Zatera Ul

I start wriggling with indignation every time I read this column in the Minnesota Women’s Press. It’s a feminist reacting to a friend saying, “I’m not a feminist, but…”. (Do a Google search on that phrase to see how much it annoys feminists.)

Susan Powter, the weight-loss and exercise guru, points out that feminism is the belief that men and women should be treated as equals: nothing more, nothing less. “You’re either a feminist,” she has said in several interviews, “or you’re an idiot.”

Well, I guess you can call me an idiot, then, because I am NOT a feminist. The reason is simple: I rarely agree with them. Our Deep Philosophical Differences cross a wide range of fields: biology, theology, economics, politics, sociology, science in general….

It’s deceptive to say that feminism is just a belief in equality; feminism is also a movement that is working toward achieving equality. When I say “I am not a feminist,” I am saying that I am not a part of this movement, I do not identify myself with it, I do not share its worldview, and I do not particularly support its agenda. So don’t try to stick the label on me.

For example, feminists and I clash on the “choice” issue. It always irks me when the Minnesota Women’s Press refers to pro-lifers as “anti-choice.” I’m not anti-choice; I’m anti-murder and anti-stupid-choices. Can feminists be pro-life? Only if they keep it to themselves, apparently.

Another example is the Larry Summers fiasco, when he presented the idea that biological differences between men and women might be one reason why there are fewer women than men in the sciences. Feminists: Off with his head!!! Discrimination is the only acceptable explanation!!!! Me (a woman with a Ph.D. in physics): that’s an interesting hypothesis, let’s see more research on it. (He was correct in saying that I’m not interested in working 80-hour weeks.)

One more: the right to vote. Yes, I know, I have it because of feminists. But apparently I’m not using it in a feminist-approved fashion. A month or two ago the Minnesota Women’s Press had a little blurb that speculated that women who vote for conservatives are doing so to please their conservative husbands. (Because why else would a woman choose to vote that way?) That got an extremely long unladylike snort from me. I’m more conservative than my husband is! He wasn’t in the voting booth with me to help me fill out the ballot; I voted for Bush all by myself. So did a lot of other women.

Turning back to the column, I don’t know of any “frightened white men who didn’t want change…hateful…silly, frantic bullies” who are trying to scare me into silence with “silly stereotypes.” (See da counter-stereotyping dere, eh? ) What has Pat Robertson got to do with my identity as a woman? Not very much. Note to Ms. Feminist Writer: caricaturing and trivializing conservative Christian men is not going to score you any points with me, a conservative Christian woman.

The more I read the Minnesota Women’s Press, the more sure I am that I am NOT a feminist.