Why is it that all the current New Zealand Christian Right leaders are male? Whatever happened to the fundamentalist fembot?* Back in the seventies, there was a bevy of incensed elderly religious women who didn't like this new fangled feminism, like Patricia Bartlett, Connie Purdue, Marilyn Pryor ad nauseum. They even formed their own national antifeminist group, Women for Life, until they found out that there were just as many male members, so transitioned to the Family Education Network. Happily, mortality, morbidity and migration all took their toll, and most of the above are now deceased. Think about it. Brian Tamaki, Gordon Copeland (United Future), David Lane (SPCS), Bob McCoskrie (Family First), Ken Orr (Right to Life New Zealand) and Paul Henderson (Maxim Institute) all have what in common? Testosterone poisoning, to use a delightful term framed by radical feminists. There are some Christian Right women - Voice for Life's Annetta Moran and Maxim Institute staffers Amanda McGrail and Nikki Taylor- but they're few and far between. To put it bluntly, antifeminism suffered because it offered shrill religious platitudes and ad hoc 'solutions' instead of co-ordinated law reform and social services, which are the legacy of the wave of feminism that began in the late sixties. Muriel Newman is despised by other women because of her hardline anti-welfare stance and repeated pandering to the male backlash lobby over custody issues and child support. Which raises an interesting question. If female voters indeed do vote on the basis of their responsibilities and on the basis of consequences of specific policies, then we may have a potential gender gap in the making when it comes to adoption reform, particularly if articulated in terms of lesbian parents and their family responsibilities, and the impact of discriminatory legislation. Who knows? Their boys club mentality may be about to backfire badly on them. * Note: Fembot is a term used to describe Christian Right antifeminist women, coined by veteran lesbian feminist philosopher Mary Daly. Why is it that all the current New Zealand Christian Right leaders are male? Whatever happened to the fundamentalist fembot?* Back in the seventies, there was a bevy of incensed elderly religious women who didn't like this new fangled feminism, like Patricia Bartlett, Connie Purdue, Marilyn Pryor ad nauseum. They even formed their own national antifeminist group, Women for Life, until they found out that there were just as many male members, so transitioned to the Family Education Network. Happily, mortality, morbidity and migration all took their toll, and most of the above are now deceased. Think about it. Brian Tamaki, Gordon Copeland (United Future), David Lane (SPCS), Bob McCoskrie (Family First), Ken Orr (Right to Life New Zealand) and Paul Henderson (Maxim Institute) all have what in common? Testosterone poisoning, to use a delightful term framed by radical feminists. There are some Christian Right women - Voice for Life's Annetta Moran and Maxim Institute staffers Amanda McGrail and Nikki Taylor- but they're few and far between. To put it bluntly, antifeminism suffered because it offered shrill religious platitudes and ad hoc 'solutions' instead of co-ordinated law reform and social services, which are the legacy of the wave of feminism that began in the late sixties. Muriel Newman is despised by other women because of her hardline anti-welfare stance and repeated pandering to the male backlash lobby over custody issues and child support. Which raises an interesting question. If female voters indeed do vote on the basis of their responsibilities and on the basis of consequences of specific policies, then we may have a potential gender gap in the making when it comes to adoption reform, particularly if articulated in terms of lesbian parents and their family responsibilities, and the impact of discriminatory legislation. Who knows? Their boys club mentality may be about to backfire badly on them. * Note: Fembot is a term used to describe Christian Right antifeminist women, coined by veteran lesbian feminist philosopher Mary Daly. Craig Young - 26th January 2007