what draws you to this part of MN, particularly if you are a man? and if you dont support feminism?

[bejeezusWC]

just what the title says really....

I have read a few contributors, and I really want to point to them and ask 'what are YOU doing here?' but its not on is it

Bejeesus: The intention of using the word show was not meant to declare that I have any more knowledge or indeed any more right than any one else. It was to illustrate that I have taken different stances from those of other posters to "show" different ways of perceiving something, alternative solutions are available.

However if you wish to subjugate people by the choice of words not the intention of the thoughts behind the words that is something I have found in this part of the mn forums also. Someone who is not confident or does not use english that much would spend an awful lot of time explaining why they used a word, when time could be better spent asking for an explanation of their thinking.

I have used MN for years and my dh used to say it was full of men pretending to be women so maybe nothing has changed but men have become weirder
hth

it occured to me long ago that some of the more extreem radfems would be male in RL, i have come acrose some men playing women in SL who dispise other men.
like the lesbien blogger in damascus, turned out to be a canadian in scotland.

high brows I lobe this section too
[
grin]

I usually post on other sections of Mumsnet and sometimes I read or post on feminist issues because I'm interested. As I understand all Mumsnet forums are open to anyone as long as they remain respectful of one another.

My view is there is nothing wrong with constructive discussion and debate. Key elements of that are exploring one another's views for the purpose of understanding and clarifying them, and exploring and testing our own ideas or conclusions.

I would call myself a feminist, but I'm a bit crap at academic debate and so read more than I post.
I have found reading both the rad fem and liberal feminist perspectives really interesting and have agreed and disagreed with arguments from both sides.

My only criticism would be that while passionate debate is good, because I'm a bit of a wuss and still working out what my opinions are on many topics, I feel a bit out of my depth when some of the more prolific, (and well read/qualified) posters are on, (my problem not theirs.)

I don't want an argument just a friendly discussion - I think I'd like to have a slightly woolly and gentle 'it's okay if you don't actually know much and you're sure of even less' corner on the board, then I'd feel more at home.

Apart from that I'm just pleased that there is a feminism board and people do pop over from elsewhere if they see a thread they're interested in, even if they would't generally identify as a feminist. However I can understand that it is tiring when a poster has no real interest in the debate and just wants to derail a thread but I guess that's the price of an open forum.

They come here to mansplain to us. Why, only today I read that I am not aroused by penises in the way that men are aroused by breasts.

It was interesting to discover that about myself.

Emphaticmaybe - there was a great thread on FWR a while ago called Feminism101. It was fantastic and everyone was very generous with their time and knowledge. Also, starting a thread with, "i'm not sure about this but I'd love to know more about XYZ" always gets good replies too IME.

FWIW I'm not a well read feminist and try to reject the idea that you have to have read all of the books before you can join in or before you POV is valid. What I think is true though is that people get very upset when you try to speak for them when you haven't read about the subject. For example I don't have any real knowledge of genuine RadFem beliefs (even though my feminist beliefs have been described as RF on here) so I wouldn't attempt to speak for RFs or their views.

I have really never understood posters who frequently come here, post over and over and repeatedly state that they are not feminist and do not agree with it. I just don't get it. Do they do the same thing on the chicken keeper boards?

I follow threads that catch my eye from discussions of the day & most active - sometimes they bring me here, and it's generally proved to be interesting, educational, and inspiring.

I am a feminist - I think it would be an odd choice as a woman growing up & living in Britain in 2012 not to be.

I don't always find it the warmest and most welcoming corner of MN though - sometimes there's complex intellectual debate going on all around me which I can't quite follow and no-one stops to wave hello !

Mainly because of a ink or topic name that interests me, then I most often go away again as I find this a strange place where no one ever agrees with me, even on very beneign subjects. Somehow the things that are normal behaviour that women talk about doing in other parts of the site are beyond the pale in this section.

Hi juggling

Thanks Comrade - will that thread still be accessible? I'll have a look as it would be useful.
I am reading a fair bit and gaining more certainty on where I stand as a feminist but it's definitely a work in progress. Will keep reading the board and ask more questions.

< waves back > Hi Eats !

it's a question I have asked myself many times

and the main reason why I hardly use this part of the site any more < shrug >

there isn't actually much point because many of the discussions get taken over by derailers and the goaders, and it's all very tiresome

illustrated again by some posters who will come on and say how much they detest the place, don't find anything to agree with, take every opportunity to have a dig at regulars and would never post here

I've been in here before.

I'm a single-father with a son and daughter and I'd also studied feminism at the OU. So I was interested in finding out more.

Men are more welcome on here than other forums.

But I got a bit fed up of the What about the Menz comments and the Mansplaining comments so I stopped posting.

Maybe that's because it gets a bit boring that so many discussions come back round to "but that happens to men too" when it patently doesn't.

It would be nice to just talk about women without talking about men as well.

I think only the men that attempt to speak for women or try to tell us they know how we feel about female issues get accused of "mansplaining"

are we all waving ? < waves at everybody >

< waves, Hi Jing >

< waves, Hi Any Fucker >

( sometimes simple is enough ? )

Emphatic, I can't find the thread right now and it's horribly late here. WIll try again in the morning.

mansplaining and what about the menz is just a way of silencing someone you dont agree with.

conversations about equality will naturaly come back to men, who else do you want equality with? or is it femdom you want?

Telling a man I don't want him to tell me how I feel is not silencing him. Well, it is, but with bloody good reason. You have no right to tell women how they feel about stuff.

It always comes back to the same stuff. "Men have to live up to a beauty standard too" etc, which is just ridiculous. If any men actually think they have the same amount of pressure on them, I'm sorry, they're deluded.

It is an internet forum. I can't ACTUALLY silence you. You do realise that? You can just keep arguing. No-one can stop you. I'm not going to come to your house and disconnect your internet.

No they aren't.

They are specific terms that have specific meanings - as yellowraincoat and anyfucker have pointed out.