Friday, July 25, 2008

Male Bashing

I try to keep my politics to myself when out in public or online. This is my blog and I’m going to vent as I’m saddened and angered by many attitudes I’ve seen expressed about men recently.
I admit to not actually thinking much about my politics until recently. Sitting around with my friends and bashing the currently ‘safe’ to bash group was a common activity. I really didn’t think about what I was saying. I was bashing a group of people and easily forgot that groups are made up of individuals. These individuals are people, just like me and my friends.
The group I currently see bashed is men. Approximately half of the population is male. This is a group that you don’t choose to join. Amazingly, most people know at least one male personally. It’s not as if the majority of the population has never had an opportunity to know a member of this group as an individual.
People speak about men in the same ways they talk about convicted murders or children. What’s more, if people spoke about women, gays/lesbians, or almost any other group in the same ways that people speak about men there would be some sort of outcry.
I’ve seen this behavior from straight people, queers, men, women, young, old, people who have males in their lives they love and respect, and those who have had negative personal experiences with males.
Beyond general negative comments about men I’ve seen negativity about specific men.
SO bashing is common when people get together. Yes, sometimes it’s about things SOs have done or said recently. I do see the value of venting.
However, I see a real difference between venting about behaviors and casually threatening violence against someone you supposedly love. I doubt that most people would excuse men talking about killing their wives.
Why are men held to a different standard than women? I honestly don’t understand. I feel stupid and naive for ever calling myself a feminist. Why did I ever believe that it was about equal rights? In fact, often I’m ashamed to be female.
People deserve a baseline level of respect. Especially from their Significant Others.
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