I've had a lot of people who've never asked me anything about my views on gender complain about my views on gender.
Let's clear this up, shall we?
SInce I was about 11, I've been conscious of hating what the gender system does to men. I can't imagine how brutal it must be to be told that you're not allowed to hurt, to break, to cry. The way I saw guys treat each other growing up - the violence of it made me sick to my stomach. And how horrible that adults just stood by, refusing to call it what it was. I feel bad for the boys who were at the top of that "tough-guy" food chain too - what crazy pain and fear drives you to treat other people like that? Men are taught not to recognize when they are being abused, not to ask for help, and to disconnect their gut from their hearts and minds. It's sick and wrong, if you ask me.
In general, men have it easier than women - every kind of test, even old ones that expected women to have it easy at home with the kids, has demonstrated the truth of that fact. Men do less work, in general, than women. Men make a more comfortable living with less effort than women. But a nicer cage is still a cage. And there are other, very important aspects of life that men are "not allowed'.
I don't believe I am living in a world where men want to keep women down. It's a male-centered world, but it's still centered on some false idea of a male. It's still not focused, on, say, the problems the men in my life really care about. It's still not a world where the men I know find an easy path to happiness and satisfaction.
I am a feminist, in that I believe that women should have the same rights as men, but the most important part of that belief, for me, is that all of us should enjoy a broad spectrum of rights. No one should have to go through anything just because of their gender. Wrong is wrong, no matter how many more cents on the dollar you may make than me.
Let's clear this up, shall we?
SInce I was about 11, I've been conscious of hating what the gender system does to men. I can't imagine how brutal it must be to be told that you're not allowed to hurt, to break, to cry. The way I saw guys treat each other growing up - the violence of it made me sick to my stomach. And how horrible that adults just stood by, refusing to call it what it was. I feel bad for the boys who were at the top of that "tough-guy" food chain too - what crazy pain and fear drives you to treat other people like that? Men are taught not to recognize when they are being abused, not to ask for help, and to disconnect their gut from their hearts and minds. It's sick and wrong, if you ask me.
In general, men have it easier than women - every kind of test, even old ones that expected women to have it easy at home with the kids, has demonstrated the truth of that fact. Men do less work, in general, than women. Men make a more comfortable living with less effort than women. But a nicer cage is still a cage. And there are other, very important aspects of life that men are "not allowed'.
I don't believe I am living in a world where men want to keep women down. It's a male-centered world, but it's still centered on some false idea of a male. It's still not focused, on, say, the problems the men in my life really care about. It's still not a world where the men I know find an easy path to happiness and satisfaction.
I am a feminist, in that I believe that women should have the same rights as men, but the most important part of that belief, for me, is that all of us should enjoy a broad spectrum of rights. No one should have to go through anything just because of their gender. Wrong is wrong, no matter how many more cents on the dollar you may make than me.
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And by tree, I mean phallus symbol.
[Edited on May 19, 2006 11:47AM]