No feminist I ever met would tell ANYONE that they are not a human being. Yes, feminists tend to be more educated and more upper class, but that's because educating a women tends to make her a feminist. The feminist movement needs to pick its battles. We are already spread too thin. There are other groups that advocate for more narrow causes. But you do not need to leave feminism to also advocate for those other causes or be part of those other advocacy groups. We are all part of the same progressive family, each group doing its part in the struggle for essentially the same thing, social justice.
I'm a feminist, a Democrat and an environmentalist, to name just a few. When I go to a Heal the Bay meeting, I don't expect them to take up my concerns about the de-funding of Planned Parenthood. Nor do I expect my NOW chapter to discuss the need for stricter air pollution standards. Nor do I expect Act Up to address teen pregnancy. Each of these groups have developed specialized knowledge and contacts on their particular issue, making them best at doing that particular thing. I respect that.
I think the headline "Why I'm Leaving Feminism" and the article itself is very inflammatory and is just the sort of thing the right looks for to justify its attack on feminism.
None of us are perfect. Yes, there are some racist feminists. And there are some sexist leftists..like some of the DUers posting on this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=716909
That's no reason to give up on a whole movement or make sweeping (and incorrect) indictments of everyone in the movement.
= new reply since forum marked as read