"Geht es Feministinnen um Justiz und Menschlichkeit oder nur um Frauen?"

Ein Altfeminist berichtet, warum er seiner Ideologie zunehmend überdrüssig wird:

The world did not turn out the way early feminists, such as me, imagined. Instead of changing the rules of the game so no one was favored, policies changed to ensure women received preferential treatment of the sort that affirmative action requires. Instead of using rhetoric that reminds people of their humanity and the possibility of harmony, rhetoric shifted into language suggesting gender as the key to understanding people and the impossibility of avoiding the traditional battle of the sexes.

These thoughts come to mind when I read articles about the economy. The Indianapolis Star, for instance, had an article titled “More men than women are being hired. It figures.” The article warned, “Look out, ladies. Men are making a comeback, and they may just snag your job.” To be fair, I must point out that the Star noted that men lost more jobs during the recession than women so it is reasonable to expect more men will be hired as the economy rebounds. However, in both the headline and the tone, the article suggests women are once again falling victim to sexism and the forces of society are arrayed against them.

(...) If men suffered widespread job loss and are economic victims, and if we want to end suffering, then improvement in men's lot is a good, not bad, thing. Unless feminism is not about justice and humanity. If feminism is about women, however, then the condition of men is irrelevant.

If far more men have suffered economic hardship in the recession, there should be rejoicing that they are returning to work. It ought not be an occasion to suggest that sexism is coming into play so the goal of having women as secondary citizens is affected. Men are not trying to “snag” a woman's job. Men are simply trying to find work, any work, including work that had been done formerly by another man.

Today, “A Doll's House” would need rewriting. Nora might put it this way: “Before everything else, I'm a woman. I want women to gain power notwithstanding the real conditions of the world. It is only women who concern me. Men may be human, too. I'm not sure.”