Is feminism inherently sexist? Anybody for human rights anymore?

[cforte0]

Feminism appears to only ever advocate for women's rights alone, even when we mention gender equality it is immediately presumed that it's an issue where women are in need of support and empowerment.
Is that not inherently sexist, solely focusing on the rights of only a subset of our species, why are we not advocating for human rights anymore?
There are at least 6 separate organisations where I work that advocate for gender equality and/or diversity and/or women's rights, and every one of them is focused on women's rights. Where I work females out perform and out number men, I don't understand how I'm suppose to be at an advantage because I'm a man, and there's not a single group I can go to for support as none of those groups are willing to offer me any of their services.
I'm all for human rights and consider myself an individualist where people should be awarded things on merit, but even when trying to pose questions in what should be a critical thinking environment I get branded a sexist and a misogynist. Without anyone acknowledging and critiquing my ideas, I'm personally attacked and disregarded, is that because I'm a man?

@TerranceandPhilip

I think that's a great accolade there - outstanding arrogance.

I really like it. We will soon have the gender pay gap closed if women start demonstrating some outstanding arrogance.

Great idea. Thanks

TerranceandPhilip - The arrogance is outstanding.

I would suggest it's fairly arrogant to say this

Both hate filled self interest groups who believe that the world owes them something and that they're disadvantaged in some way.

then ignore the very reasonable response given by Ellenripleysalienbaby. Do you dispute that violence against women is carried out by men in the vast majority of cases?

If you don't dispute this, do you think it's OK that some women might have a little bit of an issue with it?

(Bows)

Always nice to be outstanding!

I'm now adding "talking about tea" to the list of seemingly banal things that women do that are actually oppressive to men.

True story: reading over my shoulder here t'other day, DH announced that he was going to call it forced feminisation when I told him to put the kettle on without saying please. I am so going to tell him that men actually think and suggest and moan about such things when they are not taking the piss.

My eyes are honestly boggling!

I think we'd all like to thank Terrance for offering to be our entertainment for the moment.

I know it's feminism 101 to change the meaning of words to meet your own agenda, but let's keep it to its common usage for now.

The man can't even read a dictionary (ROFL)

phobia
ˈfəʊbɪə/Submit
noun
noun: phobia; plural noun: phobias
an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.

I made a note of the choco tea brand and am going to to holland and barrett to buy some.

I hope the masculinity of any male readers is still intact.

I havent read the entire thread but hopefully I am one of many people commenting 'WHAT?!?'

feminism is for specifically tackling the oppression of women (which does actually also help men in many many ways which im sure people will have been pointing out on this thread)

Talking about human rights in general is great of course but you dont actually tackle problems by pretending they dont exist.
There are specific problems which specific groups face.

Good analogy is that office bock one where the office block has some steps up to it. Everyone can get in right? Well no. People who cannot climb steps for whatever reason cannot get in. So in order for people who cannot climb steps to have equality in this situation you would have to put a ramp in. Now it might look like that group is then receiving more attention or preferential treatment in having their needs considered.... but that is not the case. What has happened is that their needs have been ignored in the first place and their status not assumed to be the 'norm' so in order for them to achieve equal access to the office block that assumption needs to be undone.
Some people who can climb steps may have a sense of their natural superiority so ingrained in them by always having been assumed the 'norm' that they may not be able to see that this is fair and will feel like something is being taken from them or that the changes are not needed. They might say 'well just get someone to carry you or drag yourself up the steps by your arms, or just accept that that is the way the world is and theres nothing we can do' The people who cannot use the steps would need a specific group and voice to promote their perspective and experience in that case, and to put across the measures that would actually help them achieve equality. So that the people who can use the steps come to understand the true nature of their position and how it has impacted on others and their ability to access this building.

I'm now adding "talking about tea" to the list of seemingly banal things that women do that are actually oppressive to men, along with buying scented candles and having matching hand towels

Who said it's oppressive? It's more of an indicator that the board with the self proclaimed "most intelligent and brilliant women ever" couldn't even discuss/debate the points he made. Which to be honest, could have probably put him back in his box in the first few minutes.

but why do we have to do things your way TerranceandPhilip?

OP was clearly a numpty. if he'd had any degree of self awareness he most certainly would not have typed out his opening statement, thought 'yep that covers it' and hit post. Certainly not on a FWR board anyway.

So with that being a given, there was zero point engaging him. some people did, but I had more fun talking about rhinos.

I'm engaging with you. make of that what you will.

Tea is far more interesting than the OP is. Maybe he should try to be less boring?

Because anyone who doesn't support you absolutely must be male

He said he was a male

I am here for my own benefit and nobody else's TerranceandPhilip. I'm not obliged to educate people (thank god), and when someone shows the degree of solipsism OP did, that is likely to be a thankless task.

Idontdowindows

Good to see admittance that your fear/ aversion to Trans people is extreme/ irrational. Owning up to your bigotry takes time but baby steps eh?

Right important question

Does that fennel tea work for poos by itself or do you have to add something or does it have to be extra strong or something

Dh really struggles on holiday

Isn't it funny how they always think that they need to tell us we're doing it wrong.

Nah, we're not mate. We're doing it our way and FEMinism is ours.

Does that fennel tea work for poos by itself

It works by itself. Ohhh it does. You should go a bit weak really for the first try, just in case.

Ah good, you're back TerranceandPhilip. so about that arrogance thing.

Do you still assert that women are in no way disadvantaged?

Barley tea also works for the same purpose and has the advantage of not smelling like an abcess. Often sold as mugicha (Japanese version), there's a Korean version that's the same thing but I can't remember the name.

Awesome

Thanks idontdowindows

At the moment his go to cure is a bottle of red wine

To be fair thats his cure for just about everything

Oh thanks angry

Will get him both of those

I think the earning power of women has changed. With my two youngest children, mid 20s, the women in their friendship groups seem to be earning more than the men, my DD earns more than her partner, my neighbour's daughter returned to work after a short maternity leave and her husband took the rest of the leave as he is the lower earner. DDs friend is trying to conceive, they have already decided he will be the SAHP as she earns double what he does.

It seems to have changed as with my two older ones it always seemed to be the men earning more. Even bigger gap when I started work in the late 60s and women tended to get much lower pay in identical jobs. I think there has been a big change in recent years.

I read the chapters around food, and, these men putting food on the table, made sure that most of it went in their own mouths (having been prepared and served and cleaned up after by their wives) - the money the women brought in went straight into the family pot, the money the men brought in often went into those mens stomachs in the form of booze and the lions share of the food. I'm old enough to remember that being normal where I lived in the 50s. Kids standing looking at their dad eating and being thrilled when he gave them a bit of his dinner.

I was lucky as my dad wasn't like that, he did drink a fair amount of his income but we were well fed and always got the same food dad was having. I knew a family where the kids would have cheese spread sandwiches for Sunday tea and watch their dad having salmon sandwiches and tinned fruit with cream for afters. They never got any, seems silly now but those salmon sandwiches were something those kids longed for.

When a man posts here to ask whether he has understood Beauvoir or Greer or Friedan or Adichie correctly, then I'll discuss it. If a man hasn't engaged with basic feminist thought, I can't be arsed entertaining his so-called arguments. I have more important things to do with my time. Today 'more important' includes tracking down this chocolate tea I've just learned about

seems silly now but those salmon sandwiches were something those kids longed for.

this is why child benefit always went to the mother until Cameron and his cronies dismantled it.