Usage of being in English

Someone has written

• I would like to be a human being rather than being a feminist.

Is it correct grammatically to use 'being' here after 'than'?

What is the grammar behind it?

Solution 1:

It is correct; the syntax suffices to the purpose of making out clearly what word is meant in each case. There is not a case of what is called "repetition", such use of several times the same word being in many context not advisable. There seems to be involved no real matter of style or taste in this present matter. Of course, it can be noticed that the same form appears twice in close proximity, but there is usually not much to make of such coincidences, the important matter being first to use the words that communicate the meaning and intent of the writer/speaker as precisely as possible.

• He has no will but will we hold a grudge against him because of that?

-Ing clauses are nominal clauses and "than" is a preposition, so the combination is proper because the complement of a preposition is often noun-like in nature.

(CoGEL 15.2) NOMINAL CLAUSES have functions that approximate to those of noun phrases: subject, object, complement, appositive, and prepositional complement.