Why so many "anti-feminists" in the atheist community?

[Cephus]

If you are for equal rights and equality, you're a feminist. That's all it really takes to be one. There are extremist in all stances.

No, you're egalitarian.  That refers to someone who is for equal rights and equality for all.  Being a feminist means you are for equality for women.  There are a lot of third-wave feminists who are desperate to bring their entire political brand under the umbrella of "feminism" when we already have a perfectly good word for it, they just don't exert as much brand control for other words.

[MJ the Skeptical]

^ Exactly, these feminists can't understand that Egalitarianism is the umbrella term for feminism and men's rights and trans-rights, not the other way around.

[nihilistcat]

It's sort of like how people misunderstand the term black lives matter. It's not as if its creators were saying only black lives matter, they were saying black lives "also" matter (in a country where black lives have traditionally mattered "less" than white lives). Same with feminism. I've had the pleasure of working with many feminists, and by far the majority view in the circles I've encountered is a very robust view of freedom. In other words, freedom for everyone, "including" women (get it)? This hostility towards feminism is reactionary (at best). 

[Tiberius]

This hostility towards feminism is reactionary (at best). 

The hostility towards feminism I see is mainly due to the feminists who seem to make it their mission to only focus on women's issues and either ignore or outright deny issues which also affect men.

[nihilistcat]

This hostility towards feminism is reactionary (at best). 

The hostility towards feminism I see is mainly due to the feminists who seem to make it their mission to only focus on women's issues and either ignore or outright deny issues which also affect men.

What issues are you talking about exactly? Is it the "white man's burden" of having to rule the world?

We're talking about inequality that's systemic and institutionalized, not to be conflated with interpersonal relations between the sexes (which is something that cannot be legislated). So whether its reproductive rights or equal pay or child care or whatever ... these are issues that can be solved via public policy. In general, most of the complaints from men surrounding this issue tend to revolve around the sort of interpersonal relations that cannot be impacted by public policy. So yeah there's a very logical reason why women's rights groups tend to focus on, well, women's rights. 

[Dystopia]

This hostility towards feminism is reactionary (at best). 

The hostility towards feminism I see is mainly due to the feminists who seem to make it their mission to only focus on women's issues and either ignore or outright deny issues which also affect men.

Why the fuck should a group about women's issues focus on men's problems? Do you complain that cancer institutes don't research auto-immune diseases as well? Are you going to play the DontForgetTheMen hashtag? I could as well complain LGBT doesn't worry about straight rights. 

The "Egalitarianism" card is treacherous because one doesn't exclude the other. Feminism is a subsect of egalitarianism. Curiously I actually don't support fully egalitarianism because I believe complete equality is impossible to achieve at the very least because of social class - Everyone has a different headstart. So in a sense I'm not an egalitarian in the true meaning of the word but I still support equality within reason.

[Pizza]

Is it so wrong to specificize, people?

[Tiberius]

What issues are you talking about exactly? Is it the "white man's burden" of having to rule the world?

We're talking about inequality that's systemic and institutionalized, not to be conflated with interpersonal relations between the sexes (which is something that cannot be legislated). So whether its reproductive rights or equal pay or child care or whatever ... these are issues that can be solved via public policy. In general, most of the complaints from men surrounding this issue tend to revolve around the sort of interpersonal relations that cannot be impacted by public policy. So yeah there's a very logical reason why women's rights groups tend to focus on, well, women's rights.

I am talking about inequality that's systemic and institutionalized. For instance, the fact that men are often given harsher prison sentences for the same crime.

Why the fuck should a group about women's issues focus on men's problems? Do you complain that cancer institutes don't research auto-immune diseases as well? Are you going to play the DontForgetTheMen hashtag? I could as well complain LGBT doesn't worry about straight rights.

I didn't specify a group in particular, I was talking about the actions of some feminists and why there is so much hostility towards them in particular.

But you can't have it both ways, either feminism is equality for everyone (which some feminists love to claim) or it's entirely focused on women's rights. Either is fine, but if you are in the former group, you need to focus on issues which effect equality for everyone. That is why egalitarianism exists.

[Brian37]

The hostility towards feminism I see is mainly due to the feminists who seem to make it their mission to only focus on women's issues and either ignore or outright deny issues which also affect men.

Why the fuck should a group about women's issues focus on men's problems? Do you complain that cancer institutes don't research auto-immune diseases as well? Are you going to play the DontForgetTheMen hashtag? I could as well complain LGBT doesn't worry about straight rights. 

The "Egalitarianism" card is treacherous because one doesn't exclude the other. Feminism is a subsect of egalitarianism. Curiously I actually don't support fully egalitarianism because I believe complete equality is impossible to achieve at the very least because of social class - Everyone has a different headstart. So in a sense I'm not an egalitarian in the true meaning of the word but I still support equality within reason.

I don't think anyone here is sexist like right wing religious nuts. But sexism towards men DOES exist. Ever see that God Bond spot with Shack "Man up". That perpetuates the stereotype that men are supposed to be tough, and never fail or be supported by women.

The only beef I have with feminists is while they rightfully tell men they have no right to control their bodies or have the right to tell them what to wear as adults, many of them turn around and tell women not to wear tight cloths or never show their naked bodies to men. 

If women don't want men subjecting them to gender rolls then why should men be subject to gender roles?

What matters in any relationship isn't what is between someones legs or what they wear. What matters is consent. If women dont like men telling them what to do with their bodies, and they are right, then those same women shouldn't be telling other women what they should ware or who they display their bodies to.

Just like men should not be telling other men how tough they need to act. 

[Dystopia]

I am talking about inequality that's systemic and institutionalized. For instance, the fact that men are often given harsher prison sentences for the same crime.

Do you ever wonder why that happens? As a law student I noticed lawyers often ask for mercy to the judge saying that their client is a woman and poses no danger. Men are given harsher sentences simply because they are considered strong and hence dangerous. Women are given less time because they are considered too weak to be dangerous enough and no one believes they will survive in prison. Have you ever wondered if gender roles can give you upsides but impact you negatively at the same time? The though side of being considered "Strong, assertive and masculine" is that you are also considered more dangerous than people with feminine characteristics who are seen as "passive, submissive and docile".

But you can't have it both ways, either feminism is equality for everyone (which some feminists love to claim) or it's entirely focused on women's rights. Either is fine, but if you are in the former group, you need to focus on issues which effect equality for everyone. That is why egalitarianism exists.

False dichotomy. It can perfectly be mostly about women but also take some time to focus on men, gays, transsexuals (as it does nowadays). You don't dictate that it's either one extreme or the other. It's like saying that you are either a fundie Christian or you are an atheist. You can be something in between.

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I don't think anyone here is sexist like right wing religious nuts. But sexism towards men DOES exist. Ever see that God Bond spot with Shack "Man up". That perpetuates the stereotype that men are supposed to be tough, and never fail or be supported by women.

I agree, but have you wondered why the "man up" exists? It is because there is a spectrum of feminine and masculine and while you get perks for being masculine you also have the hardship of maning up and facing though situations. People tell men to man up because they assume they are strong and can handle it. They don't tell women to man up because women need help and support.

The only beef I have with feminists is while they rightfully tell men they have no right to control their bodies or have the right to tell them what to wear as adults, many of them turn around and tell women not to wear tight cloths or never show their naked bodies to men. 

Where the hell have you heard them telling women that? IT's quite the opposite. You can't promote slut shaming based on clothes. Modesty is not a thing unless you happen to personally like it.