Feminism is hated because women are hated. Anti-feminism is a
Feminism is hated because women are hated. Anti-feminism is a direct expression of misogyny; it is the political defense of women hating.
When Andrea Dworkin declared, “Feminism is hated because women are hated. Anti-feminism is a direct expression of misogyny; it is the political defense of women hating,” she tore away the veils of excuse and revealed the naked truth. The resistance to feminism is not born of misunderstanding or debate alone—it is born of hatred for women themselves. Her words strike like a hammer, reminding us that whenever the call for equality is mocked, dismissed, or attacked, it is not the theory that is despised, but the people it defends.
Her insight is both ancient and eternal. For millennia, societies have woven laws, customs, and myths to keep women silent and subordinate. Whenever women have risen—whether to learn, to lead, or to claim their dignity—the backlash has come swiftly, cloaked in the language of tradition, morality, or even protection. But as Dworkin proclaims, these cloaks hide a single truth: misogyny. It is the old hatred of women, dressed in the robes of politics, pretending to be order while enforcing oppression.
History bears witness. In the suffrage battles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, women were ridiculed, beaten, and imprisoned for demanding the right to vote. The opponents of suffrage did not merely fear political disruption—they feared the empowerment of women themselves. In truth, anti-feminism was their weapon, wielded as a defense of patriarchy, a way to sanctify prejudice and disguise hatred as principle.
The ancients, too, recorded this battle. In Athens, women were barred from citizenship, denied voice in the Assembly, confined to the household while men debated freedom and justice in the public square. The philosophers might speak of virtue, but their silence on women revealed their blind devotion to hierarchy. Even in those golden ages, feminism—though unnamed—was hated whenever women dared to speak or act beyond their assigned place.
Thus, Dworkin’s words endure as a fire for future generations: to resist feminism is to resist women; to hate feminism is to hate women. The battle is not about ideology, but about dignity itself. Let the daughters and sons of tomorrow remember: anti-feminism is not neutrality, but enmity, the sharpened edge of misogyny wielded against half of humanity. And let them answer, not with silence, but with courage, for the freedom of women is the freedom of all.
TAdoan tuan anh
This quote by Andrea Dworkin reveals a painful truth about the deep-rooted misogyny in society. It challenges the idea that anti-feminism is simply a political stance and exposes it for what it is: a defense of a patriarchal system that oppresses women. How can we counter this narrative and create more allies for feminism, especially among those who have been taught to view it as a threat rather than a solution to inequality?
TKTran Kien
Dworkin’s quote makes me reflect on how feminism is often met with such fierce resistance. But is the hatred of feminism inherently tied to hatred of women, or could there be a disconnect in how people understand feminist goals? Are we at a point where anti-feminism has become so deeply associated with misogyny that it’s impossible to have any meaningful conversation about gender equality without first confronting that animosity?
Bbao
Andrea Dworkin’s perspective about anti-feminism being a defense of ‘women hating’ hits hard, but I wonder if it’s possible that some anti-feminists simply misunderstand the movement’s core message. Could there be a space where we better educate those opposed to feminism, helping them see it as a fight for equality rather than something threatening? How do we dismantle the perception of feminism as something divisive when it’s truly about justice?
TVThien Van
This quote from Andrea Dworkin strikes at the heart of why feminism is often rejected. It raises the question of how much misogyny is still deeply ingrained in our societal structures, often masking itself as politics or tradition. What are some ways we can start confronting these deeply rooted beliefs in our own communities? Is there hope for shifting perspectives on feminism when so much of the resistance feels so ingrained?
MHTa Minh Hang
Dworkin’s bold assertion about feminism being hated because women are hated challenges the root of anti-feminist sentiments. But is it too simplistic to say that anti-feminism is always rooted in misogyny? Could there be other factors—like ignorance or fear of change—that also contribute to this resistance? How do we create conversations that separate anti-feminism from genuine concerns and allow space for more nuanced discussions?