Individualist feminism

Individualist feminism (sometimes also grouped with libertarian feminism or ifeminism) is a term for feminist ideas which seek to celebrate or protect the individual woman.[1]

Individualist feminists attempt to change legal systems in order to eliminate class privileges and gender privileges and to ensure that individuals have equal rights, including an equal claim under the law to their own persons and property. Individualist feminism encourages women to take full responsibility for their own lives. It also opposes any government interference into the choices adults make with their own bodies because, it contends, such interference creates a coercive hierarchy (such as patriarchy).[1][2][3]

The Association of Libertarian Feminists, founded in 1973 by Tonie Nathan, former vice-presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, is one of a number of different kinds of individualist feminist organizations.[4] It takes a strong anti-government and pro-choice stand.[5][6] Other libertarian feminist organizations include Mothers for Liberty, the Mother's Institute, and the Ladies of Liberty Alliance.[7][8]

Wendy McElroy and Christina Hoff Sommers define individualist feminism in opposition to what they call political or gender feminism.[9][10] Some scholars and critics have commented that the label "feminist" is often used cynically in this context, as a way to co-opt general feminism rather than actually be part of feminism.[11][12] Other scholars note that individualist feminism has a long history that is somewhat different in tone that currently advocated by McElroy and Sommers.[13]

See also

People

Ezra Heywood – (1829–1893)

Voltairine de Cleyre – (November 17, 1866 – June 20, 1912)

Dora Marsden – (March 5, 1882 – December 13, 1960)

Suzanne La Follette – (June 24, 1893 – April 23, 1983)

Tonie Nathan – (February 9, 1923–present)

Joan Kennedy Taylor – (December 21, 1926 – October 29, 2005)

Sharon Presley – (1943–present)

Christina Hoff Sommers - (1950-present)

Wendy McElroy – (1951–present)

Cathy Young – (1963–present)

Tiffany Million – (April 6, 1966–present)

Topics

Anarcha-feminism

Anarcho-capitalism

Libertarianism

Libertarian perspectives on abortion‎

References

1. http://alf.org

2. McElroy, Wendy, ed (2002). Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the 21st century. Ivan R. Dee, Publisher. ISBN 978-1-56663-435-9.

3. Reclaiming the Mainstream: Individualist Feminism Rediscovered (Prometheus, 1992) and What to Do When You Don't Want to Call the Cops: A Non-Adversarial Approach to Sexual Harassment by Joan Kennedy Taylor (New York University Press, 1999)

4. http://alf.org/aboutalf/founding.shtml

5. http://alf.org/papers/gwe1.shtml

6. http://alf.org/papers/abortion.shtml

7. http://themothersinstitute.org

8. http://ladiesoflibertyalliance.org

9. McElroy, Wendy (2002). Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the 21st century. Ivan R. Dee, Publisher. ISBN 978-1-56663-435-9.

10. Sommers, Christina Hoff (1995). Who stole feminism?: how women have betrayed women. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 320. ISBN 0-684-80156-6.

11. NPR. Transcripts available here: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NR&p_theme=nr&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_siteloc=TRANSCRIPT&d_origin=newtranscript&p_field_label-0=Topics&p_text_label-0=94369835&s_dispstring=topics(94369835)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no

12. The Washington Post "Sommers's book is a work of neither dispassionate social science nor reflective scholarship; it is a conservative polemic. Sommers focuses... on the feminists and cultural liberals against whom she has a long-standing animus... This intemperate book is a hindrance to such conversation."

13. Reclaiming the Mainstream: Individualist Feminism Rediscovered (Prometheus, 1992 by Joan Kennedy Taylor (New York University Press, 1999)

Further reading

Uncivil Liberty: An Essay to Show the Injustice and Impolicy of Ruling Woman Without Her Consent (1873) by Ezra Heywood one of first individualist feminist essays, by Ezra Heywood

Voltairine de Cleyre: The Exquisite Rebel

Libertarian Feminism: Can This Marriage Be Saved?

"Feminism in Liberty" by Sharon Presley.

Liberal Feminism, essay including discussion of libertarian feminism

Reclaiming the Mainstream: Individualist Feminism Rediscovered by Joan Kennedy Taylor. Prometheus Books, 1992.

Davies, S. (1987). Libertarian Feminism in Britain, 1860-1910. Libertarian Alliance Pamphlet, no. 7.

External links

Association of Libertarian Feminists

iFeminists

Pro Choice Libertarians

Women's Freedom Network

Libertarianism: To Women

The Mother's Institute

Ladies of Liberty Alliance (LOLA)