Wherein I Claim to be a Feminist

Over the years, I have been challenged by the concept of feminism and what it might mean to be a feminist. In an academic context, feminism might encompass a number of approaches to sociological phenomena, and a long overdue attentiveness to the activities and interests of women has been a boon to the social sciences. The most important contribution of feminism, in my opinion, has been the raising of consciousness about how cultural assumptions, language, social structure, and legitimizing discourse might privilege males over females. Moreover, an awareness of these phenomena and how they affect the thinking of social scientists has helped them (those who are willing to be helped, at least) understand power relations of all kinds more fully.

As a normative concept, feminism is a little harder for me to grasp, but I have developed an evolving set of values and commitments that I regard as “feminist”. I am committed to increasing awareness of how my own actions and assumptions might be oppressive or disrespectful to women and, when it is consistent with other values, to alter my behavior and attitude appropriately. I advocate and support in my own actions the rights of women to make and live out any choices they see fit in pursuit of their own desires and happiness, as long as these do not entail violence against others, on the same basis as males. I am committed to act toward women with lovingkindness and respect, as much as for men.

By the same token, I advocate the right of women, and men, to hold diverse opinions about how to live and to criticize one another if it pleases them to do so. Personally, I am not one for meddling in other people’s private choices or passing on the relative virtue of various lifestyles that don’t affect me. Accordingly, let there be radical lesbian feminists devoted to reproduction by parthenogenesis, and may they prosper and know happiness. Likewise, let there be fundamentalist religious women who choose patriarchy and to be submissive to their husbands, and may they prosper and know happiness. I believe that either “extreme” example I have set out might be chosen by different women, and I would oppose any program that would coercively impose choices on women or coercively privilege one choice over another.

It seems unavoidable to me that circumstances will constrain our choices, even in the absence of coercion, and that the combined actions and attitudes of society will continue to work to the disadvantage of women until such time as a commitment to gender equality becomes more widespread, even hegemonic. It is the challenge of feminist libertarians to recognize these non-state power relations and to consider non-coercive ways to counter their effects.