Let's just say for a second we call the belief that women are equal to men and deserving of equal protections gender egalitarianism because it is about equality for both genders. We could then ask ourselves - are there challenges that women face which men do not which require consideration, and/or redress? If such things do exist, then it is natural to give such things a name. That is feminism.
Feminists are not at war with equality. It is just a way of saying - hey - some hurdles exist which need attention that women face and men do not. Man face challenges which women do not. We could call that Masculinism. Both fall under the heading of equality. Addressing specific needs of either gender and giving those needs and advocacy a name does not take it out from under the realm of equality or devalue the struggles of the other gender.
When we discuss gay marriage, are we somehow saying that we don't think interracial marriage or trangender marriage or inter-relgious marriage matters? No. Asserting that feminism opposes equality because it labels a particular area of focus or advocacy is to say that the fight for equal access to marriage for gay people opposes equality.
When someone demands a re-naming, they are doing two things; making a big deal of a semantic issue and attempting to make people defensive about advocating for women's needs.
Having a discussion about the label is truly pointless. We could call feminism "flim-flam-jim-jam". When you oppose the word but not the meaning, you are truly wasting time and bickering about nothing in an attempt to exhaust the other person so they do not discuss the matters of substance- but that is the point for most people who make this argument. By forcing people to address the label on the idea, not the actual idea, the label objector distracts from the idea, gives themselves an out of discussing the substance of the idea, while making it clear that every level of conversation will be hostile - even the terms.
By making people defensive about addressing equality for women or labeling themselves a person who cares about equality for women or addressing issues that women face but men do not, they shut the conversation down before it even starts.
It makes
some fair minded people feel badly that each discussion about the needs
of women is not accompanied by a need of men, thus making every topic
about the needs or rights of women tied to a discussion about the needs
of men. It is seen as unfair to discuss pay gaps for women without discussing workplace
deaths for men. Separate discussions does not mean we are devaluing either side. It means each deserves focus.
Feminism and Masculinism are not zero sum games. The idea that one gender's gain is another's loss is why we see so many hateful pictures from Men's Rights Groups like the ones below. Generally, what benefits women also benefits men. Conflict between the two will occur and that is also not solved by changing a label.
Damned right I'm a feminist - I believe that women deserve equal opportunities, access, and protections but also have special challenges which men do not which need careful consideration and redress. Damned right I am a Masculinist - I believe that men deserve equal opportunities, access, and protections but also have special challenges which women do not which need careful consideration and redress. Damned right I am a gender egalitarianist. I can be all three.
Let's do our society a favor and discuss the ideas, not the label of the ideas.
