RadFems and I

A detour from my usual content...

The Horsehoe Theory, born out of political science, observes that the far left and far right linear ends of the political spectrum resemble each other more than the moderate areas of either view. Hence the idea that political views and their real-world applications are more easily mapped in the curve of a horseshoe than a straight line.

This phenomenon has more recently been observed in the world of Radical Feminism. Whilst most decent human beings would consider themselves feminists in the true sense of the word - a feminist being one who desires equality for all - a very small but increasingly vocal group has begun to taint societies view of the movement.

The goal of RadFems appears not to be the equal treatment of all, but the degradation of men for the benefit of women. Perhaps I have "internalised misogyny" but to me that seems to replace one bigoted system with another rather than generating any improvement.

My first encounter with the world of Radical Feminism was, of course, in that circlejerk of ego and victim complexes that is Tumblr. In a post now deleted a young woman took it upon herself to explain why the female mind is best suited to the study of the arts and social problems rather than sullying itself with the "masculine STEM fields". I naturally took umbrage with this and clicked through to the main blog, expecting a wall of Daily Mail-esque conservatism. In fact, she was a RadFem and Social Justice Warrior (a group who appear to have confused social justice with hating white men).

I never quite managed to follow her line of thought as to why my "creative feminine mind" would be sullied by pursuing my chosen career path but it was enough to realise that the movement of radical feminism had come full circle. Now the aim is to hate those based on characteristics that they were born with. Are you a straight, white male? Well then apparently you are the scum of the earth and most likely a rapist too.

For all my misgivings, I do believe that the general RadFem is mostly harmless. Likely aged around 15, she blogs from her comfortable bedroom in a generally affluent suburb in a comparatively safe Western country. She hates men, specifically taking issue with those of the male gender that look at her funny, cat-call and take up too much room on public transport.

People are not stereotypes to be classified into "victims" and "oppressors"

Eventually though, maintaining such a level of hatred and anger towards half of the world's population becomes exhausting (as explained by an ex-RadFem here). Larger problems facing women on our planet, such as FGM, lack of access to education and equal rights across many countries, are perceived and the "Rad" gets dropped. Yes, it is annoying to be wolf-whistled at on your way to work but there are no laws preventing you from driving a car.

People are not stereotypes to be classified into "victims" and "oppressors" but rather individuals, good or bad, who are to be given the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. Men in general are not evil, individuals among them may be but they do not represent the gender as a whole. Likewise women are not all repressed victims of a patriarchal society - we are, in this country at least, able to make our own choices as to how to live our lives and should not be looked down upon if that choice doesn't meet some other individual's ideal.

Feminism still has a long way to go, both across the world and here in the UK (with Birmingham City Council recently wasting public money on legal fees to drag out the equal pay tribunal) . Feminists, and I like to hope that includes everyone of you reading this, are part of a movement and thought process that is not based around hate but rather acceptance. It doesn't matter if you were born male or female, if you fancy the same gender or the other or both, if you are trans or not. People are people and I find any view point that considers one group as "less" than another to be reprehensible.

The Yorker Online 16th January 2014