I find it utterly baffling that there are so many people in this world that cannot grasp the simple definition of "atheism"

The English Dictionary is very crystal clear on what the word means, to sum up "lack of faith in all deities", no more no less.  

Yet so many are convinced that atheism, has got to include being pro gay-rights, being a feminist, being pro-choice, rejecting all and every form of superstition, being a liberal, being a communist etc etc ... the list goes on and on

Some of these issues from what I gather are shared with a vast majority of atheists (bar communism), however this does not make them a requirement. They are personal, individual ideologies and points of view, which are separate to atheism. Not to mention that a lot of persons of faith do in fact support many of these issues of being liberal, pro gay rights, liberalism etc.  Those issues have nothing to do with faith or lack there of. 

Atheism literally is, exactly what the definition says it is.  Its only a description word explaining a person or group of people who don't believe in gods. I completely and entirely reject this mentality of new-atheism or atheism 2 or atheism plus or whatever you want to call it. It does not exist as far as I'm concerned. An atheist is an atheist, stop complicating the issue.