What is gender and why does it matter? I need people to think about this and respond. I need good conversations around this.
Something that has fascinated me for some time: Men’s rights activists: An introduction — The Good Men Project Magazine.
These men feel victimized, they feel exploited, they feel ignored, they feel impotent. And those feelings are powerful. I don’t think these boys and men who turn to the men’s rights movement are lying about their pain.
This is one reason I try to never lose sight of empathy and finding the humanity in others, even bigoted chauvinistic men who claim they are the victims. I think this article does a great job of breaking it down.
This next article looks at what Men’s Right’s Issues actually are, which includes chivalry, portrayal in the media (which, while true is laughable when thinking of how other persons are portrayed comparatively, but comparisons won’t progress anyone.. it’s not the oppression Olympics) to wanting DV services. Honestly I have a lot of issues with this list, while understanding where it’s coming from. For example, #2 is feminism. #1 is “father’s rights”… if you have no knowledge around fathers rights groups, and hear off hand one day that they want more support for fathers you think “hey that sounds great! we need more dedicated fathers!” However, if you have more intimate knowledge of (many of) these groups you will come to realize they are batterers using the system to further their power ad control issues. So to me, this article is good to read, but not to take to heart.
this quote sums up how i feel about reproductive justice quite well: “Without the ability to control when or if she has a child, a woman can’t really control anything about her life.” Denise Rornesburg
not *directly* linked to gender is what’s going on with Bradley manning: “The lesson is clear, and soldiers take note: You’re better off committing a war crime than exposing one” If you’re on the level you can figure out how gender is related to this, and war, in general.
here’s an article on what’s going on with women in egypt from Al Jazeera
Feministe’s “women’s day” post , and as usual everything at feministing is awesome.
Matthew Reeves
January 2, 2012
I’m sorry you say “This is one reason I try to never lose sight of empathy and finding the humanity in others” then go on to say in the same sentence “even bigoted chauvinistic men who claim they are the victims”.
And you don’t see your hypocrasy here? You just labelled thousands if not millions of men, who identify with MRM as bigoted and chauvinistic?
I identify with MRM yet I why does that mean I am bigoted? Why shouldn’t everyone be treated by the system equally? There are no men only quotas, or rulings saying all DV is commited by women, or woman only draft. If there was I would be fighting against that as well and to be honest the feminist movement is a lot better organised so I could probably get more done!
I think women and men are different, but they should both have the same freedoms and rights under law. This is not how things stand at the moment. I think there is a lot of bitterness in the MRM because of articles like this one where you out of hand dismiss concerns, or actively work against the MRM. Shouldn’t the feminists and mras just get together and work things out, listen to each other, without you dismissing each other’s opinions? Who is being an oppressive bigot now?
Jamie.Marie
January 11, 2012
i agree with what you’ve said. i was being lazy with my words. however, i didn’t say all men who ascribe to the mens rights movement were chauvenistic or bigoted. I understand it’s a sensitive issue, and my apologies.
I also was not dismissing concerns of men. In the circles i travel i am the one who usually speaks in defense of men, as we are all products of the system and are all oppressed under patriarchy. I will, however, to work against those organizations which seek to undo progress for survivors or women at large, as many do.
I would be very interested in joining forces.