Sep 18, 2026 · 23 min · 6 segments
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I'm sure given your audience that I won't be the only one to mention this connection, but the 4B movement shares a lot of ideological similarities with the political lesbianism and lesbian separatism movements in the 70s and 80s alongside second wave feminism.
Proponents argued for a total separation of women from patriarchal structures, society, and men, with many taking up lesbianism as a form of protest and total removal from men.
As will be unsurprising to those who know their feminist history, this movement is also foundational to a lot of ideas now associated with radfems and TERFs and was criticized at the time and currently for its bioessentialism that led later to the transphobia and attacks on trans women specifically that we see today.
Radfems and separatists at the time viewed men as the inherent source of patriarchy, thus necessitating a total removal of women from any association with men, especially heterosexuality, in order to achieve feminist goals.
Much like modern Radfems view maleness as inherently corrupting and patriarchal and biologically inherent.
I'm curious to see how this movement will shape in South Korea over time, especially to see if there's a counter wave of Korean-specific intersectional feminism.
Josh mentioned a few times that the movement did not have any specific political actions.
The U.S. version in the second wave was also more focused on community action and promotion of their separatist cause, rather than attempting to navigate a federal framework they largely despised and saw as unfixable.
I imagine there are similar feelings amongst the 4B leadership, though I don't know the movement as well.
Here's hoping for a world that treats all of our sisters, not just sisters, a little more kindly.
I am never going to claim to be a major expert in things that I don't know a lot about.
And specifically, second wave feminism of the 70s and 80s is one of those things that I know about in the context of reproductive health.
I'm sure given your audience that I won't be the only one to mention this connection, but the 4B movement shares a lot of ideological similarities with the political lesbianism and lesbian separatism movements in the 70s and 80s alongside second wave feminism.
Proponents argued for a total separation of women from patriarchal structures, society, and men, with many taking up lesbianism as a form of protest and total removal from men.
As will be unsurprising to those who know their feminist history, this movement is also foundational to a lot of ideas now associated with radfems and TERFs and was criticized at the time and currently for its bioessentialism that led later to the transphobia and attacks on trans women specifically that we see today.
Radfems and separatists at the time viewed men as the inherent source of patriarchy, thus necessitating a total removal of women from any association with men, especially heterosexuality, in order to achieve feminist goals.
Much like modern Radfems view maleness as inherently corrupting and patriarchal and biologically inherent.
I'm curious to see how this movement will shape in South Korea over time, especially to see if there's a counter wave of Korean-specific intersectional feminism.
Josh mentioned a few times that the movement did not have any specific political actions.
The U.S. version in the second wave was also more focused on community action and promotion of their separatist cause, rather than attempting to navigate a federal framework they largely despised and saw as unfixable.
I imagine there are similar feelings amongst the 4B leadership, though I don't know the movement as well.
Here's hoping for a world that treats all of our sisters, not just sisters, a little more kindly.
I am never going to claim to be a major expert in things that I don't know a lot about.
And specifically, second wave feminism of the 70s and 80s is one of those things that I know about in the context of reproductive health.
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