Sunday 21 September 2014

Why feminism is good for men

Yesterday, he got the breakfast.
A typical dismissal of feminists and feminism, by people who don’t understand, is ‘man-haters’.

This is ridiculous. It assumes that just because you champion one group of people, you want their opposite to be persecuted.

If you champion gay rights, does that mean you hate heterosexuals? If you oppose discrimination against black people and ethnic minorities, does that mean you dislike people with white skin?

Just because we believe that women should have equality, doesn’t mean we want men to be discriminated against. We want to be equal, not dominant.

It’s about turning a man’s world into everyone’s world, which sounds cheesy, but that's what equality is.

Men: we don't hate you. We just want the world to accept we're as good as you.

Man-hating

Maybe some women do hate men. Personally, I have my moments. But this is nothing to do with feminism and everything to do with personal experience and prejudice. Some of them aren't helping their cause, by behaving very badly.

Dismissing feminists as man-haters is not only simplistic – it’s just plain wrong. In the same way that suggesting that all ardent feminists are lesbians. It’s just not true.

Good for men

Feminism calls for a world which is not dominated by pre-ordained gender roles.

In a truly equal world neither men nor women would feel pressure to live up to the stereotypes of their sex.

Men are expected to be macho – physically and mentally strong, with a defined set of practical skills and a natural inclination towards scientific disciplines. Women are seen as delicate, nurturing and artsy.

In a truly post-feminist world, we and would no longer feel inadequate because we’re no good at make-up and don’t wear high-heels.

There would be a lot less pressure on boys and girls to conform to gender expectations. We could all just be. Wouldn't that be nice?

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