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Up until a few years ago, I would proudly describe myself as “no feminist”. This is because I, like so many, had bought into the myth that feminism was unnecessary and ultimately anti-men.
It was only after a (male) feminist friend of mine pointed out the dictionary meaning of the word and the fact that it does not allow for any inequality, whether suffered by women or men, that I began to look at feminism in a different light.
For this reason, I have no time for misandry disguised as feminism. I have no time for people who deny the fact that misandry exists. Of course it exists. Men aren’t magically protected by the unjust hatred that human beings manage to cultivate for every other group in the world.
I have no time for men or women who deny the fact that men do suffer more than women when it comes to certain issues.
I also have no time for the misogyny currently disguised as the Men’s Rights Movement. The MRM is well known to any feminist. It’s hard to miss them when their members are known to claim feminism is the root of all evil, actively promote domestic violence against women, and organize fat shaming weeks. Men’s Rights Activists have a tendency to be angry, homophobic, misogynistic men who genuinely believe they’re victims of a matriarchy.
At the same time, As R. Todd Kelly observes, they have some genuine concerns. Male rape and domestic abuse victims don’t only rarely see justice, they’re often dismissed, ignored or even mocked. Male rape victims are even often encouraged to believe their rape was a compliment to their own sexiness and “game”.
The problem with the MRM dealing with these issues is a lot of them are part of the problem. Sites like Return of Kings that promote the concept of the “alpha male” are not spreading a perception that helps a man who has been a victim of abuse. They believe in what they call ‘real men’, and those who are dismissive about male domestic abuse tend to feel a ‘real man’ wouldn’t let something as ‘weak’ as a woman hurt him.
Even those Men’s Rights Activists who are genuinely concerned with the well being of men more than the demonization of women are too often tainted by the rest of MRM policies and doctrine.
Yet to dismiss these genuine concerns just because some of the people championing them are a bane to all of society would be irresponsible and unhelpful. This is why I feel the Men’s Lib is important. The Men’s Lib tends to tackle these issues while at the same time manages to do so without demonizing all women or promoting outdated and tired concepts of what makes a ‘real’ man. They work alongside feminism rather than against it.
There is an unhealthy mindset that believes women who are concerned with women’s issues must be actively against men, and vice versa.
I think we need to stop this. Misandrists and misogynists may get on like a house on fire (have you ever seen a burning house?) but the rest of us should be able to care about inequality issues without falling into the trap of only caring about those issues our own gender faces.
The battle of the sexes is one of the stupidest wars history has known. It’s time for a cease-fire.
For more posts from Laura her blog.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook
It was only after a (male) feminist friend of mine pointed out the dictionary meaning of the word and the fact that it does not allow for any inequality, whether suffered by women or men, that I began to look at feminism in a different light.
For this reason, I have no time for misandry disguised as feminism. I have no time for people who deny the fact that misandry exists. Of course it exists. Men aren’t magically protected by the unjust hatred that human beings manage to cultivate for every other group in the world.
I have no time for men or women who deny the fact that men do suffer more than women when it comes to certain issues.
I also have no time for the misogyny currently disguised as the Men’s Rights Movement. The MRM is well known to any feminist. It’s hard to miss them when their members are known to claim feminism is the root of all evil, actively promote domestic violence against women, and organize fat shaming weeks. Men’s Rights Activists have a tendency to be angry, homophobic, misogynistic men who genuinely believe they’re victims of a matriarchy.
At the same time, As R. Todd Kelly observes, they have some genuine concerns. Male rape and domestic abuse victims don’t only rarely see justice, they’re often dismissed, ignored or even mocked. Male rape victims are even often encouraged to believe their rape was a compliment to their own sexiness and “game”.
The problem with the MRM dealing with these issues is a lot of them are part of the problem. Sites like Return of Kings that promote the concept of the “alpha male” are not spreading a perception that helps a man who has been a victim of abuse. They believe in what they call ‘real men’, and those who are dismissive about male domestic abuse tend to feel a ‘real man’ wouldn’t let something as ‘weak’ as a woman hurt him.
Even those Men’s Rights Activists who are genuinely concerned with the well being of men more than the demonization of women are too often tainted by the rest of MRM policies and doctrine.
Yet to dismiss these genuine concerns just because some of the people championing them are a bane to all of society would be irresponsible and unhelpful. This is why I feel the Men’s Lib is important. The Men’s Lib tends to tackle these issues while at the same time manages to do so without demonizing all women or promoting outdated and tired concepts of what makes a ‘real’ man. They work alongside feminism rather than against it.
There is an unhealthy mindset that believes women who are concerned with women’s issues must be actively against men, and vice versa.
I think we need to stop this. Misandrists and misogynists may get on like a house on fire (have you ever seen a burning house?) but the rest of us should be able to care about inequality issues without falling into the trap of only caring about those issues our own gender faces.
The battle of the sexes is one of the stupidest wars history has known. It’s time for a cease-fire.
For more posts from Laura her blog.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook
