Is the Child Free movement anti-feminist?

Actually why am I saying subtext? It's blatantly mother-hating.

I also agree that people who dont' like or want to exclude children, also don't like and want to exclude mothers.

I'd agree that the child free stuff I've come across is highly misogynistic and has a subtext of mother-hating.

I also don't get the point of constructing your identity around not having children. It's not like there's much to say "Got up today, didn't have a child to look after or think about, so I did stuff in my own life". Being a parent in large part is an activity, hence people talk about its ins and outs and how they manage - being child free (by choice) isn't.

I didn't know about them encouraging women to remove their reproductive organs. Rock on female castration.

I agree with much of what blackcurrants says. I've only once been on a child free forum and it was hateful, really nasty stuff.

However, I do think that women who don't want children get quite a rough ride. I've never been 100% sure and DH and I have delayed for several years. We are trying now, but tbh I don't think I'd be that upset if it didn't happen for us. Maybe slightly relieved.

I find the comments I get quite difficult and I think DH does too. Lots of people are quite intrusive with their questioning and frankly rude. People like to share their thoughts on when we should start a family (soon obv) despite our clear discomfort. I am quite blunt with people but DH tries to be polite so unusually he bears the brunt of this.

The general view point is that stable hetereosexual couples must have children. Any that those who don't because they don't want to (rather than because they can't) are a little strange. I think that a proper child free movement needs to counteract this rather vilify mothers as it currently seems to do.

And may I say those who are 'child free by choice' who inflict their damn pets on others need a size 15 boot to the rear end.

I agree with Blackcurrant's observations. I think there is a lot of material there for the therapist's couch. Methinks some people have Mother Issues.

I think in theory, it would say it isn't. I've never encountered a child-free space (online) which didn't swiftly devolve into a bunch of 'mummy-issues' and women hating, though. It always makes me profoundly uncomfortable.
I've seen strident child-free arguments along the lines of "I shouldn't have to hear your child wailling/see you change a nappy in a train car- you CHOSE to have children, therefore you should putup with never travelling on my train, etc" - and such arguments are effectively silenced by "Yes, people choose to have children but no-one chooses to be a child. We are ALL children, for a time, and children deserve to be able to take public transit, or have their nappies changed rather than sit in shit." They're always blaming the women for having kids and then daring to try to have a life. This is because even Child-Free people don't, on their public faces, attack the children themselves.

I know some child-free couples, and one had the nerve to tell me that babies shouldn't be allowed on planes. I said "Oh? And what about parents of babies who have to travel across large bodies of land or water? How do you suggest they do that in a short space of time? Are you fucking SERIOUS?" ... they backed down pretty quickly in the face of my rage, but.... argh!

Bitch, PhD used to say that if you're anti-child, you're de facto anti-woman, because of the way society places so much of the expectations about child rearing onto the mother. Certainly spaces where children aren't welcome also become spaces where women with children don't go.