We have issues but we don't need rights.

[corone]

The recent crap from some of those I share a gender with has got me annoyed enough to waffle here about it. Hopefully I won't come off as a sexist twat, but apologies if I do. Actually, this isn't really about women and feminism anyway, its about what men are screwing up.

Edit: Realised I should have put in a

Comments

[lareinemisere]

I have, after many years, finally learned that you don't want my editor hat on when you ask what I think of stuff you've written. ;)

So, on this occasion, to this avowed feminist, you do not sound like a sexist twat. And I particularly liked the bit about over a hundred years in women's fight for equality. :)

[simonhornby]

I was going to write a response, but everything I started writing just said what you already said. Not sure how anything you said could be construed as sexist. Though you might have undermined your point about the culture of 'be a man' by claiming 'man points' for kicking in a door the other day!

I also liked the subtle bit of lareinemisere's comment where she says "on this occasion". Talk about damned by faint praise!

[lareinemisere]

Being a genuine ally is hard work, and people who have spent 100% of their life being male inevitably get it wrong sometimes when talking to/about women, and especially to those of us who a) identify as feminists and b) are as unusually focused on the precise meaning of words as am I. ;)

I'm not aware that @corone ever claimed to be immune to, or somehow outside of, 'be a man' culture. (If I catch him doing so, you can be sure I'll point it out to him!) He simply said it was harmful.

As for how anything here could be construed as sexist, some people consider it sexist and offensive to use terms for female genitalia to insult people. My own view on that point varies according to context. In this case, I think it's balanced by the use of the word 'dicks'...

[simonhornby]

I genuinely had to search for where he'd used a term for female genitalia, because twat has become so synonymous with being a simple insult that it took me a while to remember the original meaning. This English is a rum old language. Or I am getting old. Or both.

I keep starting to write something that veers way off topic because this all leads to interesting areas for discussion. I'll just repeat here part of what I said on Andy's facebook. Equality should mean everyone treated the same, and since white men are the most privileged (I know there are exceptions), we should work on getting everyone else to the same level before we even think about them.

[prunesquallormd]

I've mostly managed to avoid the ramblings of MRAs (I consider myself fairly lucky in that respect) though of course I'm aware of them. What I have seen of them I find rather baffling. We all have problems, but being oppressed or disadvantaged specifically for being male? I've yet to see that, and I've certainly never experienced it.
Your distinction between rights and privilege is well made. I suspect your average MRA would have trouble differentiating the two.