Inspired by this article.
If women who've benefited from feminism can't reject feminism, then leftists who benefited from capitalism can't reject capitalism.
See that computer you're reading? You have to turn it off. It was made by a capitalist company and sold in a capitalist country.
Those clothes you're wearing? Same.
You'll have to make your own.
Now of course, this is ridiculous. Just because you reject a system doesn't mean you disagree with everything about a system.
You can't disagree with everything in an ideological system.
Women who reject feminism don't reject the idea of equality.
What they reject are the ideas that underpin how it is understood, and the way it is applied.
Socially conservative women generally believe that men and women are different, and that social policy and cultural practices should reflect those ideas.
Feminists don't. There may have been essentialist feminists, but their voices are marginalized. Feminists today predominantly treat gender as almost entirely a social construct, and it can be changed.
Socially conservative women
believe that while women should be given fair consideration in job applications, women will tend to choose careers that make good use of their feminine characteristics, and that's fine.
Some feminists like to pretend that feminism is so broad that includes anyone who believes in equality.
The reality is that while there is diversity among feminists, there are predominant ideas, and the bulk of feminists will practically exclude anyone who opposes these predominant ideas.
So essentialists, pro-lifers, people who believe in traditional marriage, etc, these people are beyond the pale.
They believe in equality. But they're not feminists.
Being a non-feminist doesn't mean you don't believe in equality.
Just not the feminist version.
It doesn't mean you can't criticize feminism.
It doesn't mean you can't reject feminism.
And another point: though society accepts equality, and some of the principles of feminism, it doesn't mean it accepts feminism, tout court.
The standard that only those who don't benefit from the system can't reject it, is setting up an impossible standard for everyone.
So just remember that, feminists.
