Why "feminism" makes me uneasy

I know it's unpopular to find feminism a bit weird, but I can't help it.

Feminism fights gender inequality on the basis of gender. To me this seems as counterproductive as gender-based discrimination. Saying women deserve equality because they're women is logically akin to saying men deserve something because they're men. It keeps questions of human rights shackled to gender, rather than setting them apart.

On this basis, feminism isn't about equal opportunity or gender equality; it's about women's advancement because they're women.

Perhaps I just don't get it. Here, in my defence, are three current examples of "support" for and "supporters" of "gender equality" that make me uneasy.

1. Greer makes public comment on PM's suits

Why Germaine Greer, feminism's (shall we say?) pin-up girl, would engage in a discussion of our female Prime Minister's suits and how big her arse is, is utterly beyond me.  Isn't she keen to avoid gender stereotypes?

Okay, maybe she loves the celebritisation of politics as much as everyone else seems to, but as an employee removed from the head office of a large organisation because I declined to wear sheer stockings, I submit that what's important in the workplace is work performance. I'd have thought Greer would agree, and engage in discourse accordingly. I'd also have hoped she'd have more interesting things to say.

2. Obama says women get more done

Oh, Obama. Perhaps Congress would get more done if there were more women in Congress, but surely that would depend on the individual women themselves, not simply arise as a happy benefit of their genders? As is the case with men, I believe.

3. The Age reveals that sex sells, and uses the fact to sell advertising

Okay, this may just be gratuitous snarking. A revelation from today's Age: sex sells. In fact, the piece focuses on the sexualisation of children—apparently female children, if this image is anything to go by.

"What's the big deal, sister?" you're thinking. "The sexualisation of tiny tots is totes wrong!" Sure. But here's the context for that story, in the carousel on The Age homepage:

Female children are sexualised by the media because women are sexualised by the media. Media like The Age. Will you take some hypocrisy with your morning news?

Campaigning for equality on the basis of gender reduces questions of capability to exactly that: gender. Surely that's something true advocates of equal opportunity want to avoid.