A Seventyish Woman Wants to Stand Beside Men in the Fight for Equal Rights
Men intrigue me and often touch my heart
I am a seventyish woman, and I like men. Let me say that at the outset. I find men curious, interesting, baffling, weird in different ways than I am weird. They have strange priorities and sensitivities. They are sometimes cocky, often strong and brave. They intrigue me and often touch my heart.
I have wanted to write this story in defense of the men I have known and loved, as their tiniest actions have come under increasing scrutiny recently–a sometimes gentle, sometimes cruel, male-bashing that seems to go along with the movements for gender equality and racial equality. The white male, in particular, is getting walloped these days. Yet, as a seventyish woman, I have known and been involved with many exemplary men who do not fit the negative stereotypes at all.
Two examples
My husband is a seventyish man. He has some typically 20th-century male attributes like hating to do dishes, vacuuming around the center of the room, not talking about his feelings, acting like a tough guy at times and caring inordinately about sex. However, I have known this man since he was 13 years old, saw him through all his various incarnations as a high school jock, college kid, motorcycle…
