#feminism isn't about freedom of choice its about dismantling the patriarchy and liberating women

[apostate-in-an-alcove]

Choice feminism has rotted people's, especially women's, brains to the point where most of people get super defensive when feminism actually does its job and critiques the things they choose to do. Turns out that women's choices actually don't exist in a vacuum and are often influenced by living in a capitalistic patriarchal society and that we actually should critique some of the things women choose to do.

[piggybaccharide]

what bothers me about current feminism is that it's marketed to women as a tool to benefit them individually—it's even presented as the solution to the collective poor mental health condition of modern women while its commodified, hyper-individual state under capitalism strips our knowledge of the connection between why feminism is the solution to the aforementioned condition. it's seen as a For-Fun Tool to Make Women (or whoever else is feeling sad) Happy! Patriarchy sucks doesn't it. but a double edged sword exists in this version: men benefit from the lack of collective organizing and material change while feminism loses its teeth and is no longer recognized for what it actually is: a collective social movement that has identified issues specific to women's liberation, and accordingly has laid out specific goals and means to solve those issues. it's been systematically, deliberately de-clawed and now so long as a woman can make a choice it's suddenly a feminist action. very broadly, Freedom of choice and playing the game of capitalism is literally a core tenet of neoliberalism that was laid out within the enlightenment. It's the same thing as the American Dream idea/lie that tells the working class that if they just work hard enough they can be as successful as they want to be. Patriarchs hear the female grievance and all they can give up are freedoms of choice. anything beyond that by way of actually dismantling systems that oppress women has been filtered out in the commodification of feminism, defining it in compliance with patriarchal society.

feminism isn't supposed to simply make you feel better. it is supposed to ask you hard questions and challenge your thinking. it is supposed to create strife and conflict in a world built on its antithesis. it is supposed to be uncomfortable at times. our discourse on who feminism is for is so often irrelevant because our perception remains focused on individual people and manufactured identities. it's purpose is to liberate all women, but that doesn't mean any one person can claim since something benefits or appears to benefit them personally that it is feminist. It Is Collectiveee pleaseee get that. It is activism and advocacy. It Is WORK!

this is so rambly but ive finally been able to put into words what i've been thinking about recently