Susan B. Anthony, where are you?

I am not a feminist. Nor am I likely to ever be one. People are often surprised by those two assertions, which I make with a straight face and a clear, honest intent. I think the confusion begins because I have a career in a profession dominated by men and I earnestly believe that we need to do something to encourage more women to enter computer science. This is a battle-standard most often taken up by feminists. In addition to that, I also believe and defend the position that women are quite capable of any occupation they choose to undertake. I am a strong, independent, opinionated woman. But I will never be part of today's feminist movement.

I believe that the feminist movement started with admirable goals - things that needed to be achieved because truly there was oppression. There is no reason women shouldn't vote or be able to have a job outside the home or live their life single if they so choose and yet still be independent. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and so many other women did much for all of us in bringing about equality of opportunity for women. But today, I believe, at least certainly in the United States, that mission has been fulfilled. And in fact in many cases, I believe the feminists have begun to do women a disservice.

"Reproductive rights" and sexual freedom are a big issue among the feminists. They seem to believe that these give a woman ownership over her body. I contend that they in fact have the opposite effect. They make women a slave to sex and have created a generation of young women who define themselves by their sexuality, whose self-worth is found only in bed. And the men are jumping on this bandwagon - after all, it means they have it a lot easier. Instead of needing to get to know a woman, respect a woman, love and commit to a woman, be willing to have a family and grow up, men can "hook up" day after day and instead of having the woman want him to call, young women have been tricked into thinking that anonymous sex or "friendship with benefits" liberates them.

Because of feminism, we've stopped bringing up young women to value their sexuality as special, beautiful and unique to them - something that should be shared with a man only after marriage. Instead we are bringing young women up to think that sex is nothing and that part of being independent and "liberated" means you hop from one bed to another with nary a second thought because the ability to attract and bed men is central to a definition of self.

Of course, sexual freedom has some pitfalls. STDs and unintended pregnancies are just two. But the feminists have an answer for that as well - birth control and abortion. Since we're teaching young people that sex is the answer to being grown up, we now have to distribute condoms in schools to "protect" them, "good mothers" put their teenagers on the pill or the patch as early as twelve "just in case". And a child who is with child can go down to the corner to get an abortion more easily than they can get an asprin from the school nurse.

And yet at the same time, women get on the case of men who embrace the right of a woman to define herself by her sexuality - if a woman is totally responsible for her sexuality, then why do we require men to pay child support? If the woman chooses to be a single mother, shouldn't feminism say that yes, it's her choice, but she should have to do it on her own? Shouldn't men have the right to get a "financial abortion"?

It seems to me that feminism is no longer about equality of opportunity, it's about feminine superiority. And as one who believes in equality, I can't support that. Does chauvenism still exist? Absolutely. Are there still situations where women are treated with inequity? Sure. But I don't think today's feminism is going to rectify those situations.

However, if we were to see a resurgence of women working for women's rights a la Susan B Anthony, I'd be the first in line to sign up.