Epic Beard Man
Bearded Philosopher
In undergrad, I remember taking a women's studies course and it was quite interesting and now that I'm mentioning it here I think I've brought it up before, but at any rate I believe it is a good course for anyone to take-depending on the professor. But let's be honest, in any discussion regarding women's rights especially on college campuses where you have premature liberal progressive young women just coming into their own, there exists the problem of fanaticism in telling the world you deserve equality. I find the central issue and difference between discussing racism and sexism and inequality is the fact that although inequality and injustice existed for women, women most notably white women, have historically benefited from racism and inequality experienced by people of color.
Now that thinkers and progressives have thus created the women's suffrage movement and fast forward it to today's women's rights movement we see the gradual change. But the problem I see as an egalitarian when we discuss the idea of equality is that radical feminists just like the radical white supremacists are more vocal than moderate feminists. You have the likes of Alt-right racist Richard Spencer and Chanty Binks who are loud, obnoxious, and paint this idea of this utopia in their minds. Their attractive to a cause because their voice draws attention both positive and negative. But the problem I see with these like-minded individuals is that when feminist try to create allies often times I see in literature alone there is a sense of guilt based on patriarchy but never a promotion of silence of the extremist language.
So all the while women like chanty Binx (or Binks) can be in the middle of a circle and tell men to "shut the **mod edit** up" and scream patriarchy, some men often times feel "guilted" into allying themselves with feminism because of the misappropriation of language for example:
"Do you believe in equality?"
Yes.
"Well you believe in feminism"
Okay.
"yes, you do!"
Yes, okay, but I also believe in the equality for everyone
"No, no. That is patriarchy there is no equality for everyone. Women have experienced injustice for so long and we're barely attaining some equal rights now!"
Okay but men have also experienced inequality in some areas
"No, no. That's patriarchy!"
This is how some of the dialogue usually goes, making the individual feel blame while they too mention some injustices they've experienced as men. I think the important thing any disenfranchised group who espouse equality must remember is in order to create alliances, those who you mean to target must also not be allocated and grouped as the same perpetrators of injustice. So although I may believe in some of the rhetoric of feminism I wouldn't call myself an ally to feminism. For one, feminism doesn't speak for me as a man and I really do not think feminism speaks for women of color. I think for the most part in the western world feminism speaks for disgruntled white women who have lived a conservative lifestyle in the west and are tired of living a subservient lifestyle. I don't believe in one finding themselves and then telling the world how you live is the way everyone should live. I mean everyone doesn't have to live the way you live. A hijab is not in many communities considered oppression. Some women do not want to work. Some women prefer to stay at home and be subservient to their husbands. I'm not advocating that these things are okay, but people must want change on their own. I just think considering all these wars the west has been in, are in no moral position to tell others where and how they live is wrong.
There are issues that women of color have faced for decades and feminist except some circles, were silent. I often think modern feminism moves goal posts a lot. Margaret Sanger as some feminists like to use in their literature in celebratory fashion was also the same individual who promoted the sterilization of the African-American community. The fact remains is I refuse to ally myself with a cause that continually moves goal posts and I think that is why a lot of men are put off by today's feminism. But I also think a lot of white men are put off with feminism because the model of feminism challenges their privilege and makes them aware of it so they're put off anyway. I mean, on one side you have people of color challenging the notion of white privilege and making the majority feel uncomfortable and then on top of that you have women making men aware of their gender privilege its a twofold front that a lot of men do not want to deal with.
I personally don't think feminists want to be egalitarians. I think they want to continue to differentiate their idea of equality and make that distinct from the idea of egalitarianism. I think there are some people that want subconsciously gender problems to exist because it will give their movement a voice. Egalitarianism drowns that out because YOUR problem is not the central point anymore.
Now that thinkers and progressives have thus created the women's suffrage movement and fast forward it to today's women's rights movement we see the gradual change. But the problem I see as an egalitarian when we discuss the idea of equality is that radical feminists just like the radical white supremacists are more vocal than moderate feminists. You have the likes of Alt-right racist Richard Spencer and Chanty Binks who are loud, obnoxious, and paint this idea of this utopia in their minds. Their attractive to a cause because their voice draws attention both positive and negative. But the problem I see with these like-minded individuals is that when feminist try to create allies often times I see in literature alone there is a sense of guilt based on patriarchy but never a promotion of silence of the extremist language.
So all the while women like chanty Binx (or Binks) can be in the middle of a circle and tell men to "shut the **mod edit** up" and scream patriarchy, some men often times feel "guilted" into allying themselves with feminism because of the misappropriation of language for example:
"Do you believe in equality?"
Yes.
"Well you believe in feminism"
Okay.
"yes, you do!"
Yes, okay, but I also believe in the equality for everyone
"No, no. That is patriarchy there is no equality for everyone. Women have experienced injustice for so long and we're barely attaining some equal rights now!"
Okay but men have also experienced inequality in some areas
"No, no. That's patriarchy!"
This is how some of the dialogue usually goes, making the individual feel blame while they too mention some injustices they've experienced as men. I think the important thing any disenfranchised group who espouse equality must remember is in order to create alliances, those who you mean to target must also not be allocated and grouped as the same perpetrators of injustice. So although I may believe in some of the rhetoric of feminism I wouldn't call myself an ally to feminism. For one, feminism doesn't speak for me as a man and I really do not think feminism speaks for women of color. I think for the most part in the western world feminism speaks for disgruntled white women who have lived a conservative lifestyle in the west and are tired of living a subservient lifestyle. I don't believe in one finding themselves and then telling the world how you live is the way everyone should live. I mean everyone doesn't have to live the way you live. A hijab is not in many communities considered oppression. Some women do not want to work. Some women prefer to stay at home and be subservient to their husbands. I'm not advocating that these things are okay, but people must want change on their own. I just think considering all these wars the west has been in, are in no moral position to tell others where and how they live is wrong.
There are issues that women of color have faced for decades and feminist except some circles, were silent. I often think modern feminism moves goal posts a lot. Margaret Sanger as some feminists like to use in their literature in celebratory fashion was also the same individual who promoted the sterilization of the African-American community. The fact remains is I refuse to ally myself with a cause that continually moves goal posts and I think that is why a lot of men are put off by today's feminism. But I also think a lot of white men are put off with feminism because the model of feminism challenges their privilege and makes them aware of it so they're put off anyway. I mean, on one side you have people of color challenging the notion of white privilege and making the majority feel uncomfortable and then on top of that you have women making men aware of their gender privilege its a twofold front that a lot of men do not want to deal with.
I personally don't think feminists want to be egalitarians. I think they want to continue to differentiate their idea of equality and make that distinct from the idea of egalitarianism. I think there are some people that want subconsciously gender problems to exist because it will give their movement a voice. Egalitarianism drowns that out because YOUR problem is not the central point anymore.
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