A man has two options in a relationship:
Either stand up and be the man she needs or sit down, so she can see the man
behind you.
-Unknown- (If anyone
knows who it was, let me know to give proper credit.)
Gentlemen, today I am speaking directly to you.
Usually I keep it rather generic and open to either gender of readership, even
if I speak about Gentlemanly issues. But today I want to direct myself
specifically to men. Because I want to talk to you on why you should neither
fear Feminism nor be shamed by the Feminist into becoming an ally.
This weekend, two Vids were going around the
internet. One was Emma Watson’s speech on Gender Equality for the UN’s HeForShe movement. The other was a PSA from It’s On
Us, organization focused on people understanding
how we are all responsible to stop sexual assault.
Unlike most write-ups you can stumble upon
online about feminism or about sexual assault, neither of these were about
shaming men on how women are treated. And this is important because in neither
issue women are exclusively the victims and in neither issue men are
exclusively the aggressors.
Gender inequality and it’s sutdle effects
affect both women and men. Yes, feminism started as a woman’s movement (hence
“Femin”ism) but in its current manifestation, it’s about Equality for BOTH
genders, in rights and opportunities. As a gentleman, this should make perfect
sense, as you understand the importance of offering respect to everyone, to
understand that nobody is above anyone else.
Feminism isn’t about putting men down, or
hating men or shaming them into submission. Feminism isn’t about women hating femininity
or men hating masculinity. Feminism isn’t about removing Genders but about
understanding how, even with our differences, we are equally capable and
deserve equal respect.
The problem is that you will find wave after
wave of men complaining how women use feminism to their convenience, as well as
wave after wave of extremist feminist women trying to shame men into
submission. And that’s where you treat the issue of feminism, just like you
treat every other moral and social issue; YOUR actions should be a reflection
of YOUR values.
You can’t condemn men based on the actions of
some men; neither can you condemn feminism based on the actions of some feminist
women. Both cases are a result of insecure people using an ethical issue in
unethical ways.
So what do you do? Read, educate yourself, be
critical of your beliefs. Understand that what you have been taught before
might be wrong. Understand that what you are told now might also be wrong. Create
your own opinion and avoid being a sheep. Do understand that everyone should be
treated equally without removing what makes them different.
Below you will find both Vids I mentioned
above. Please sign up with both organizations, as good causes need good men.
