Reading recent news articles - and the comments that follow them - about the success of 50 Shades of Grey and the Atlantic piece on how women can't have it all, it seems many believe that feminism has failed.

I have always described myself as a feminist but I sometimes think that feminism today is often reduced to an argument for better maternity leave.

I'm curious, did feminism - however you define it - have any bearing on your decision to be CF or did other factors (such as lifestyle ones or general dislike/disinterest/disinclination to have kids) dominate?

Is anyone here CF for ideological factors?

I don't identify as a feminist because of how screwed up I think modern feminism is. I think it does more harm than good now.

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You know me, always like to savor that last shot before popping the heatsink.

You're exactly right^. Feminism isn't what it used to be. It's now about mothers and their demands. I just identify as a person. I don't like labels anyway

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"A woman has to live her life, or live to repent not having lived it." -- D. H. Lawrence

I am a feminist, active in the feminist community, and I have to say that there is a lot more to modern feminism than mothers arguing over stuff they want (even though there is a damn lot of that going on...it wasn't fun having my ass ripped off by some mother who wants to breastfeed totally topless anywhere she wants, but says bearing my nipple piercings would be obscene...). However, feminism had nothing to do with me deciding to be CF. I just didn't want kids. Me being feminist had pretty much jack-sh*t to do with that decision.

The feminist part of me that factors into staying CF is fighting against the crazy-ass laws from super conservatives that are trying to block birth control and abortion access. 'Cause that's kind of important even to people who aren't CF.

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If you look like you can be taken advantage of, don't act like it, because then you will be.

I share similar feelings, but the feminist part of me cares about a womans right to make her own choices and live life on her own terms(like the idiotic birth control debate, it made me think "Why is this even being discussed?). No feminism does not affect my choice to remain CF, I simply do not want children and I do not like children that much. The idea of pregnancy and childbirth is very unappealing to me and always has been, I never saw anything beautiful or miraculous about it . I also think that society equates CF with feminism when that is not always the case, and feels that childfree women are "ugly, selfish, bitter, baby-hating, jesus-hating feminist" when that is not true at all(this forum is a prime example of how untrue this all is). There are childfree chrisitans, there are childfree women who are very beautiful and very feminine, there are childfree women that are quite happy and not bitter in the least.

Off-topic: The 50 shades phenom baffles me, I had no idea twilight fanfiction could be so life-changing for people, I don't get it

I've never considered myself a feminist, although from the outside looking in I'm sure a lot of people would consider me to be so....

I do believe in equality i.e. married/kids/single/no kids/white/black/male/female whatever, everyone should be treated equally. Of course, equally may not equate to 'fairly' in some people's eyes..

I too feel that feminism has degenerated into a bunch of breeders looking for further develop their something for nothing lifestyle. If there is more to modern feminism than that, then regretably the word isn't out there.

So, feminism has never played any part in my CFness, in fact if anything I now see feminists as using their 'femininity' to snag themselves a bloke who'll bankroll their chosen lifestyle i.e. I am a woman and I can use my particularly feminine attributes to get what I want from life (I guess it's a philosophy as valid as any).......Nothing more than an old fashioned honey trap to my mind.

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'I think that God, in creating Man, somewhat overestimated his ability'..Oscar Wilde

'Let it be awful, let it be wonderful, but let it be uncommon'.......

I care about these things, but I don't think feminism has much to do with these things. They are issues that should be a concern to any feminist, but they can be a concern to anyone at all and frankly I'm not sure how much feminism as a whole cares anymore.

I had never even heard of it, so I had to look it up. I find it completely unsurprising. I haven't read the Twilight series because it strikes me as extremely childish. I've not been able to understand why adult women enjoy it partially because of the lack of more adult scenes. The idea that a 30-something year old Twilight fan would be pent up enough about the story to turn around and write an entire novel's worth of sex seems predictable to me.

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You know me, always like to savor that last shot before popping the heatsink.

I consider myself a feminist. I believe in full equality for women in the home, the workplace, political office, and doctor's office. For those who don't think feminists have a role to play today, just review what happened in the last year or so regarding the drastic curtailments and infringements on women's health freedoms. I thought we were done with these battles, but apparently not. Until men and the government no longer have a say over what I do with MY body and the choices I make regarding MY reproductive health, feminists will endure.

I disagree with the notion that today's feminists are concerned only with mother-related issues. Certainly they are part of the mix, but they do not represent today's feminist concerns in their totality.

Regarding my decision to be CFBC, without the hard work, perseverance and bravery of the women who have come before me -- especially pro-choice feminists -- I would never have been able to make this choice. I also would never have gone to college, never had the career I have, and never been an independent woman. I would have never have THOUGHT I could. I am perhaps the first generation of women to reap the rewards of the feminist and pro-choice movements so in that way, my outlook on life and what I could do as a woman has been shaped by feminism, including the choice to not have children.

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Lactation Consultant and Assistant Kickball Coach of the "Cass is a horrible person...and she's also ugly!" club.

I think it's the other way round. My feminism is caused (amongst many other factors) by my not wanting to be a mother and most of all not wanting to be pregnant.

To me feminism means being yourself and not leeting your life being dictated by whatever is in your pants i.e. between your legs.

I'm always amused when people say that they're not feminist. Either they don't consider women to be full people and equal to men, OR that person is in desperate need of a dictionary.

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Don't compare your child to my dog, it's an insult to my dog.

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