive feminism]].

==="Radical feminism"===
{{main|Radical feminism}}
{{cquote|Feminism is an ill? Radical feminism only, it turns out, which tries to overthrow the whole system of thinking on which we have hitherto depended as opposed to the tradition of female emancipation, beginning with {{wpl|Mary_Wollstonecraft|Wollstonecraft}} and people like that, which is I think a completely different thing, and part of the natural reform of our institutions and our way of seeing things.|||Even conservative philosopher {{wpl|Roger Scruton}} takes care '''not to''' impugn ''all of feminism''<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2010/jun/05/roger-scruton-interview</ref>}}
Unlike the other three terms, this is ''both'';

*A genuine branch of feminism with genuine problems (which other branches of feminism are not blind to)
''and''
*A snarl word [[Poisoning the well|thrown around carelessly by antifeminists]] [[FUD|hoping to spread confusion]]

Radical feminism includes in its branches [[TERF]]s (who exclude [[trans people]]), [[SWERF]]s (who exclude [[sex work]]ers), and other people who like equality &mdash; just not for ''those'' people. [[Nutpicking|Notable nuts]] include [[Andrea Dworkin]] and [[Valerie Solanas]].

==="Feminism has achieved its goals"===
This is a common argument, almost always levied by men (but occasionally by privileged white women). Because they do not personally witness gender-based oppression, it must not exist. This ignores the rigid gender roles that still exist and the [[wage gap]]. These antifeminists view third-wave feminists as whiny and complaining about petty microaggressions. They exaggerate and cherry-pick the views of feminists to support this conclusion.

==Rape culture==
{{main|Rape culture}}
Feminists both of yesteryear and today emphasize the importance of addressing modern [[rape]] culture (essentially, how society justifies, normalizes, or in other ways encourages sexual assault). This goal is something that no one except the most aggressive antifeminist types (and MRAs) think is a bad goal.

===Conservative/libertarian "criticisms"===
As with all social issues, most of the American Right's criticisms revolve around how feminist criticisms of the way in which society treats sexual assault doesn't fit in their "everyone is an individual" framework. Admitting that women are oppressed would mean having to revise their ideology to go beyond their belief that capitalism is beautiful and produces no systemic inequalities.{{cn}}

===Everything is rape===
However, some academic feminists have made unprecedented observations of rape culture, finding "rape" in places that largely have nothing to do with sexuality or sex. For example, what later became known as the "Beethoven rape controversy" was ignited by this statement by feminist [[music]]ologist Susan McClary:

{{cquote|The point of recapitulation in the first movement of the Ninth is one of the most horrifying moments in music, as the carefully prepared cadence is frustrated, damming up energy which finally explodes in the throttling murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining release.<ref>She later danced around the comment. See the {{wpl|Susan McClary#The Beethoven and rape controversy|Wikipedia page for more info}}.</ref>}}

Andrea Dworkin, the noted anti-pornography feminist, believed the cesarean section surgical procedure intended to save the life of a woman and [[fetus]] when vaginal [[birth]] was not possible was rape, stating "the uterus of the whore [is] entered directly by the new rapist, the surgeon."<ref name="Pornography">Dworkin, Andrea. ''Pornography: Men Possessing Women''. 1989. [http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/dworkin/PornAList.html]</ref> Charming!

These… [[crank|''unique'' viewpoints]] certainly do exist, and it is worth taking the time to refute some of the more widespread and egregious ones, but they are unfortunately [[Nutpicking|used]] in attempts to [[stereotype]] the entire feminist movement. In some cases, similar quotes are either fabricated or [[quote mining|mined]]. One of the most common is "all men are rapists" or "all sex is rape", usually misattributed to Catharine MacKinnon (although she and Dworkin undeniably had very extreme views as to what constituted rape), Marilyn French, or some other feminist figure of your choice.<ref>Andrea Dworkin did say [http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/dworkin/IntercourseI.html something very similar], that men ''view'' all sex as rape, but the detractors do not really care about that.</ref> According to MacKinnon, the quote misattributed to her was "made up by the pornography industry in an attempt to undermine her credibility,"<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/quotes/mackinnon.asp Rape seeded], Snopes, which reports Dworkin's view that "Penetrative intercourse is, by its nature, violent." even if consensual, which is almost the same thing.</ref><ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=bR6Ffm_uAvAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=In+Defense+of+Women&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DdxLVbmoEoOngwTQnIHwCQ&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref> and although Marilyn French did actually write the phrase attributed to her, what is [[selective reporting|usually not mentioned]] is that it was said in the person of a fictional character (based on [[Valerie Solanas]]) in French's novel ''The Women's Room''.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/books-obituaries/5273331/Marilyn-French.html Marylin French: Obituary], ''The Daily Telegraph''</ref> Most feminists agree that all of these viewpoints are excessive, to say the least.

===Silencing rape defendants===
Another core issue feminists frequently address is the genuine problem of rape victims being silenced and stigmatized, which has yet to be fully dealt with. On the other hand, at times, this gets taken to extremes and ends up with people who uncover or discuss simple factual problems with a specific rape allegation being accused of [[rape apology]]. 

One of the more disturbing cases of this occurred when ''Rolling Stone'' first published "[[A Rape on Campus]]", when the first writers who did basic fact-checking reported a vast array of glaring inconsistencies and gross journalistic misconduct; instead of jumping at the hope that such horrific events as the article described hadn't happened, a large number of people launched shrill accusations of [[blaming the victim]]. When it became clear that the allegation was false (chief among the blindingly blatant falsifications was that the person accused of orchestrating the rape ''didn't exist''), a few, including {{wpl|Jessica Valenti|Jessica Valenti}}, refused to accept it as such.  While their argument that the case would make it more difficult for people to report campus sexual assault had some merit, it seems not to have occurred to them that unquestioningly supporting a ''disproven'' allegation would have the same effect, making it harder for victims of actual assaults to be taken seriously. There was also a strange reluctance to even admit to the possibility—which at that point was what every piece of evidence pointed to and would seem to be the best outcome—that nothing had occurred in this specific case.<ref>http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/24/inconsistencies-jackie-story-rolling-stone-rape</ref><ref>http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/12/11/_istandwithjackie_and_the_feminist_response_to_the_unraveling_of_rolling.html</ref><ref>http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/kc-johnson-rebalance-campus-sex-assault-scales-article-1.2164945</ref> Many, although not quite all, apologized for their condemnations and emphasized that attacking wrongfully accused people did not help combat the many hardships real victims face.<ref>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/03/30/the_uva_case_and_rape-hoax_denial_126087.html</ref><ref>http://jezebel.com/rush-after-a-rape-on-campus-a-uva-alum-goes-back-to-ru-1682251600</ref><ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/03/23/charlottesville-police-make-clear-that-rolling-stone-story-is-a-complete-crock/</ref>

==Feminism as based on a bad idea==
Many women self-identify as feminists but have been highly critical of either the practices of modern and postmodern feminism or their underpinning ideologies — [[Marxism]] is a common target for this. These include [[Christina Hoff Sommers]], Wendy McElroy, [[Camille Paglia]], Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Kate Fillion, Daphne Patai, and others (some of the aforementioned have said very loopy things as well, and many critics deny they are feminists at all).

===Critical theory and Cultural Marxism===
{{main|Cultural Marxism}}
It is sometimes alleged that feminism is a branch of "{{wpl|critical theory}}" or "Cultural Marxism".<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/comments/4j53nv/exchristians_on_youtube_that_arent_misogynists/d343eyf</ref> This, frankly, is ridiculous. The [[Frankfurt School]] -- which created both critical theory ''and'' Cultural Marxism -- was created in 1923.<ref>{{wpa|Frankfurt_School#Institute_for_Social_Research}}</ref> Critical theory arose in the 1930s,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory</ref> and Cultural Marxism in the 1960s, with its first use as a term in 1973 (if you don't consider its roots in [[Nazi Germany|Nazi Germany's]] 'Cultural Bolshevism').<ref>https://theconversation.com/cultural-marxism-and-our-current-culture-wars-part-2-45562</ref> Feminism, on the other hand, was first used to mean "advocacy of women's rights" in '''1895''',<ref>http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=feminism</ref> and women's suffrage movements (the precursors to modern, organized feminism) were active even earlier -- the UK's first women's suffrage society formed in 1865,<ref>{{wpa|Women%27s_suffrage_in_the_United_Kingdom#Early_suffragist_societies}}</ref> and the Seneca Falls Convention was in 1848.<ref>{{wpa|Women%27s_suffrage_in_the_United_States#Seneca_Falls_convention}}</ref> It is hard to claim that feminism is a subset of critical theory when it predates the earliest critical theorists by ''at least'' 70 years.

===Cultural relativism===
Some have accused feminism, or at least some feminist schools of thought, of dressing up [[cultural relativism]] in the garb of women's rights. Krishna Mallick has encouraged working closely with cultural relativists, where the similarities were noted.<ref>[http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Gend/GendMall.htm "Common Ground of Feminism and Cultural Relativism in Human Rights Discourse: The Case of Sex-determination Test in India"], Salem State University</ref>

==First-world, middle-class white, privileged point of view==
Perhaps the most common and most significant criticism laid against modern feminism had been the [[privilege]]d gaze of largely white, middle-class writers working on the issues of, and focusing on, the experiences of, the white middle class for a white middle-class audience (white feminism). Much of this criticism has come from within the feminist movement, as women of color and women who are from or work in areas of [[poverty]] have emphasized that what matters to a white college-aged woman doesn't necessarily resonate with women fitting other demographics across the socioeconomic spectrum (see [[intersectionality]]). Hence this is a form of ''feminist'' critique rather than antifeminist.

Possibly the best example of what is criticized in this way is Sheryl Sandberg, the corporate feminist and billionaire whose book ''Lean In'' drew widespread criticism{{cn}} for being utterly blind to race/class issues, her downplaying of gender discrimination in the workplace as well as being insufficiently critical to how capitalism screws over women who aren't as rich as Sandberg.

===Racism===
Feminists of color often criticize mainstream feminist activism for not focusing enough on race issues that affect women of color and often engaging in racist behavior. <!--One example would be the backlash Amanda Marcotte faced when she published a racist cartoon as part of one of her books.{{cn}} Despite her apologizing profusely, black feminists have not forgiven her. Another would be how Amy Schumer insinuated that Latinos catcall more often and are therefore more sexist.{{cn}} Hispanic feminists (and Latinx people in general) were not impressed.--> Again, this is a form of feminist critique of trends that also exist in feminism, showing that feminism is multifaceted and cannot be reduced to a single doctrine.

Feminists who engage in racist behavior are referred to derisively as "white feminists".<ref>[https://medium.com/@nilegirl/how-linda-fairsteins-lethal-supremacy-is-the-perfect-privilege-of-whiteness-3be2758fdf43]</ref>

===Progress===
As in [[atheist]], [[humanist]] and [[skeptical]] movements, change is afoot, though slowly. More articles<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130819163609/http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/07/how-we-ignore-poverty-and-blame-poor-people/ Everyday Feminism discussing poverty]</ref> appear in mainstream feminist sites about poverty, more discussions of [[Third World]] needs (Third World feminism), and writers from various backgrounds<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130408103216/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/culture/2013/04/muslim-feminists-activism.html Muslim Women Redefine Feminism], Al-Monitor</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130502004035/http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/04/29/3747543.htm Ending oppression in the Middle East: A Muslim feminist call to arms], Australian Broadcasting Corporation</ref><ref>[http://feministing.com/2013/08/01/the-academic-feminist-summer-at-the-archives-with-the-visibility-project/ Summer at the archives with the Visibility Project], Feministing (and [https://web.archive.org/web/20120929082823/http://feministing.com/members/sesali/ Feministing's Sesali Brown, for example])</ref> are included in the mainstream dialogue and are writing about their experiences and needs,<ref>[http://queerblackfeminist.blogspot.com/ The Queer Black Feminist] blog</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041208122110/http://www.theangryblackwoman.com/ The Angry Black Woman] blog</ref> targeting others with similar experiences and needs.

===Marxist and third-worldist criticism===
[[Marxist]] feminists have criticized [[liberal]] feminism, not because they oppose feminism but because they believe many feminists define progress in female equality with men by their access to capitalist and [[imperialist]] systems. (For example, they take issue with the common view of women being allowed in combat or having places in the Forbes 500 cited as signs of progress.) Rather than criticizing feminism in general, they'd rather have the 
 bourgeois
 privileged, middle-class feminists care more about [[working-class]] and poor women.

Many third-worlders also criticize how first-world feminism frequently glosses over the fact many of the women whose empowerment they promote will engage in exploitative and imperialistic behavior towards women in the third world.

==Libertarian view==
{{main|Individualist feminism}}
Individualist feminism holds that the key to women's equality is not through government intervention or social upheaval (as the vast majority of the feminist movement believes to be true) but rather through providing equal rights for everyone without respect for gender &mdash; which, they argue, will ultimately lead to true equality.

[[Civil liberties]] groups such as the [[ACLU]] have often criticized feminist opposition to "[[pornography]]" as a threat to [[freedom of speech]], such as the Catharine MacKinnon-inspired anti-pornography laws enacted in [[Indiana]] and [[Canada]], which sought to define pornography as a civil rights violation.  The Indiana ordinance was struck down as a violation of the [[First Amendment]].  The courts struck down the Canadian statute as a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.<ref>{{wpa|Antipornography Civil Rights Ordinance}}</ref><ref>''[https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1992/1992canlii124/1992canlii124.html Donald Victor Butler v. Her Majesty The Queen]'', 1 S.C.R. 452, 89 D.L.R. (4th) 449, 2 W.W.R. 577, 70 C.C.C. (3d) 129 (1993)</ref>

==Men's rights==
The "[[men's rights movement]]" generally opposes feminism, though some men's rights activists argue that the world needs both male and female reforms. Many more MRAs, though, want to see a "total end" to feminism and, by extension, abort the move towards equality between sexes.

MRA talking points have four main groups:
#That women have used feminism to exploit men.<ref>[https://youtu.be/PqEeCCuFFO8?t=31m42s Youtube: me, a feminist? No way.], Karen Straughan</ref>
#That science (e.g., [[evolutionary psychology]]) supports the view that males and females are biologically different.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111116214250/http://heartiste.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/feminists-are-afraid-of-evolutionary-psychology-and-with-good-reason/ Feminists Are Afraid Of Evolutionary Psychology, And With Good Reason]</ref> 
#That feminism doesn't successfully address several men's issues: domestic violence against men, female-on-male [[rape]], etc.
#That society is biased toward females: women are favored in child custody hearings, etc.

It is worth noting that &mdash; in addition to men raising these issues from the perspective of men's rights &mdash; notable, prominent feminists have also taken them on. For instance, some feminists criticize the bias against men during custody hearings because such cases assume that women are the traditional [[Kinder, Küche, Kirche|caregivers]] and argue that the idea that women cannot rape men is premised on the mistaken notion that men, as such, are always receptive to sex and able to fight off a woman.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130806131938/http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/08/bias-against-fathers/ The Truth About Father Bias in Family Courts], Everyday Feminism</ref>

Unfortunately, any positive intentions of the men's rights movement have been permanently tainted by the widespread [[misogyny]] of its members. Fringe theories often circulate in MRA forums, e.g., claims that [[Scapegoat|feminism is responsible for]] men's misery or that feminists are [[Conspiracy theory|intent on destroying all men]]. Even when it comes to some of the more legitimate issues, they quickly descend into gross distortions; for instance, on issues of domestic violence against men, an oft-repeated trope is that women ''always'' start fights and that a man, therefore, ''must'' resort to bashing her skull in and sending her to the hospital.{{cn}}

==Feminism and neopaganism==
{{main|Goddess religion}}
There has been some cross-pollination between [[neopaganism]] and radical feminism, leading to various works of [[pseudohistory]]. This commonly involves [[goddess]] [[myth]]s and portrayals of [[Wicca]] as the [[pagan survivals|direct descendant]] of a vast, unified, and ancient goddess [[cult]] (for which no actual evidence exists). It also tends to accompany [[Pseudohistory|pseudohistories]] of the [[European witch-hunts]] that inflate the number of deaths by witch-hunts and ignore the fact that, while women were the victims in most cases, men were often accused of [[witchcraft]] (around a fourth of the time). Use of the phrases "Burning Times" or "patriarchal [[genocide]]" is usually a good sign you're reading one of these pseudohistories.

==See also==
*[[Feminism]]
*[[Rape culture]]
*[[MRA]]
*[[MGTOW]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Alt-lite]]
[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Antifeminism| ]]
[[Category:Rape culture]]
[[Category:Sexism]]

Categories: Alt-lite, Alt-right, Antifeminism, Rape culture, Sexism