Move Along

EDIT CIRCA 2024: I'm opting to leave up original posts that I'm... not especially fond of, because I think it's important to understand and face our respective intellectual and emotional journeys. With that in mind, however, this post is no longer applicable. I slowly curved back as a feminist over the three or so years after this post. There are elements of it that I still agree with, but I think I ultimately misread a truth about social movements in general, which is that they're all movements with large elements of passion next to large elements of reason. Even in scientific fields meant to be relatively unbiased by emotion, I think people are generally uncomfortable confronting the fact that it's absolutely riddled with passion and manipulation for the purpose of sending a message. 

I'm not perfect and I never will be. But on this issue, I think I came around in the right way. Sure, my biggest strength is carrying an analytical and critical approach to issues, but that doesn't have to be devoid of compassion or passion. People are suffering and they deserve to be heard, respected, and cared for. Regardless of anyone else's motivation for or approach to social issues, my own motivation and approach can be about both empathy and logic. And for anyone whose approach I disagree with, I can safely ignore them unless they solicit my opinion. For the morbidly curious, my original post is below:

 

This is a personal post more than anything to document the moment whereupon I have decided to no longer identify as a feminist.

To be clear, I believe in equal rights for everyone, I believe in the existence of privilege (and its weight towards males, whites, and heterosexuals, as well as those who can pass), and I believe that gender roles are an absurd contrivance of a culture that is regressive at best.

The reason I'm finally picking a side of the fence to fall on in this issue is because it has become apparent that feminism is not a place for discussion. It is a place for passionate movement and sympathy only.

I am not suggesting that this is a bad thing, but rather that it's irrelevant for me personally. I cannot offer the sympathy sought after by feminism since I am a man who knows not their struggles, and I cannot abide by passion that is not carefully tempered when it is for the purpose of a social movement.
I do not contest the necessity of pure force of will or passion in the fight for equality and the fight to end atrocities committed out of prejudice and bigotry. However, I will not participate in a movement that sees this passion as mutually exclusive with careful consideration of words and actions.

As the very height of privilege incarnate, my dis-alignment with the movement will create no ripples; it will be a surprise to no one, and it will be seen (by the few who choose to waste the energy) as confirmation that this is a zero sum game and it's us or them.

But I am tired of trying to apply my one strong skill to the grounds of feminism. Rhetorical criticism is expected for the refinement of papers and formal arguments. But for ideas, chants, slogans? It has no apparent place.

I will continue to fight the horrendous wave of racism, sexism, and prejudice when and where I see it.

Because this is assuredly a testament to my gross ignorance, my willful support of the status quo, and proof that I'm a misogynist jerkoff, I will expect and accept any friends who wish to distance themselves from me for this position.