Why is it if you're male and say you are a feminist, you get strange looks?

[Taverner]

Not around here - of course. I kinda assume most of us either are feminists, or are trying to be...

[laconicsax]

1. Because anti-feminists have done a great job at portraying us as man-hating 'feminazis.'

[Taverner]

4. Yep.

Somehow viewing women as peers instead of subordinates means you are a FEMINAZI...

[laconicsax]

6. Because doing so is exactly like exerting totalitarian control and committing mass murder. n/t

[Luminous Animal]

2. Because most people do not understand what feminism is.

[Texasgal]

3. Thank you.

Absolute TRUTH. :clap:

[War Horse]

7. Yes. This.

[sarge43]

5. Well, at least you haven't been called insulting names ...yet. n/a

[mainer]

8. In my circle, you'd get a hug instead. n/t

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[laconicsax]

11. Why is that?

Feminism is the belief and subsequent movement that women are the equals of men and should be treated as such.

[Taverner]

15. Um, whaa?

"Masculanism" at least as defined by Robert Bly, is the male equivalent of feminism...

[Name removed]

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[seabeyond]

37. in many cases, equal pay for equal work

please site examples or link. not buying this one. but, i am open to facts.

i can easily say i am masculanist. i am absolutely an advocate for boys and men. i would think a HUGE part of your list that you would greatly be advocating for is the societal conditioning we demand men particpate in.

[redqueen]

44. I wish we saw more men speaking up

against the social conditioning.

Not that the financial issues aren't important, but those seem to be a priority while the conditioning is largely still actively encouraged.

[Name removed]

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[seabeyond]

51. is prostitution included in those facts? average age for a prostitute is 34.

what does work deaths have to do with equal pay? i asked for facts on your claim men are not getting equal pay. this has nothing to do with equal pay.

men who choose the jobs that are high risk get a greater pay than other, non risk jobs. men have the choice of taking these high risk jobs. women have been excluded from a lot of these jobs, which has to do with discriminatory practices from men.

you did not answer my question in the post you addressed. so i have to assume, it was BS. i change that comment when i get facts showing men are fiscally discriminated against. and i will stand with you.... brother

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

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[seabeyond]

53. still waiting on your claim of unequal pay for men. that simple. nt

[Name removed]

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[seabeyond]

61. likely due to higher college graduation rates.

all things not equal. first paragraph. likely due to higher college graduation rates. they have ore education, get more pay, and you are bitching. if a man had more pay than a woman and got a higher pay, you would not hear bitching. it is when ALL THINGS ARE equal and women make less that you hear people complaining.

[Name removed]

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[Scout]

71. why don't you start a thread about it???

it's an important issue ... deserves its own thread, rather than hijacking this one...

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

55. btw... my brother did underwater welding, oil rigs, and nuclear plants...

i, a woman, will be in the front lines working for safer work environments so there are less deaths. and compensation to the families of loss.

i really don't get your point on all this and the relevance to feminism vs(it seems from you) masculism.

[Name removed]

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[seabeyond]

60. how fucking condescending and post above. firstly YOU had in your post about unequal earnings

so that is what i addressed because i challenged that. nowhere was i challenging men having jobs that put their life at risk. because i did not challenge you on that, does not mean i would not be concerned about mens safety at work. and easily, i let you know i have always been for safety regulations to saves lives... of any gender.

so how arrogant to suggest otherwise, with me.

[Name removed]

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[seabeyond]

63. are you fucking serious? really? how about ALWAYS being a proponent for safe working environments

and an advocate for equal pay.

geeezus dude

YOU put in your post unequal pay. that is what i addressed.

now, are you going to address mens greatest restriction? the conditioning society places on me on what a man is?

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

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[seabeyond]

66. world starvation or mens death rate on jobs. which is your priority?

i see nowhere you addressed world hunger. why dont you care about all the starving people in this world?

[redqueen]

67. :)

:loveya:

I don't know why you bother, but good on you for trying!

[Name removed]

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[seabeyond]

73. wrong person. like my children saying who do you love more. i love you both with all my heart

but but but

no buts

i am not one that has ever had to have one above the other. not the way i work. i think we can hands down have a number of important issues we address and are concerned about. i do not have an heirarchy. so i cannot give you a better answer than i will ALWAYS support safe working environments.

[Name removed]

74. Deleted message

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[sarge43]

49. Women can be drafted.

Congress and the Supremes have said DOD doesn't have to, not that it can't.

1. The draft exists to fill combat MOS; women have been and still are restricted from those MOS.

2. Except for a very short period during WWII, there has always been more women volunteers than manning slots available, re combat restriction.

A couple of fun facts: In 1944 Congress came within an ace of drafting women into the Nurse Corps; men were banned from the NC until mid 50's. Until the late 70's only 2% of the active duty force could be women, re #2.

If you want to whine about the draft, get in the faces of the men who made it. I can assure you that until very recently the number of women who any say so in how the military functioned could be counted on one hand with two fingers down and I'm being generous.

[KamaAina]

58. What, pray tell, is a "masculinist"?

Is that the same as a male chauvinist?

[redqueen]

59. A person who shows up to attempt to derail any discussion of women's issues.

Kidding (mostly), sorry.

[Book Lover]

64. You got that right (nm)

[Scout]

70. +10,000 n/t

[RandomKoolzip]

10. Also, a lot of men are insincre and/or disingenuous when they say it.

One can talk the talk and call oneself a feminist, but unless you put feminist principles into action, and walk the walk, you're just a male.

HINT TO GUYS: Just calling yourself feminist doesn't mean shit and it won't get you laid. You actually have to change, monitor, and question your behavior and recognize your privilege if you declare yourself a male feminist. Acknowledging your status and fighting off centuries of conditioning takes time and effort, but it's worth it.

[seabeyond]

13. perceptive.... nt

[Taverner]

16. Yep. You are absolutely right.

Although the folks I am speaking about are usually conservative...it doesn't really matter in the end

If you don't walk the walk, you can't talk the talk

[redqueen]

25. "change, monitor, and question your behavior and recognize your privilege"

Spot on.

[Iggo]

43. Just a male.

Ouch.

:rofl:

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Are you announcing it out of the blue in the produce section at the supermarket, or what?

I'm wondering what the context is on these 'strange looks'.

[Odin2005]

19. Off topic, but the pic in your post creeps me out, LOL!

I have the same "lazy eye" problem as the guy in the pic. Now I'm worried that it creeps people out! :yoiks:

[FarCenter]

22. Marty Feldman monster sketch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPAVm8Gl6M

[Odin2005]

23. Thanks, LOL!

[Warren DeMontague]

28. Marty Feldman turned it into a career

he was great. Probably a bit before your time.. If you've never seen "Young Frankenstein", check it out- a classic.

[sofa king]

31. In the hands of Mel Brooks, he was comedy gold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_nkqY6rSk

[Odin2005]

75. Definitely before my time, LOL!

:hi:

[sarge43]

30. Feldman had Graves Disease

The "lazy eye" effect is one of its symptoms, caused by hyperthyroidism.

[MuseRider]

14. Funny, around where I live

you get that same look when you are a woman and say you are a feminist.

Very few really get what it is to be a feminist, they just think you are somehow bad and someone to avoid.

The backlash has been very effective.

[Taverner]

17. Yep. Susan Faludi was right.

[Odin2005]

18. Because ignorant people thinks "Feminist" = "Man-Hater"

[unkachuck]

20. my friends and neighbors....

....expect me to whip out my cock and prove that I'm a man whenever I say I'm a feminist....even when I say I'm not a feminist....I oblige, of course....

....people are fickle.

[Taverner]

21. Feminists have dicks! Feminists have dicks!

Proud to say that!

[slackmaster]

24. A photography professor said one of the funniest things I've ever heard to a male student...

...who claimed to be a feminist.

"You're just as sexist as the next guy, Chuck."

Everybody except Chuck laughed out loud.

[U4ikLefty]

29. Yeah, hilarious.

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

32. cool of a teacher to put the college student in his place, suggesting it is "boys just being boys"

and cannot be anything else. i dont know chuck and maybe he is sexist, i dont know. ad maybe he was a young man that was putting forth an effort to be more than that, and his teacher relegated him to... chuckle, all us men do it and if you say otherwise you are lying, to validate his own existence.

[Darth_Kitten]

33. Poor Chuck....if you are out there, ^5 for trying.

:evilgrin:

[chrisa]

46. And... That's the answer to this thread.

The idea of men being feminist is taboo, and they will be bullied for it - either told that they cannot be both a man and feminist, or that it is not masculine to be feminist.

Everybody except Chuck laughed out loud because they're ignorant, and they're just feeding the concept that men should never even entertain the idea of feminism. In conclusion, that joke is about as funny as a railroad spike to the face.

[slackmaster]

48. Actually, I disagree with your interpretation

I think the professor was correct.

Chuck was a poseur, trying to guild himself with a philosophy that pervaded the political undertones of every visual arts and liberal arts department in the university at the time (the year was 1978, the school was a University of California campus.)

I guess you had to be there to appreciate how right that professor was, and what a douche Chuck was.

[Skittles]

26. because they are not sure if you are gay or transgendered

yeah, that kind of ignorance

[JCMach1]

27. Not a claim you want to make to committed feminists...

However, in academia, if you are doing feminist work... simply don't call it that but present the results. I remember presenting to a Women's Studies Conference in CA during the 1990's and having my work received very well. They were actually really rough on some of the women participants.

[seabeyond]

34. you were bragging that your tween daughter watched "moulin rogue".

now, i dont know moulin rogue, but it is a show about men buying women, and women spreading legs on stage to entertain men. it is set in a whorehouse? again, i dont know the show, so i cant say a whole lot.

but i saying you are a feminist, yet thrilled your daughter watched a show where the females role is to be a whore, i gotta wonder.

and again, i am saying this only cause you bring up feminism on this thread and having just read that post yesterday.

is that being a feminist or conditioning our young girls their worth in society?

[Blue_Tires]

36. Want to REALLY get strange looks?

Say you support gay rights even though you're straight...I did that recently and a lot of less enlightened co-workers are still keeping me at arm's length...

[seabeyond]

38. i live in fundamental land and people have NO issue that i am a gay right advocate

they take it in par with all of who i am and not surprised at all.

no one can handle the word feminist. when i use it they think i am insulting myself or calling me names, lol

[Blue_Tires]

39. Where I live it's still not an issue men can talk about without their direct bible quotes

[seabeyond]

45. i certainly get that. and i have had any discussion on it. but i dont have people

raise their eyebrows or think i am insulting myself saying i am a gay advocate like i do when i say i am a feminist. people pretty well know before i even speak, that i am going to be standing up for gays as much as i would for blacks.

but, i certainly get the bible quotes, for sure.

[RobertDevereaux]

40. Because too many people think NOW...

. . . stands for National Organization of Women, instead of (accturately) National Organization for Women. I've been a proud feminist since I heard the term some thirty years ago.

[Iggo]

41. Because people are idiots.

Same as when they find out I'm a heterosexual who will physically fight them in the defense and furtherance of gay rights.

Gay Rights. Women's Rights. Minority Rights. They're all Civil Rights.

By the way, I actually love that look. Nothing warms my heart like the look of confusion on the face of a bigot.

[Codeine]

42. Because it almost always means you're trying too hard. nt

[seabeyond]

47. interesting.... nt

[leeroysphitz]

54. Some people never got out of the third grade. Emotionally speaking. n/t

[closeupready]

72. Because there is a streak of misogyny in our culture.

nt

[CreekDog]

76. What if you get strange looks because you look strange?

:shrug: