Sharon Presley on Libertarian Feminism

"Many libertarian men are fairly ignorant about women's issues. Some of them are outright hostile to feminism because they've never bothered to find out what it is," says Sharon Presley, Ph.D.

Presley is a founding figure in the libertarian movement and author of the book, Standing Up to Experts and Authorities. She sat down with Reason.com's managing editor, Tim Cavanaugh to discuss libertarian feminism and what libertarianism looks like in 2012.

Shot by Tracy Oppenheimer and Paul Detrick. Edited by Detrick.

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[SuperIllusiveman]

Libertarian Feminism sounds like an oxymoron.

To be a Libertarian means you view all people as sovereign individuals that are equal to you no matter what their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ect may be.

To call yourself a Feminist means you view yourself differently and separately from those who, for example, would not call themselves a Feminists. And as a result, you make imaginary enemies like stay-at-home-moms. Many Feminists see them as abominations that must be destroyed. Dumb

[DoctorMandible]

The issues that you brought up don't necessarily involve government. Women in the workforce can have more bargaining power with their employer if they can raise awareness of the things that matter to them. In other words, employers would be more likely to voluntarily offer women higher wages if the wider population cares about it. In that way, libertarian feminism is about raising awareness. It's also about showing how our culture tends to encourage people to take sexual assault lightly.

[Julie Mastrine]

This is a misappropriation of what being a feminist truly means. Feminists do not view themselves as "different" from stay at home moms--we believe women shouldn't be pressured either way to choose to stay at home v. enter the workforce. Nor do we judge either way.

[mskrislandry]

I agree with you that feminists themselves do ignore non-Western identities, but I would blame that on the lack of exposure to their issues. I'm sure these communities have to deal with their own varieties of gender oppression - a battle feminism is generally concerned with.

[mskrislandry]

The word feminism is a historical term with origins in times when the movement focused solely on woman's advancement, hence the "fem-". But there's more to it than the word suggests.

Feminism has developed since the 19th century. Men and transgender people are harmed by inequality as much as women. It is completely logical that you cannot achieve equality between people if you ignore the rights of some of them. That is why feminism is no longer concerned solely with women.

[bfddr0x]

I'm sorry, but I truly have to disagree with that. The word itself is derived from sexual orientation. AT BEST you could claim that feminism is to promote equality of women to men, but even then it ignores all sorts of other gender identities from around the world that aren't traditionally male or female from a Western perspective. Feminists claim they encompass them, they don't, it's a lie.

[mskrislandry]

Feminism does promotes equality for all. It stands for political, economic and social equality of both genders - that is the definition of feminism.

Please do not be fooled by its misrepresentations in the media or feminists who do not stay true to the cause. Inequality and gender oppression are the beliefs of sexists, not feminists. The two are mutually exclusive.

[bfddr0x]

Promoting Libertarianism is promoting equality and freedom for all. Labeling yourself further as a feminist seems stupid and completely ignores the meaning and history behind Libertarianism.

[xgirlfiendx]

I like this woman's perspective, it's nice to see this in both libertarian and feminist circles. 

[TriggerHappy923]

Aren't "women's issues" usually in need for government intervention, that's not libertarianism. I may be ignorant but all I can think of is birth control and wages as women's issues. Well minimum wage certainly doesn't help any one. Women ARE hired much faster than men because they except, that's right, they except the low pay. It's should be between the employee and the employer when it comes to higher wage. As for birth control, it's always accessible without taking tax payer's dollars.