I've always been liberated and never felt discriminated against because I am a woman. I've been paid the same as men in jobs I've held..sometimes more. Basically, I am not a "joiner"..I do believe there is strength in numbers, but I believe more in the individual's responsibility to make his/her own way in life and not depend upon others..nor make excuses for his/her situation in life.

The same direction as always- equality. If you want to know specific issues: http://www.now.org/

Call me what you will, I think that feminism in this day and age is unnecessary, and only serves to alienate those who don't agree with it. It has become far too extreme. I, being a young, white, male, don't have any problems with women making more money than me, being higher up in employment than me, or whatever. I think that as the current generation gets older, it will no longer be an issue.

People who study the history of feminism say that there have been three waves and that we are currently in the third wave of feminism. The first wave of feminism started when women demanded their right to vote. These women struggled to be seen as equally capable of making responsible, informed decisions as men. The second wave of feminists came after the suffragettes. After Americans started to believe that women were not less intelligent than men and equally capable of doing work, women started to challenge the assumption that their only role could be motherhood and wifehood. They started to demand entrance into universities and demand equal pay. (Women, on average, are still paid less than men, on average, today). Another feature of the second wave was to celebrate womanhood and sisterhood and to use the stereotypes of women to the advantage of women. For example, a second-wave feminist might say that all women are more in touch with their emotions than men, therefor they are better suited for than men for care-taking positions such as pediatricians. The third wave of feminism started around the 70s or 80s. Third wave feminists criticized second wave feminists for being a white woman only movement. While white women all over the united states were gaining more power and higher pay, women of other races were invisible to the movement. (When you hear the word "feminist" today, most people think of a white woman). Third wave feminism, as a rule, takes a number of social indicators into consideration. It acknowledges that a person, depending on their certain position in soceity, could possibly occupy the role of both oppressor and oppressed. (For example a white woman has white privelege, but not gender privelege, or a black gay man has gender privelege, but not race or sexuality privelege). Third wave feminism's mission is to reject oppression of all forms and third wave feminists popularly believe that anyone can be a feminist, as long as they oppose oppression and agree that all members of our society should have equal rights. Many men will even identify as third wave feminists. In terms of the direction feminism is taking, I think there is already a fourth wave of feminism emerging and I think the fourth wave will be a more globalized movement, one which tries to take into consideration experiences of men and women all over the world. (Although there have been many various forms of feminist and women's rights movements all over the world, we mostly just hear about America's movement when we are in America).

Misandry. There have been equal rights for years.