Why Feminists Aren’t Focused On Men’s Problems
Should you expect the Teamsters to hone in on the issues of the Screen Actor’s Guild?
This was excerpted from a discussion I had with yet another man who was sure that it is feminism and not patriarchy that is the source of all of his troubles. He scoffed at the idea that 1 in 5 women had experienced sexual assault and defended things like groping as inevitable because according to him, men are designed to be sexual aggressors. Like so many guys I’ve heard from, he railed against feminism for ostensibly caring about equality but not focusing on the issues that disproportionately affect men.
I don’t particularly consider myself a feminist because I am not a part of a movement of any kind, although I do care about equality and creating a better society for everyone. From a sociological and political standpoint, I understand what feminism is trying to achieve. Here’s what I said to him:
You just clapped for my piece that said it’s not an either/or proposition. Lots of people (most people) have pain. Why do you need to denigrate female experience with sexual assault and rape, which is pervasive? 1 in 5 is probably low. I’ve never, ever met a woman of any age or demographic that hasn’t had some experience with this. That doesn’t mean that homelessness or any…
