Am I right to be suspicious of my male flatmate wishing me a happy International Women’s Day?

[YourUmberNewt]

My male flatmate wished me a happy International Women’s Day. I reacted with suspicion as to why he even knows that this exists, and that he might have ulterior motives for wanting to practice being “sensitive and thoughtful” to women. He thinks it is a good thing and that he’s “progressive”. AIBU?

I don’t really understand the point of IWD.

Probably best to log this with 101, just in case it's part of a larger picture.

Imagine if he wishes you a happy birthday next. Just ew.

This has to be a joke. Men are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Reminders of the day are absolutely everywhere. You can't really miss it. We had a big day at work about it on Wednesday. More than half the attendees were men.

I guess he thought he was trying to do the right thing. If I were him, I would no longer bother and would just not talk to you unless absolutely necessary.

What makes you think people don't know about the day? Why do you assume that? The myopia here is unreal.

That’s uncalled for and a personal attack

I don't really know what effect you're going for, but I'm pretty sure it's not the one you've got.

Greatly amused by the responses.

i don’t think my flatmate is misogynistic, i was just winding him up really. He’s quite sweet.

For me, the wider point is side-eyeing men who make a big show of being “progressive” and “empathising with women” - they are often more secretly misogynistic than men drinking 10 pints with the lads at football (but some having integrity around women)

He's a man i am surprised he is allowed to speak

I can't believe I'm saying this but men deserve better than this

Have you told HR ?

I never thought I’d feel sorry for men until I came on MN.

You sound unhinged and like you try hard to find things to be offended by.

You must be exhausted to be around.

As is often the case on here.

I used to work in a factory with a lot of Eastern Europeans. Im English, never heard of it at that point but its a big thing there. One guy brought flowers in for every woman on our assembly line. When I got promoted our Polish manger bought the senior women chocolate.

Im not sure why you would be suspicious.

Yes this???

Bloody Hell. Brace yourself for your Birthday and Christmas.

Probably best to log this with 101. Or 111. Someone anyway. Get it logged.
Whilst you're on the phone you could report yourself to Fruitcakes Anonymous.

It’s LITERALLY all over SM, news outlets, adverts! I’d be more concerned if he hadn’t noticed it to be honest.

You sound paranoid…are you always this suspicious of perfectly normal things?

Jesus! 🤯

Sorry but I think you were actually quite horrible to your flatmate and it’s not cute at all.

You sound very strange.

Your thought process of being suspicious of a man who has done nothing bad to you and in fact who you yourself describe as “sweet” and then mocking him for a nice gesture and “marking it” as being fake (with no basis) says a lot about you - and it’s not good.

Has he indicated in any way that he has a “lack of integrity around women”? If not then today it is you who has been TA.

Weird behaviour.

Do you fancy him or something?

Why are football fans who drink beer automatically misogynistic?

Harry Redknapp?

In some countries it’s a big thing and also the equivalent of Mothers Day here in the UK. If he interacted closely with people from those countries, it would be enough to know. Plus, it’s actually in the media (mainstream and social) here as well. You’d have to deliberately be avoiding it /ignore it to not know.

Because the OP is being sexist.

I honestly wonder how some people get through the day.

Your flatmate deserves a better flatmate.

Seems Polish guys are the way to go!