What are feminists actually like?

[breko]

Before I start, I'm not here to bash on about anything or anyone.

So, I'm not a woman myself, and i'll probably get banned for being a man on a 'mums' website, but anyway.

What are feminists actually like? There seems to be varied and mixed feelings towards you feminists. I've visited many sites and know many people who claim feminism is simply the idea of superiority and entitlements for woman, from posters, demonstrations and the media, im honestly starting to believe this. Can any woman actually give me a real insight into what you believe and what you think, and if feminism is actually needed in first world countries.
This is a pretty much useless post, just wanted to get thought from both sides.

Thank you. Its also quite late at night and i'm tired so this may not be worded perfectly.

[gertiegusset]

Didn't see what he said but ....

hey ho and

What can you do.

[duchesse]

It was a bunch of links to texts written by the most extreme feminists out there. It's just a shame that some people seem unable to appreciate the value of people's opinions, whether or not one agrees with them, nor to realise the value of very extreme points of view in circumscribing a debate.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

Is it really so hard to imagine that women and men should be equal?

When you say you wanted to get thoughts from both sides, which 'mens' forums have you posted on to get 'their' point of view?

p.s...my OH who is also a man is a bigger feminist than I am.

[Martorana]

I do wish people weren't deleted on threads like this- unless it's a particularly unpleasant personal attack and the person attacked wants it deleted.
It's so easy to refute the arguments the woman- haters put forward, and deletion seems to me to give them martyr status and credibility in their own little worlds. He can go back wherever he came from now and say -"Look, they're running scared"

[duchesse]

I find it particularly impressive that there are people out there who are so dim that they presume that any opinion they disagree with is automatically wrong and unworthy of any consideration, and that they feel so comforted in this thought that they are wiling to blast off all over the internet about it and use it as evidence in their "debate" instead of formulating their own thoughts.. Takes all sorts to make a world I guess.

[AskBasil]

A man tax?

I've already written to my MP about it.

[AskBasil]

When you say you want thoughts "from both sides", you mean you want thoughts from those who believe that women and men are equally human and tht the world should reflect that, and then you also want thoughts to balance that, from people who think women are inferior to men?

Why?

[AskBasil]

I am also in the middle of constructing a urinal destroyer. It's a very complicated piece of equipment I tell ya. I'm going to use it to take direct action against urinals.

[NiceTabard]

Why would feminists want to ban urinals???

[Martorana]

"Why would feminists want to ban urinals???"

Because women can't use them. Obviously. You are clearly not a feminist.

[AskBasil]

For a horrible moment I thought they were on to me.

Luckily, they've written off my urinal-breaking conspiracy as a mad conspiracy theory. So I can carry on my evil urinal-breaking machine construction in peace, until the time when I can wreak havoc on all urinals in the world.

Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[MariaJenny]

Most British men are feminists but may not use that word. It just means equality for men and women under the law and fairness at home. Few men would dispute that.

[Martorana]

MariaJenny- your post is proof positive that feminists do have a sense of humour!

[Elfhame]

We just want to maintain the over representation of women in government the media and all the highest paying jobs. Unfair, I know.

[ouryve]

The majority of feminists look just like a typical human being. Like many human beings, they have varied views and varied lifestyles, but what they have in common is that they believe that men are in no way superior to women and that all people should be equal in law and treated fairly and not discriminated against on the grounds of gender (or, quite often, any other arbitrary factors).

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

Are you asking what I'm like? All available info via here try searching.. Or because a ridiculously large amount of my life has been spent incorporating men's needs and I will not have my daughters having to go through this ridiculous pandering.

I was paid less p/annum because I was a woman
I was redundant because I asked for flexible time for family
I have worked for free for over one month for ten years simply for being a woman
I was passed over for promotion because men 'should be promoted' first
I have been advised away from careers for being female
I have been indecently approached in the workplace and I should have been happy and accommodating
Because I was 'surprising' for a woman to want to work
Because I was patronised and babied by previous partners and financially abused because it's 'traditional' to work/save a certain way.
Because I didn't want to 'obey' in marriage vows
Because my dad didn't like discussing money with his only daughter...
Because it's taken for granted I'll behave a certain accepted way because it's traditional eg caring for elderly relatives

Because I'm young thoughtful kind generous intelligent person whose also female. But it's the female part that's more important and used derogatorily against me.

Need more?

[CaptChaos]

I need feminism because I was moved from the high pressured department I worked in because 'I need people with more physical stamina'. I was, until very recently a body builder and I played rugby to international standard, my replacement, needless to say, merely has a cock. I am now on a different department which deals with more 'womanly' things, like feeding people and making them look nice. I can cook, but I can't make people look nice, I haven't got the smallest clue. However, because I came with a vagina, it seems that I gained knowledge of clothes and make up as standard.

I told friends. Some of them are still laughing.

We all need feminism because the things in society which hurt women the most, also hurt men. This is why men should be fighting for equality too.

[HugoTheHippo]

To answer the OP. I consider myself a feminist. I believe that men and women deserve equal rights and opportunities in this world, and that people should not be constantly judged as being a certain way or having certain abilities or interests based purely on their sex.

Although I have been fortunate enough to achieve a decent career without experiencing obvious sexist discrimination, I hear and see sexism every day, and particularly since becoming a mother eight months ago and seeing how girls and boys are bombarded with gender-based expectations from birth, I strongly believe there is a very real need for feminism in this and every country in the world. So does my husband.

My small contribution to the cause is to challenge these attitudes where I find them, to encourage the women I know to not be afraid of the term 'feminism', and to strive to raise my daughter to believe she can follow her interests and abilities to do what she wants in life, whether that is ballet dancing or engineering, football or hairdressing.

I do not hate men, I do not support advertising or marketing that portrays men as stupid or inadequate and I do not think women are better than men. I believe people are individuals and deserve the right to be treated that way.

Ooooh, that was quite cathartic writing that. :)

[soxuhupe]

"Why would feminists want to ban urinals???"

I don't know, ask Viggo Hansen, a county counselor from the Left Party in Sormland, Sweden who recently tried passing a law that required that men sit down to pee when using the public bathrooms.

This is the same country with feminist politicians who want a tax only men pay.

I'm glad I don't live there...