What Feminism Can't Argue With

When the term "non-feminism" presents itself without explanation and yet apparently demanding respect, how can a feminist argue against it? The answer is: uphill, and with difficulty.

You see, "non-feminism" says both a lot and not much at all. It says a lot because it surveys a lot of territory, but it says not much because we are not told much about what that territory contains. We are told only that it does NOT contain feminism.

So what's to argue with?

You might go for the rest of your life and never call yourself anything but a non-feminist. You mightn't ever need or care to use any other political tag than that. I would like to impress upon you that you need not voice your opposition in terms of a movement, manifesto, mission statement or anything positively assertive. For to declare yourself non-feminist does no more than locate you within the universe exclusive of feminism -- and that is all you need.  It is a brisk little maneuver, but it carries enormous political weight.