Please can I just say that...

After some serious long time lurking I made my first FWR earlier. So far so good!!! What made me post finally actually was the thread about non feminists I thought I finally should declare my feminist view point and not be scared that I wouldn't be allowed in the group (big scaredey cat!!)

tentatively dips toe into water

I found both threads really interesting and thought that on the whole both 'sides' kept it within the parameters of sensible discussion - by and large, anyway, particularly on the second thread which gave some of the FWR poster's perspective.

I came to bertrand's thread as I don't identify as a feminist. I'm not saying that I now do, however it has made me think about feminism and particularly my reasons for dismissing it.

On the subject of the OP, I also wanted to say thank you. It's this board that explained to me that SAHMdom and feminism were not mutually exclusive and thus a new feminist was born.

AT, I think it was just that the OP wanted to know the reasons why some women don't identify with feminism

And I wanted to explore some of those reasons. But hey ho.

And it wasn't a comment about women not be-able to do heavy lifting jobs, the person you were addressing was working in an environment were strength was a must, and she coped very well, and she said she was probably stronger then the average man. but her husband was stronger then her, and that men in an environment that needs this work doing would in general be stronger.

No - I was responding to someone who said that there are things that men can do and women can't. I asked what they were as the only thing I can think of is penis related and explained that I was a manual worker for many years and it is not that women can't do those things, if they chose to do so. I was then asked not to respond in future by the OP.

What yops said above - as a man, I think this is a great place to learn about things that I wouldn't otherwise have thought about for a second. it can be intimidating but that's only because the standard of debate is, by and large, very high.

I'm taking my leave of this place as a poster as I've taken a view that it isn't in principle, cool for me to be posting here (the Buffy thread feeds into this a little - i certainly don't want to be seen as part of a problem) but in signing off I just wanted to say thanks to all the posters who have (sort of) tolerated my interjections

alter
And it wasn't a comment about women not be-able to do heavy lifting jobs, the person you were addressing was working in an environment were strength was a must, and she coped very well, and she said she was probably stronger then the average man. but her husband was stronger then her, and that men in an environment that needs this work doing would in general be stronger.

You took it, as if she was saying women can't /won't work there, and all men were stronger then women.

Oh. Haven't seen that.

I have heard someone refusing to employ a woman to do a job because there was heavy lifting to be done. This is despite the fact that this woman lifts heavy things all the time, and she was dismissed out of hand just because she is a woman. Makes me angry.

Er no it was a thread for women to explain what they found so off-putting about the term "feminist" when they might even be generally in agreement with the concept of equality and non-discrimination.

I was told yesterday not to tell people that things like heavy manual work can be done by women, because it might upset the non-feminists. Because the thread was supposed to be a safe place for non feminists to chat about non feminism presumably.

Plenty of women (and men) tell me I can't do what I do the way I do it. But no one has told me not to tell anyone I can do what I do the way I do it. IYKWIM. I'm intrigued about the cat who must not be named.

I'm intrigued Alternative as to what can and can't be done but also can't be talked about.

It sounds like a cross between Schrödinger's cat and Lord Voldamort.

... Or the cat that must not be named

I do love an exchange on here, esp when women tell me that I am unable to do the things that I have done for the last 30 because I am a woman. And then when other women tell me not to tell other women that it can be done.

I'll seek it out thanks

There is a pub. :)

I have learned a lot on here and use what I learned in RL too. I'm sure that makes me hugely popular.

There's a pub?

Also As A Man I've found these boards an interesting and intellectually challenging, although not always comfortable, read. I suspect the latter two are what gets read as hostility.

I'm another lurking regular who really appreciates this board. It's opened my eyes in so many ways, and I'm and about lots of my past choices. But much more reflective and braver because of you. Thank you!

Come to the pub, Knuts?

I think I've posted here once or maybe twice at a push, but just wanted to say as a silent lurker... I'm a big fan of the FWR board. It's hugely educational for me and has some cracking debates that I will one day be brave enough to join

:)

Behold! A man has arrived with his... Err, perfectly reasonable post.

Dammit

As a man I too like this board. There is stuff on here that I'd like to discuss in real life, particularly with my wife and daughter, but neither are particularly political. FWR has brought a lot of issues to my attention that would otherwise slip under my radar.

I sometimes don't agree with the analysis on here, but it's almost always a discussion that needs to be had (from a societal point of view I mean).