Explanation of feminist paradoxes?

[IsabelleCrane]

I identify as a feminist, but when I talk to other feminists, I notice the same people saying contradicting things and it has left me confused. When I ask about it, the response is usually some variation of "not all feminists think the same" but I'm seeing these paradoxes emerge from the speech of one person. Help??

1. Sexes are equal. The only thing fundamental to human nature is desire. Gender fluctuates according to personal desire, and one can construct their identity as having the toxic traits of the male gender if they desire it. This means that there must be toxic female traits (stereotypes) which females ourselves can adopt which are harmful to others and ourselves. What are those traits?

1. If prejudice is learned behavior, and not a consequence of human nature, then prejudiced behavior is the product of a child's enculturation. We can then go back in (near) infinite regression and say that the prejudice of every generation is learned behavior. But if prejudice is not intrinsic to human nature, then how did it first appear in society to begin with? If the structural problem is capitalism because capitalism is fueled by greed, how is greed not fundamental to human nature thereby rendering prejudice as inevitable? How is racial violence different from other forms of biotic violence regarding territorial disputes?

1. If territorializing and totalizing my identity as a woman is fascist, but I desire to act with toxic masculinity and construct my identity as a toxic male, then why are you not fascist for telling me that I shouldn't be a toxic male?

1. If rape is an example of toxic masculinity, and women do not rape, are we then asserting that women are intrinsically more moral than men? If rape cultures are always masculine phenomena, then males must be more inclined toward immoral behavior. Then Sexes are not equal.

1. If equity means the practical application of equality, (i.e. if some start with less and face more challenges, then they should be given more than others to be put at equal fitting) then the one who is more victimized should be given more. How would this not lead people into the desire to be seen as a victim? Or lead non-victims into lies and false accusations of oppression to avoid struggle?

I see the problem.

I identify as a feminist

Perhaps stop "identifying" and actually BE a feminist. Get involved in feminist activism (like volunteering at a refuge/drop in centre). Then all will be clear, and you will stop pondering stuff.

Feminism is quite self-explanatory.

I haven't considered the other points but wanted to respond specifically to your question about 'learned' vs. 'innate' prejudice. I'm a biologist and may be able to add a different perspective.

Simply put our brains are hardwired to recognise patterns. (Bear shaped animals are dangerous. That part of the wood tends to have tasty mushrooms.).

It's been critical to our survival as a species, but unfortunately comes with side effects: recognizing patterns when there aren't any, or over-generalising when a more nuanced view would be more appropriate (women just want to have babies and aren't interested in careers).

So while each individual prejudice is learned from family or own observation, the predisposition to prejudice is innate.

OP, you have made a whole raft of massive assumptions in your 'paradoxes'.

It seems to me that you've made assumptions that you accept as universal truths and now can't reconcile these with what you see as 'feminism'.

If you believe that the points you list out are true as a starting point (e.g. that prejudice is learned and the sexes are equal), my advice would be to question why you hold the views you do and to break down what you actually mean by them.

It sounds like someone has made some strawman arguments to you and has muddled your own thinking - I would go back to basics and start with what you actually believe.

These are simply the listed differences between Feminism, the political movement for the liberation of women, and the illusion of feminism created by the backlash insisting that Feminism must change to be about equality for all men.

The biggest feminist paradox is that there's a feminism section on a website dedicated to motherhood and the family.