Q: But you shy away from the word "feminism"?This is totally nonsensical. It appears that Ms. Macpherson either doesn't understand the word "stereotypical" or doesn't understand the word "feminist," because it is not a "stereotypical perception" that a feminist advocates gender equality (i.e. "equal rights for men and women"); it's the very definition of feminism.
A: It's one of those coined phrases that has a lot of innuendo and not much meaning these days. There's a stereotypical perception that a feminist is somebody who believes in equal rights for men and women. Well, I believe men and women are different and they have different needs, therefore the concept of equal rights doesn't really sit with me in many ways.
And, no, as I've said before, equality is not predicated on absolute likeness, nor should it be. Because (cis*) women have a need for pap smears and (cis*) men prostate exams, or because our respective socializations tend to create some generalized differences (with or without help from nature), does not mean that we should not be afforded equal opportunities, access, pay, etc.
"Equal" doesn't mean "same." This is not a difficult concept.
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* I'm quite certain that cis bodies are the only bodies that are considered by people making the "equal" = "same" argument.
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