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Mar. 31st, 2008 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sessifetThis is part of what feminism means to me. Feel free to disagree. :)
Okay. Here we go (this time without the stabby implements).
I am a feminist. I was raised by two feminists (Yes, men can be feminists too, in my opinion). To me it means striving towards true equality between men and women.*
It means anyone earns according to their job, their qualifications and skills, not according to their gender. It means men share the traditional jobs like childrearing and housekeeping with women. It means that a woman, a girl can live her life without having to worry about being considered a sex-object. It means girls will be brought up knowing what they look like is not the thing that defines their life.
It means realising and accepting there are things women can be better at.
It also means women have to accept that men are under just as much pressure (if not more) to be masculine as we are to be feminine (thanks to housemate for pointing that one out :)). I can turn up at work without make-up and wearing trousers, but good luck finding a workplace liberal enough to allow men to wear make-up and a dress.**
It means realising and accepting there are things men can be better at.
Feminism is not about revenge. It is not about getting our own back. It does not mean women have a moral right to treat men the way women have been treated and perceived in the past (and in some ways are still treated and perceived today). We can't allow to let ourselves get complacent and think it's okay to do unto them, which means you don't get to take out your rage at the patriarchy on the man or men in your life (unless they give you a pretty damned good reason***).
I'm still somewhat hazy and confused on certain parts of my beliefs and convictions about feminism, equalism and batshit insanity, and I certainly don't think I've all the answers. I think my feelings about all this boils down to 'Please treat each other like human beings.'
* Leaving aside those differences caused by physical attributes.
** I hope I'll be forgiven for not including TG in my post. I don't feel I'm qualified to make statements about it further than my belief of 'You are what you are, regardless of what kind of body you were born with.'
*** 'He's a man and therefore privileged,' is not a good reason. Don't use it, because you're making yourself and the rest of us look stupid.
Okay. Here we go (this time without the stabby implements).
I am a feminist. I was raised by two feminists (Yes, men can be feminists too, in my opinion). To me it means striving towards true equality between men and women.*
It means anyone earns according to their job, their qualifications and skills, not according to their gender. It means men share the traditional jobs like childrearing and housekeeping with women. It means that a woman, a girl can live her life without having to worry about being considered a sex-object. It means girls will be brought up knowing what they look like is not the thing that defines their life.
It means realising and accepting there are things women can be better at.
It also means women have to accept that men are under just as much pressure (if not more) to be masculine as we are to be feminine (thanks to housemate for pointing that one out :)). I can turn up at work without make-up and wearing trousers, but good luck finding a workplace liberal enough to allow men to wear make-up and a dress.**
It means realising and accepting there are things men can be better at.
Feminism is not about revenge. It is not about getting our own back. It does not mean women have a moral right to treat men the way women have been treated and perceived in the past (and in some ways are still treated and perceived today). We can't allow to let ourselves get complacent and think it's okay to do unto them, which means you don't get to take out your rage at the patriarchy on the man or men in your life (unless they give you a pretty damned good reason***).
I'm still somewhat hazy and confused on certain parts of my beliefs and convictions about feminism, equalism and batshit insanity, and I certainly don't think I've all the answers. I think my feelings about all this boils down to 'Please treat each other like human beings.'
* Leaving aside those differences caused by physical attributes.
** I hope I'll be forgiven for not including TG in my post. I don't feel I'm qualified to make statements about it further than my belief of 'You are what you are, regardless of what kind of body you were born with.'
*** 'He's a man and therefore privileged,' is not a good reason. Don't use it, because you're making yourself and the rest of us look stupid.
