The left has manipulated feminism to trap women into a stereotype. Identity politics hinders the feminist movement as it removes individualism.
“I used to get annoyed in abstract discussions to hear men tell me: “You think that way because you’re a woman”. But I know my only defence is to answer: “I think it because it’s true”, thereby eliminating any subjectivity.”
Simone De Beauvoir, The Second Sex: Introduction.
The quote above is by Simone De Beauvoir, a famous feminist, and philosopher of the twentieth century. Though would seem too right-wing by the radical left’s standards, since everything must be seen through the lens of identity.
According to them, you cannot have an opinion about women’s issues if you are a man.
“No uterus, no opinion,” they often chant to dismiss the views of men.
Even if you are a woman who holds conservative views, you get dismissively asked: “Did you get picked yet?” as if the only reason you’d have such opinions is to please a man. How is this feminist?
Furthermore, when you point out that the Conservatives had two female leaders, while Labour still hasn’t achieved one, they claim that it is simply tokenism and these are “fake” women. It seems as if identity politics and listening to women only matter when women agree with them. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Why are the views of Thatcher or Amy Coney Barrett worth less than the mainstream views of the left? For them, it’s acceptable to “mansplain” when a woman does not agree with their status quo.
Women do not have the same homogenous experiences. Some women have never been catcalled. Some women want to exclusively pick motherhood over a career. But the left only supports one type of woman. Unless you’re sex-positive, pro-choice, liberal and unquestionably intersectional, the left will ostracise you from being a feminist.
It’s important that we clarify when identity matters and when it doesn’t. The left wants to push the narrative that you have to think a certain way based on your identity. If this were true, I’m certain they wouldn’t be happy if white men exclusively voted for the “oppressive” system, since they are the “oppressors”. And since they are the majority, this “oppressive” system would be upheld.
Identity does matter. Our experiences shape who we are, so of course some of our opinions are going to influence others. My identity shapes my opinions, but it should not trap them to fit a certain narrative.
To paraphrase De Beauvoir: I do not think this because I’m a woman; I think this because it’s true.
