LogFAQs > #905537866

VeeVees posted...

What it's "suppose to be" doesn't matter. What it "is" is a movement to promote sexism and hate. If you believe in equality you are an egalitarian.

The problem is that, when so many people claim ownership of a given label, it becomes hard to say precisely what definition of that term is "correct". Or who is "wrong" for using it. Or that alternative terminology is the only acceptable solution.

I know women who refuse to call themselves "feminist" because they hate how insane people have basically co-opted the term to push extremist ideologies, but if a woman wants to call herself a feminist and has rational views I can agree with (like a push for total across-the-board equality), I'm rarely willing to condemn them for it out of hand. Especially since they might simply not be AWARE of some of the crazier aspects of the Internet that have soiled the terminology so badly.

If anything, using the "tainted" term just makes it harder to discuss related issues, because people may be coming at things with very different assumptions. And even pushing to establish alternative terms isn't all that helpful, because the crazies and shitty people will just ruin whatever term you come up with to replace it by doing the same thing all over again.


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