A common reservation expressed about feminism is that ‘equality doesn’t mean sameness’ (that said, this phrase is also used to mean various other things, many of which I would agree with – I’m just focusing on a particular use of it). Equality per se, it is suggested, is an eminently reasonable goal, but sameness is, well, boring – and quite possibly impossible. That, it is suggested, is where radical feminism goes too far – not content with equality, it misguidedly seeks ’sameness’. And before you ask, no, I don’t have a specific example to point to, but I’ve heard it used like this often enough, so you’ll have to put up with a vague ungrounded stream of consciousness.
Now there are two main things to say: firstly, to query the truth of this claim, and then to suggest that it’s completely beside the point.
