EDIT: I want to add in a note here apologizing for the fact that my horrible grammar might make it a bit frustrating to read this... I'm really sorry about that. >.< And also for the length, although I have a lot more thoughts that I can't even begin to write out. AND I want to say that I don't intend for any hostility to come across, so please take that into account when hearing my words in your head. Thanks.
I originally had this bit at the end, but I decided to move it to the front in order to provide a little context upfront:And out of all the things that GFs in the States still don't have due to sexism, why the hell do CDers here always have to start moaning about the one thing that tips the balance the other way?
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Are you familiar with rape and domestic abuse? Death threats? Sexual and physical harassment? Torture and maiming? Daily objectification in too many ways to mention? And that's not including "accidental" deaths.
People need to wake up and realize that there are pros and cons for both men and women. There's so much complexity to the range of treatment and experience for both men and women that it couldn't possibly ever be outlined accurately here, or anywhere. By pointing out some cons for men I don't intend to belittle any of the cons for women in the slightest, only to get your attention on the fact that there ARE cons for men. It belittles EVERYONE in North America when the struggles that men face are ignored, because the only way we can ever hope to come to true equality is by taking issues for both sides of the coin seriously. Doesn't mean we can ever fix everything, but matriarchy isn't any more desirable than patriarchy. I guess it's important to note also that my contribution to this thread is solely within a North American context.
And now for the main bits:
Honestly Ze, since you've never lived as a man I think your eyes are closed to reality of male problems or unfair treatment. When you've suddenly had a woman walking in front of you whirl around and almost nail you in the face with her purse just because you were male and it was night, then you'll understand that the fact that you were only trying to get to a different side street doesn't matter, because you are stereotyped as a threat (daily no less). Can't say there's anything wrong with a woman defending herself when she feels it's necessary, but once you've learned to not walk near women at night (this can mean anywhere within her viewing range), to not pass too close to children, to not this and that then you'll have a little more perspective. Try watching as women make all kinds of derogatory remarks openly about men, about how your dick must be tiny because they consider your hands small, and then being chewed out if you are even taken blatantly out of context for being 'hateful' and all kinds of shit. Try being punched in the face by a woman and not being able to even hold your hands out in an effort to keep distance between you and her or else other people may step in to 'defend her'.
Women can be raped, and CAN also be rapists themselves. Men who are raped are almost 100% of the time not taken seriously if their rapist is a woman. Contrast that with the fact that a woman can ruin a man's life simply by claiming he raped her, regardless of whether he really did.
Men have almost no rights to their children compared to what women do. A man may be an excellent parent, and a woman might be an incredible poor one who cares very little about her child, but that woman will still likely get full custody as long as she can present herself well in a courtroom. Women can take children away from men simply to spite them.
Both men and women can abuse their partners. It's more common that men are physically violent, but the fact that women are more often emotionally abusive can put their victims at a distinct disadvantage. Emotional abuse leaves no visible marks, and leaves men who are already considered to be unabusable with little proof to give if they wish to seek help.
As for the workplace, I have yet to work in an environment that wasn't dominated by women. My mother works in upper management, and has for as long as I can remember had more female than male coworkers, no matter where she works. Upper management is in many places still a bit of an 'old boy's club', but that doesn't change the fact that at most job levels women are far less likely to be fired during downsizing than men are.
Women aren't the only targets of violence from men. While women are more likely to be sexually assaulted, men are more likely to be the targets of random assault and mugging. Women may assault men also, an example being when a man headed to a fast food restaurant sustained irreperable damage to his genitals when he was assaulted by a woman he did not know, likely because she was angry with another man and generalized (as is also done daily) that all men are cheaters, or violent, or whatever and validated her violence towards him. Neither women nor men are safe from BAD PEOPLE.
That's just a small bit of discussion of SOME problems that men face. Both women and men have more variety of difficulties in life than we could talk about here. Understanding the vast range of problems, the consequences of them, and especially the way that these problems can create or increase the occurrence of other problems can take a lifetime of study to have any remotely accurate understanding of... but I believe that BECAUSE of that, rather than despite it, we all need to be conscious of the problems of others, and we should NEVER belittle the problems of an individual or group of people based on the problems of another.
I'm not insulted by the original post in the slightest. The danger and humiliation that men face for simply trying to wear a piece of cloth shaped in a certain way IS a serious problem, regardless of whether women have a similar problem or not, and regardless of what positive things are in a man's life. Gay men, male CDers, and transsexual women have all made efforts to improve the treatment of male-perceived individuals who have feminine personality traits, activities, or taste in clothing. Many have DIED for those efforts. Would you go back in time and tell a specific woman or group of women who were afraid to help stand up and gain the right to vote or wear masculine clothing, that no woman had any right to complain because they hadn't all gone out and earned it yet?blanket statements such as the original are insulting to both GFs and FtMs
Originally Posted by brylram
and if they try and get violent, tell them their being racist LOL. 
Jamie
