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Pay Attention, Zooey Deschanel (And Everybody Else)

I don't think casual sex empowers women; I don't think it empowers anyone. I don't begrudge anyone the use of the term, "feminist," per se, because a lot of ordinary people who use it aren't aware of how terrible real feminism actually is (or at least could be). They think it means the general uplift and improvement of women. Fine; let's use that definition. Does anyone care to actually make an argument that casual sex is or has been actually a positive force for women? I'll name fatherless children, shattered hearts, abortions (of living people, by the way) and poverty against it.

All anyone can name in its favor is, "It's really pleasurable. Like, a lot." There are a lot of very pleasurable things I could do that would be wrong to do, like punching Donald Trump in the face. I'd really enjoy that. It doesn't mean I should.

People say in reply, "Well, sex makes women start to celebrate their bodies! Maybe they have been shamed, or stifled in some way." OK. Why do you associate modesty and chastity with fear and self-hatred? I'd like to know why many feminists just assume that a traditional view of human sexuality was imposed externally by a man. You don't do this all the time. I've read 12 or so articles on your site at HelloGiggles.com from virgins who've decided to be wait to have sex, for various reasons. Care to explain yourself? It seems to me that this whole movement for empowerment is double-minded.

You may say, "Well, that's an individual choice!" But feminism is not simply an attitude; it's a political movement; that is, it claims that there structural and widespread cultural reasons for the oppression of women. You can't support all individual sexual choices, family structures, etc. in the name of individual freedom, and hold the premise.

 Some people just don't want to think this hard; they'd just rather define "feminism" however they like, and anyone who dares to--gasp!--ask for a workable definition must be a pig. Fair enough! YAY WOMEN! I LOVE THEM! Is that better? Can I be a "feminist," too?
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