Tears of Anger
Today a link rippled through my Facebook stream (interestingly not with same intensity through my twitter stream until now). Not always linking to the same article or video, but all about Emma Watson.
I listend up since I saw her several times addressing feminist and gender topics loudly. And as my boys grew up with her on the flat screen, it feels like she is family in a way. I watched the video of her speech at the UN “HeForShe” thing this weekend.
Tears of Emotion and Hope
I couldn’t hide my emotion. I was really touched by this speech, especially as a male feminist.
What was indeed mind blowing is her simple emotional but at the same time sharp intellectual adress. And that she, against all these weird female antifeminist words over the last half decade or so, stands up and says that she at one point decided to become a feminist.
I myself was raised in a feminist enviroment. Back in the 80s in the leftwing lutheran community in northern Europe it was easy to be a male feminist. And still it’s interesting and great to see that especially inside the lutheran churches over here non-sexist and gender-aware ways of speaking and writing are common sense.
It’s at least for me as a man and a father of both sons and a daughter there is no real option of not being a feminist. I fully support Mrs Watson that men have to change and be a big part in changing the world.
Tears of Anger
And then I read some pieces that did derailing on the speech and topic. Most of them in the sense of Mrs Watson rethinking feminism and saying feminists should stop shaming men in the process.
That really made me angry. Because it’s just not true. This is definitly not what Mrs Watson said. In contrary she was calling for men to take their side and to work as feminists for a better, equal world that might even save their own life. As it’s for me as a father of three boys— that I try to be part of their feminist education is not only because I think it’s fair. It’s also because I’m convinced it will be for their own good as well.
No, Mrs Watson does not include men in her agenda to be soft and understanding. She is clear and strong about the radical change that is needed. And that is especially needed from men. What she does (and what I admire) is to invite those men that see the need as well to be part of the movement. Masculinists still need to be shamed. Of course. Because they are simply idiots.
Watch her speech again. Listen carefully. And think. This will change your approach to feminism. And leave you even more radical. It did so with me.
