Lovelyish

Other then the whole military thing you just seem to know what you want for yourself personally but you also understand that not everyone wants what you want. Feminism is about balance between genders and equality and that means respecting what a woman choses to do unless of course she is hurting herself or someone else. I think people just use words without knowing what the hell they actually mean.

…How would you manage having 2.5 kids?

I’m sorry, that’s the only thing that stuck out to me.

Feminism is about women doing what they want to do. If people are trying to tell you what you as a woman SHOULD be doing, well then they are the asses that aren’t feminists.

There’s nothing wrong with someone wanting to be a housewife or a stay at home mom. Being a wife and mother is a full time job and it’s not ‘setting women back’ to want to take care of your kids instead of throwing them in daycare.

Most women don’t really want to be equal. They like to talk about how strong and idependant they are but then still expect unequal treatment that benefits them.

I stopped reading after “I believe there are still some military roles that women shouldn’t perform. Etc., etc., etc.”

I don’t care what YOU want to do with YOUR life, but don’t tell OTHER women that there are things that THEY CAN’T do because yes, that is anti-feminist.

@fightingXstronger@xanga - It’s the average amount of children families have. It doesn’t actually mean 2.5 kids….

The anti-feminism comes in when where you state “This is what all women should do”, in this case, your military comments are anti-feminist. You can live your own life how you want though, that is not anti-feminist.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - She’s not telling anyone what to do.  She stated her belief.

In response to the post, I’m with Shimmerbodycream.  Feminism is about equality, yes, but it’s also about exercising your right to make your own decisions.  Honestly?  If I didn’t desire to be a child psychiatrist so badly one day, I can’t see another alternative besides being a housewife, and maybe a massage therapist or nail technician.  Both directions would make me happy.

You exercise your rights, and brush off the ignorance that seeps through some people’s comments.  It’s not worth getting riled up over, and it sure as hell is not worth changing over.

Haha I’m kinda like that too . I don’t care for what other people want to do. I think it’s awesome when a girl’s in the military, but I’d prefer to be the housewife doing the cooking, baking : P, etc (but I will never ever clean! )

@xhalesx@revelife - I would hope so, got me worried there for a sec..

@ohforrealson@xanga - I repeat “I believe there are still some military roles that women shouldn’t perform.” I didn’t say anything about the life that SHE chooses to lead, only the mere fact that one of her beliefs IS actually sexist. If I said something like “Well, you know, I really don’t think that women should be cops or firefighters or construction workers because they aren’t as physically qualified as men. Oh, and teachers and doctors because they aren’t as smart as men” so on so forth. Equality in the military is something that women (and gays) and STILL fighting for. Like I said, I don’t care what you choose to do with your life, but she actually defeats the whole entire purpose of women choosing their own life by adding that she doesn’t think women should have the same opportunities as men in the military. Which again, is sexist. Kind of the same thing when men could vote and women couldn’t, or when women weren’t allowed to attend college like men. I almost always agree with Shimmerbodycream. WOMEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WHICH INCLUDES BEING ON THE FRONT LINES IF THEY ARE CAPABLE OF IT AND NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY LOOKED OVER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VAGINA.

I totally agree with you. I have been told “you just set back the feminist movement by 50 years” many times and it pisses me off. I’m so sick of having to justify being a homemaker (even though I’m also going to college). Especially since I don’t have kids yet. And I 100% agree with the military comment as well!
Don’t you just love when people tell you your OPINION is wrong? Ugh!

I get this a lot.  I enjoy my womanly roles.  I hate that it’s seen as anti-feminist, it totally should be about freedom and equality.  The equality to choose your path.  Just because you take more feminine characteristics shouldn’t mean you’re a weaker/lesser person.  You’d think feminism would be about embracing and empowering feminine qualities.  

I get told that I’m antifeminist ALLL the time, for the simple reason that I am a just a homemaker type of person. I want to be an elementary school teacher ( a “stereotypical” female job, apparently, though I don’t agree ), and I invision myself being the type of woman who would always have dinner for her husband when he comes home (out of love, not because I think it’s a woman’s “duty”) and who would be the type of mother who goes to PTA meetings and bakes cupcakes. But ONLY because that’s what I want. I don’t think less of any woman who wants to be the “breadwinner” of the family, or who wants a career. They love and support their families just as much as a housewife does. I think that’s what feminism really is- a woman being able to do what SHE chooses. I love knowing that I COULD be a lawyer or a police officer if I wanted to, it’s just not the life I choose for myself. That’s why it really gets on my nerves when people look down on women who choose to be housewives as opposed to doctors or scientists or lawyers; or the other way around. Who’s to say that one is better than the other? It’s just what works best for you.

I consider myself a gender egalitarian and somewhat of a men’s rights activist.

Feminism is, more often than not, a bad thing.

Feminist views are sketchy (particularly their theories on the existence of a patriarchy).. And ultimately misguided. But they have done a few good things for the gender movement.. Specifically by getting women to vote, and getting women out into the workforce.. It loosened the gender roles for both males and females as males could afford to NOT be work slaves; something which is often overlooked with regards to the traditional 1950s family… This idea that women were oppressed because of the 1950s is ludicrous. Males had an extreme burden of being a breadwinner during those times. Both roles were excruciatingly restricting. Lets not pretend that they weren’t, and that only the female perspective is the perspective that we should sympathize with.

more women should infiltrate the army like Mulan did and be like Trinity from the matrix movie holding a machine gun

I for the most part agree with you. I am all for women’s equality as far as pay and right to vote go. Personally I do not want to serve in our military but more power to the women (and men) who serve our country. But I see what you mean. Chivalry is dead because the feminists killed it. I want a guy to open a door for me and I would love to be a stay at home mom. I cannot stand when these proud feminists put down women who are more traditional and don’t want their husbands/boyfriends to feel inferior. I’m not saying I want a guy who will put me down and control me but I will LET HIM BE A MAN.

Being a feminist means being able to do whatever you want; from being a CEO, to a housewife. It’s your choice what you do in this life, and if you’re happy being a housewife and raising children, that doesn’t make you less of a feminist.

I’m with you 100%

I agree with your military comment no matter how bad that sounds. In fact, the way you want your life is exactly how I want it. Married with 2.5 kids and a housewife, the whole nine. Obviously, I know that’s not possible with the way things are now which is why I’m working to pay my way through school to be a teacher.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - Hi, I’m the OP. If you read below that, you would see how I justified that statement. It has nothing to do with having a vagina. As it currently stands, women are physically not required to do as much as men, which is why they should not have certain roles in the military. IFFFF they can meet the men’s standard, go for it, until then, you should not have that job.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - actually i found my exact words:”But in this process I have realized that I will not be able to do some of the jobs in the Army. And I asked myself, why? Well, the answer is simple. Women do not have to perform the same amount of physical fitness repetitions.” 

I’m kind of “anti-feminist” myself…but in a weird way.  I like to basically do all of the things you said you did in the first line…but I like to show off that I can do anything I set my mind to.  Of course…I wouldn’t ever want to be at the same levels in the military as some men…nonsense!  Do I want to be able to have sex with any guy that comes up to met? No, thats disgusting.  Do I want to walk alone at night? Already do that.  I guess there isn’t anything that I can’t already do, that I want to do.  Not to mention I think womanly roles should be known by all women (and all men…but at least if all women know them, we are better than them…I also think women should know car stuff, fixing stuff, etc).

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - Oh good grief.  Men were not work slaves.  They had choices well beyond the choices that women had in the 50s.  Get over yourself.  Staying at home and taking care of children is more than a 40-hour work week.  I can say that because I’ve had a full time job with no kids, been a working mother and been a stay-at-home mom.  The easiest time I had was going to work and my daughter’s father took care of her.  That was real freedom.  

I was totally okay with what you said until you got to the part where women shouldn’t do certain jobs in the military.  To that I call BS.  I was in the Navy and I saw guys do all kinds of stupid things.  I also saw women getting the job done but with more creative methods.  Guys go first with strength.  Gals go with their brains.  Both can get the job done.  While I agree men have more brute strength, that is not always the only way to get the job done.

I agree though, for some jobs certain criteria need to be met.  Not every person is cut out to be a Navy Seal and for something like that the standards should be the same (there will be some women who can meet those standards).  However, as for the Navy’s PT test there was the “sit and reach” and I always joked that if they make the run, situp and pushup standards equal for the sexes then men would have to reach past their toes like women can!  haha I saw more than a few guys struggling to reach their toes. 

Ah me too.
Awkward moments the other night when Mum asked me what I wanted to do when I let school… uhm yeah Mum I want to get married, have a baby and cook my husband dinner when he comes home from work… don’t think that’ll go down too well with her.

“But in this process I have realized that I will not be able to do some of the jobs in the Army. And I asked myself, why? Well, the answer is simple. Women do not have to perform the same amount of physical fitness repetitions. Would I want them to change this so that I would have to do more?”

as someone with a lot of female friends in the military, i find this very disgusting.  you’re advocating for gender inequality in the army because you’re LAZY?!  you are the perfect example of what’s wrong with most modern women:  the want equality when it makes their lives easier, but will play the “damsel in distress” card as soon as it’s advantageous to.  either women are equal to men in all instances, or they aren’t.  
@Love_never_fails - feeling like a man shouldn’t be about being the dominant one in the relationship.  and chivalry, as it existed in the Middle Ages, was based on women being inferior….. cherished, yes, but still inferior.  so yes, i’m thrilled chivalry is dead.   my man holds doors for everyone, not just me.  at this point in history, it should be about basic human respect.  i don’t want a man treating me any differently because i happen to have a vagina.  

I don’t think it’s good to not have any form of a job, because believe me, your husband will probably pull the “I’m the one supporting this family” thing, whenever you get into it about something. Horrible, but it will happen at some point most likely.

@deathcantholdme@xanga - That isn’t a very good justification. The problem is that women are not ALLOWED to even have the OPPORTUNITY to pursue certain roles in the military. So yes, it is about having a vagina because even if I were qualified enough for a certain role, the mere fact that I identify as a woman means that I won’t be able to take it on. And I understand that the majority of women who enter military services either aren’t interested in pursuing that heavily of physical requirements or are capable of them, but there are women who may be. But again, it goes back to the fact that I’m not even given the chance which makes it discrimintatory in nature. I understand what you are saying, but it IS sexist. You go on to back pedal against your original point and say “IFFFF they can meet the men’s standard, go for it, until then, you should not have that job.” Well the problem is that these women CAN’T go for it. I can’t understand why people keep trying to build these walls up between sex and gender when study after study reveals that within subjects differences is significantly more different than between subjects differences, which means that women are more different from other women and men are more different from other men than women and men are different from each other. Like I said, there was a point in time when women were thought to be stupider than men to hence why they couldn’t vote or go to college and were mere property. That obviously changed because women were given OPPORTUNITY. And I’m sure that if we continued to break down norms for gender that more women would realize that maybe they do have a significant amount of physical strength that they never realized because as a woman they were shoved in Girl Scouts or something like that. I’m not saying all because believe me, I studied a fuck ton of biology and I understand hormone levels and that the reason we have sex is because of biological differences (which honestly, a lot of the time is bullshit because like gender, sex isn’t 100% female or 100% male: watch this video it’s amazing http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alice_dreger_is_anatomy_destiny.html)

That is still my two cents, but thanks for attempting to clarify your statement and I’m glad to see you backed down and said “IFFFF they can meet the men’s standard, go for it” except it doesn’t exactly work that way. Which is you know, the problem. And completely sexist seeing as it discriminates against one sex. But hey it’s the military I don’t expect anything more out of them in an organization where a women is more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier than killed on the front lines, and then not have anyone do anything about it because it’ll make the oh so noble military look bad. But that’s another story.

You do what you wanna do (be a housewife, etc.), but just remember that there were feminists who came before you who had to fight tooth and nail for you to be able to CHOOSE this, rather than be forced into a sort of servitude.  You are able to hold these views and express them in a public forum because of the feminist movement.  

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - I’m a big gender equality activist and I totally agree with most of what you’re saying, but women were definitely oppressed in the 1950′s. I’m not saying that men didn’t have a difficult role as well, but the difference was the people looked down on working women and it was insanely more difficult for them to get jobs. Also, it was still totally legal to rape and beat your wife. So women were still in a position of inferiority, which in some aspects we still are. I’ve furthered myself from the feminist movement recently because I can’t seem to find enough resources on how sexism and gender roles hurt men as well so I am always really glad to see someone else into gender equality. I don’t think that feminism is “bad” it just focuses on something else, I just prefer my activism come in a form that benefits both genders rather than focusing on one. And feminism has done a lot for men too! They continue to try and break down the myth of the “real man” and they’re all for women supporting their families financially along with men or even the men staying home with the kids. Don’t let a few crazy man-haters ruin your overall perspective on feminism.

@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - I wanted to recommend your comment, but I couldn’t. So here is me telling you BRAVO.

That’s not anti feminism at all. Feminism is about choice and the message that women are not limited to being stay at home moms but that doesn’t mean that you *have* to go out and get a job and graduated college to become a lawyer or anything. True feminists would have no problem with your choice as long as you know that this isn’t what you *must* do. Women should be able to do whatever they want whther it be stay at home mom or working 2 full time jobs. I have a feeling that these people calling you that have no idea what they are talking about. 

Edit: Although I don’t agree with your military statement. 

@TiredSoVeryTired@xanga -  You tell him! That was the most BS comment I’ve ever read!!! I once saw a special on animal planet about mothers and stuff and when it got to human mothers it said they would make an average of 500,000$ a year if they got paid for all of the jobs that comes with being a stay at home mom.

The only thing I’m going to comment is the military thing. I believe that women should be able to do all jobs in the military that they physically qualify for on the same standards as men, because there are actually some women who can. I don’t believe that women or openly gay men should be allowed to serve in combat units however, for the same reason that blood relatives aren’t allowed to serve in the same combat unit as each other- in battle, there is no place for any kind of special relationship that might develop. Who cares if supply or admin have a personal relationship, but for the people who actually go in to the fight, they shouldn’t have that kind of distraction or extra concern.
Oh, also, can we get rid of the “2.5 kids” phrase… I know where it originated, but it’s getting a little silly. It’s an average, not something you can actually do.

@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Yeah, I’ve only heard one good argument for limiting roles in the military for women and it’s because apparently men would act differently in combat if there was a woman, because of some sort of instinct to protect. Not sure if that works the same way with gay males, unless there is two gay males in the same unit and they develop a relationship. It actually makes me wonder if a gay man would have the same “protective” instincts to protect the woman than the straight man.

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - What is misguided about feminist views?

I can definitely see where you would be called an Anti-Feminist, and for some of the reasons stating you are. You don’t make much sense saying that women shouldn’t have certain roles in the Military, when you joined the Army yourself, maybe those positions aren’t for you, but it is very Anti-Feminist saying women SHOULDN’T do them. Women are capable of anything they want to do, that’s what we fought for, to be able to do anything, and for you to say women can’t really is setting us back; I do see where you said that if they chose to do those things it would be up to them, however the context of the rest of your blog is kind of going against that. I’m not saying you’re total Anti-Feminist but some of your views on how women should act are definitely leaning towards that mind set.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - ”but women were definitely oppressed in the 1950′s. I’m not saying that men didn’t have a difficult role as well, but the difference was the people looked down on working women and it was insanely more difficult for them to get jobs.”

And how were stay-at-home dads looked at?

Exactly. Both gender roles were strict. Both men and women had it bad. They have considerably loosened in part, because of feminism. For that, I appreciate what they did. But oppression? You either admit both genders were oppressed by their roles, or just leave ‘oppression’ out of it and stick to the more accurate term; discrimination. Something which both genders experience in different capacities; and that gynocentrists won’t allow themselves to concede to.

“Also, it was still totally legal to rape and beat your wife”

I’m pretty sure rape and assault wasn’t legal in the 1950s. Correct me if I’m wrong.

If you mean to say that it wasn’t “cracked down on” as much as it is now… I can agree with that to an extent. Although I think the pendulum has swung too far over the years, to where now they’re considering bringing to life bullshit like “birth rape”.. To go along with excessive false accusations of rape, and frivolous ‘date rape’ and a bunch of other BS like that… All the while female on male rape and/or pedophilia is laughed at and rarely sought justice for to anywhere approaching the extent of male on female rape and/or pedophilia. And domestic abuse is another thing where the pendulum has swung too far in favor of females, and a considerable amount of valid studies have shown that domestic abuse is a 50/50 thing, and not something where the male just beats up on his wife for burning the toast like it’s often portrayed. And NO ONE does a damn thing for male victims of domestic violence. A good video on this very thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOu_BszChIE

So sure.. I can admit females were getting beaten and raped in the 1950s and very few people were doing anything about it… If you can admit that male victims have had the exact same experience since the beginning of time because no one cares when a man is beaten or raped in this country.

“I’ve furthered myself from the feminist movement recently because I can’t seem to find enough resources on how sexism and gender roles hurt men as well so I am always really glad to see someone else into gender equality. I don’t think that feminism is “bad” it just focuses on something else, I just prefer my activism come in a form that benefits both genders rather than focusing on one. And feminism has done a lot for men too! They continue to try and break down the myth of the “real man” and they’re all for women supporting their families financially along with men or even the men staying home with the kids. Don’t let a few crazy man-haters ruin your overall perspective on feminism.”

See.. I like this. You have a reasonable point of view 

Haha.. And for that, I hope you don’t view my long-winded rant up there as hatred for you and your perspective. Just that the male perspective is often dismissed and it can be very frustrating. It was already dismissed by someone above as you can see. It’s funny that I was told to ‘get over myself’ when all I was saying was that men and women both have it equally as bad (just in different capacities), and have had it equally as bad with the gender roles they’ve been stuck in… Just seems women want to stick to their victimhood as much as possible; and will tell men to “man up” in order to accomplish it.

Feminism is about equality and the right to choose. If you’re forced into the life of a homemaker because of society/life situations, that’s bad; but if you are genuinely happy and doing what you want to do, then there is nothing wrong with it. You have the choice, and the fight is about the right to lead your life the way you want with the ability to make the same choices a man could make.

I also disagree with the statements about women in the military, but the rest of it seems fine. I would call that sexist though. Not so much anit-feminist.

@fightingXstronger@xanga - Well you could be like Solomon and the two women who were fighting over the baby. His solution was to cut the baby in half. It didn’t come to that, luckily.

The feminist movement ruined the concept of families. It’s really sad. I can relate to what you’re saying here, I love all the same things! I used to identify as being a ‘feminist’, but as I’ve grown up a little bit, I’ve learned to appreciate the role of a wife and mother. That’s what I want out of life.

Two eProps for you!

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - I’m not trying to pick a fight, but I’m honestly curious to how you will respond.

Would you rather have a 5’4″ 120 lb woman or 6’4″ 200 lb man rescue you from a burning building?

@H2O_mElOnGeEk@xanga - It fucking sucks when that happens >.<

@ange_lae@xanga - Umm, I think ANYONE would just be happy to be saved. ._. Nobody is going to be like, “Yeah, I just got rescued from death in a burning building but it was by a woman, so I guess I should just go back into it and await proper saving by a big muscular man.” Seriously. xD That’s actually kinda a funny thing to say, I mean who cares who is saving them from death??? (I know that wasn’t for me, but I just had to say something…)

@ange_lae@xanga - But it does happen, and it’s a terrible tactic of manipulation, even if your husband isn’t consciously intentionally doing it… and so everyone one should contribute to finances, I think,

@H2O_mElOnGeEk@xanga - The point I was trying to get across is that I doubt a 5’4″ 120 lb woman would be able to save me, let alone the majority of men in the world. Kind of physically lacking in the heavy lifting department, especially if it’s dead weight.

i am so sick of these feminist posts. Being a housewife and making sandwiches and cooking and cleaning doesnt mean you are anti-feminist. Feminism means equality for both of the sexes. Period. And equal opportunities. You want to cook and clean and take care of the kids? fine. You can still do those things and still be a feminist. Feminists also believe that men should have an equal opportunity to do those things if they wish as well. You are a woman and want to become a fireman? sure. Just make sure you can pass the exact same tests that men have to do and you can become one. If you don’t pass them? then you can’t be a fireman. You had the opportunity to though. 

I’m “somewhat” big on girl power.. and feminism.. but I won’t be judging other peoples’ views about it too much. I only react when men TREAT women like we’re their slaves… or think we’re incapable of doing things.

I’ve experienced a lot out of guys who think “girls can’t breakdance.” Hey, I like it.. I can do it, too.. and no one can stop me. End of story. That’s basically how far I’d go with feminism..

Oh honey, you’re not alone. Trust me, I get a lot of heat for my views, too. Just stick to your guns and try to not let society sway you to do anything you don’t want to do.

@ange_lae@xanga -  They don’t let just anybody be a firefighter with other people’s lives in their hands, everyone has to go through training and prove to be qualified before they’re allowed to do things like that, but saying a woman shouldn’t be allowed to even if she has is totally sexist no matter how you slice it.

they need to get back in the kitchen. kidding, lol.

I can’t hate on the feminists too much because I wouldn’t have the right to vote, or do a lot of things that I can today if it wasn’t for them.

However I find the hardcore ones that want silly changes in words and such to be kinda ridiculous.  Like OMG the word “manhole” is so sexist…get a grip!!

@H2O_mElOnGeEk@xanga - Yeah…. I wasn’t trying to “slice it” any which way. I believe I never said, or even implied that I thought women shouldn’t be firefighters. I’m all for women doing any kind of job: but they must qualify for it, like you mentioned. I’m sure there is the rare women out there that is a great firefighter. But I would personally feel a lot more relieved if I saw a big, burly man firefighter rushing through huge flames then I would a woman my own size. 

@ange_lae@xanga - I’d rather have a person who has met the requirements. That’s why there’s you know, requirements for things. Um, duh? Just like you have to pass a test to be a doctor, you have to pass tests to be a firefighter or for certain positions in the military. If you have passed though, it obviously means that you’re qualified enough. Height, sex, and weight do not determine muscle. Maybe having been a three sport athlete all throughout high school and an athlete in college hasn’t brainwashed me into thinking that all women are physically weak. I feel sorry for you.

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - I still think there is a vast difference in what women and men faced in that time period. But yeah, actually raping and beating your wife was legal up until 1994 when it was illegalized in the last state (I can’t remember which one, I think one of the more Southern states?). Marital rape wasn’t a concept that people had really gotten into, and as long as you were beating your wife with an object smaller than your thumb it was legal. And rape/abuse is still a larger problem it is for women than it is for men, although statistics can be disproportional because of men not coming forward, which again is a problem that gender equality is trying to deal with. So yay for gender equality and having mature discussions on the internet!

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - Wow. I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m just going to stop talking to you. 

@ange_lae@xanga - Don’t engage someone and then dismiss them just because they believe something differently than you, it’s immature and your ignorance shows through. As for my problem? The only thing that bothers me in this thread is the blatant sexism that some people can not seem to wrap their tiny heads around. Telling someone that because of [X INHERENT FACTOR] they can not do [X TASK THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH X INHERENT FACTOR] is discriminatory in nature. Why can’t you understand this? And fine, don’t respond. But what do you expect when you call out something I believe by giving me some sort of silly riddle that makes absolutely zero sense? As for you, go be comfortable with your gender norms and roles and scoff at the idea that there are plenty of strong, able-bodied women who are just as qualified as men in some aspect. Don’t hate just because you’re not one of them. As for me, I am OFFENDED by the idea that my vagina dismisses my abilities.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - First of all, I thought you were the other person talking to me still. I was a little confused for a moment. Now I realise you are the person I posed the hypothetical to in the first place and I’m dismissing you now because you came on a little too fucking strongly (read: rude) for my tastes.

But I’ll address this before I go:

“Telling someone that because of [X INHERENT
FACTOR] they can not do [X TASK THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH X INHERENT
FACTOR] is discriminatory in nature. Why can’t you understand this?”

Hmm, well, I do understand that. I am all for women QUALIFYING for any job out there. When I originally posed that question to you, I was not trying to offend you. I was genuinely curious about what your response would be. I wasn’t trying to say that “women shouldn’t be firefighters”. Women should be whatever they damn well please to be, as long as they can do that job effectively – just like any other person.

You would have received a more civilised discussion with me where we both would have striven to understand the other one’s position, if you hadn’t have come in guns a blazin’, firing insults right off the bat.

I also want to point out how laughable it is that you actually think you know anything about me.

@ange_lae@xanga - This post really pisses me off, I’m sorry I tend to come off very strongly in issues I care deeply about. But the problem is that women still aren’t ALLOWED the pursue certain roles in the military regardless of qualifications. That’s the problem. Believe me, I don’t want ANY under qualified person in a role that’s as important as firefighters or doctors or soldiers.

And also, I never claimed to know anything about you? But the way your hypothetical question came off seems to imply that you believe in a strict correlation between height, gender, weight, muscle, and athletic ability. And to say this nicely and I don’t mean to offend, but that is ridiculous. I don’t really understand why you would ask it if you believe in equal opportunity?

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - I don’t know anything about a woman’s role in the military, so I’m not going to comment on that.

Well, you implied that I was brainwashed.. and

” As for you, go be comfortable with your
gender norms and roles and scoff at the idea that there are plenty of
strong, able-bodied women who are just as qualified as men in some
aspect. Don’t hate just because you’re not one of them.”

assumed quite a bit about me, right?

But whatever, I’m over it already. The internet has its strengths and weaknesses and it’s common knowledge that we can all get a little over-excited sometimes.

To answer your question, I asked because I was curious about your answer. And for me, personally, I would feel better having a big man carry me out of a burning building than a woman my size. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems a woman my size would have to work a little harder at carrying my dead weight than a man twice her size. I’m not saying she couldn’t do it, I’m just saying it might be harder and in that circumstance, time is of the essence!

@ange_lae@xanga - Again, the question seemed to imply an assumed correlation between the previously mentioned factors which goes on to imply that women aren’t as strong as men, which isn’t a fact. That’s where the “brainwashing” comment comes in. I’m just tired of automatically being assumed things based on my sex/gender because it has little to do with much of my life. As for the question, I legitimately would be just as comfortable being carried by a strong 120lb women than I would with a 200lb man. Like I said, there are qualifications to be a firefighter. As long as the person saving me is an actual firefighter than I don’t have any qualms about whether they are a man, woman, intersex, black, white, 20 year old, 40 year old, whatever. And adrenaline can do wonders when time is of the essence. But yeah, as for the military, women are actually barred for certain things like being on the front lines along with a few others. I mean like, I don’t care if there are women who physically can’t do it, just as there are men who physically can’t do it, but it’s all about the actual ban on it.

Feminism is an intriguing movement, particulary in the modern day. On one hand, it seems very self-destructive, in the fact that the only people the movement currently supports are well… sheep.  Those who hold one exact set of doctrines, and should you deviate on any minor point, oh boy, watch out.  They’ll turn on you with no hesitation.  On the other, it is a historically powerful movement that is incredibly vocal, so still gets some of its agenda heard merely through it being easier to throw the movement an occasional bone than take a stance against it, and risk being labeled, as you put it, “Anti-feminist”.

In literature, the modern feminist movement is hugely struggling, at least in America, because of the prominence of ethnic literature.  Pervading themes in that tend to be ethic persecution, both historical and modern, rape, gang violence, criminal lifestyles, and legal frusterations.  Beside that list, feminists claiming “we only make 91% of what men in the same jobs for the same time period make!” isn’t turning any heads.

As with almost everything that’s an “Issue” (with a capital “I”), I always counsel individuality and personal knowledge.  Are we to label someone anti- or pro- anything based upon a few words posted on a blogsite?  As you can see from commenters, people are quick to do so.  And generally, as a populous, bloggers love “ISSUES”… I submitted a post to Momaroo that got published, with an article linked and a bit of personal musings, and all the feedback I got was that there wasn’t a clear enough “ISSUE”.  If only the world were so black and white.  In the case of feminism, it has just stopped being a real issue from any but the blogosphere… how often do you REALLY see an anti-feminist boss, anymore?  Okay, some that lean one way or another, but if a boss doesn’t invite his female coworkers to poker night, and they try to bring him up in a court of law for it… the movement kills itself.

Bottom line is, if you ACT in a way to intentionally block the equal rights of a specific group, that happens to be 100% female, then you are anti-feminist.  I fail to see you doing anything remotely close to that, and stateing your opinions certainly isn’t it.  You don’t deserve the label.  Speaking out against a movement doesn’t make you anti- the thing the movement was supporting.  There’s a difference between disagreeing with the movement, and trying to repress the rights of women.  I see no instance of you doing the second.  Those that would lead you to believe they are one and the same… again, thankfully, the world is not so black and white.

Saying that you want to be a stay-at-home mom and love to cook and bake, have 2.5 kids, etc and so on does not make you anti-feminist at all. This being said by me, a feminist. This is because this is *your* personal preference.

What would have made you anti-feminist is if you would have said something like “ALL WOMEN *SHOULD*….” blah blah. But you didn’t. So no worries.

About the army thing, I don’t know enough about it, really, to give a comment.

@ange_lae@xanga -  lol. I think you gave a bad example to get your point across, and I don’t really understand it. It sounded to me like you were saying women shouldn’t get to be doing that kind of stuff because they’re smaller than men. (still confused as to what other message could have been being sent.) But seriously if your life were seriously in danger in a fire and someone came to your rescue I doubt you’d even really take the time to examine the person and decide whether or not to feel relieved, you’d go to anyone who is there to help you without another thought of it, and that would be that. The firefighter’s know what they’re doing, hate to say it, but most firefighters are men so even if there was a very qualified woman to do something she’d be very last on their list of sources to turn to just for being a woman. You don’t have to worry about them ever sending an incapable person with someone else’s lives on the line into a fire. It would just put the firefighter and the victims at a greater risk.

Doing what you want without influence from anyone else is the best form of feminist work..

there are things that females can not physically do as well as a man

I am an anti feminist. This is amusing because most people who meet me and hear me talk think that I am actually a feminist (I think it’s because I’m strong and DO actually believe in a form of equality)

I agree that women should be paid the same ammount as men in the work place. I agree that they can vote too. But

I believe that as a people we DEFINITELY would have gotten there/with these things without feminism.

@ShimmerBodyCream@xanga - nice one, shimmer.

 Feminist ideas are about letting women have an equal OPPORTUNITY as men to do whatever they want. That doesn’t mean the women have to take that opportunity. It’s about having the option there, if you want it. Not about HAVING to have a job and work in the military, etc. So, you are not anti-feminist, because you are making the choice not to use those options. You’re not saying that no women should be able to do anything but stay at home and cook and clean. Except the first thing you said about the military, you are not interfering with anyone else’s choices.

It’s the same as abortion rights. If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t get one. But other people do not have to make the same choices as you, and so the option should still be available to them.

So, as long as you’re not trying to take away anyone else’s rights, you’re fine. Seems like you just know what you specifically want to do.

xX Ame ~*~ Hana Xx

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - ”And rape/abuse is still a larger problem it is for women than it is for men”

Abuse — absolutely not. Men are abused more.

In the case of domestic violence… Again… It’s around 50/50 with men and women. And outside of domestic violence, men are beaten and abused more. A man is more likely to be assaulted than a woman is to be raped. If you combine rape/assault statistics, men are still victims moreso than women are.

As for rape alone, while women may be raped more than men… Male victims don’t get nearly as much justice for their being raped as women do. Atleast when it’s a woman perpetrator of the rape of a male.

I was RIIIIIGHT there with ya, especially on the whole housewife thing, until you mentioned women in the middle east. You don’t sound anti-fem, you sound selfish.

@LKJSlain@xanga - I think you need to look up the definition of “feminist,” it’s basically “equalist.” No, we would not have gotten where we are without feminism. Without the feminist movement, women wouldn’t HAVE a choice to get paid at all, they’d be at home with babies. Look at other countries that have NOT had a feminist movement, or read a sociology book or two when you get to college… I don’t mean to be offensive, but this isn’t really an opinion — it’s a FACT. Women would not have equality without the feminist movement.

@sunniiedays@xanga - Very true

@loveable_lush@xanga - I KNOW what feminism is, it’s something that I’ve done a lot of research on. I disagree with the way that it is enacted entirely. I know several feminists closely and would never want to be associated in that group. I believe that women are equal but different, and I disagree with much of what the feminist movement says, does and acts like. 

I stand by a belief that we would have gotten to that point (voting and equal pay) without feminism… chilvalry and men who fight/protect their women might not be dead either.  

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - What’s so wrong about telling the TRUTH?

There are branches of the military women cannot join because THEY DO NOT meet the physical requirements. You can be as adamant as you want about “women can do everything men can,” but seriously, don’t kid yourself. There are just some things we cannot do.

I’m all with ya, honey. There’s nothing more that I want in the world to be home before my kids, and be able to make them a healthy snack when they get home ^_^

I mean, a stay-at-home mom sounds pretty tough, considering all the work that goes into keeping a living space nice and… you know, live-able xD But I would prefer having a job, and being able to have that “I can be supermom” feeling, you know? Oh, but I’m just rambling now x) Your choices sound pretty sweet, and I’m sorry you have to deal with all this crazy bullskizzly from other Xangans. Your choice, your problem, is what they should be thinkin’.

But yeah. Right on.

@CrystalisLeaves@xanga - You don’t speak for all women. There are plenty of able-bodied women who are physically capable of the requirements. If they choose to pursue a certain role then more power to them. It’s disgusting that people will count them out because they are a woman. True, a lot of woman can’t meet requirements, but there are others that CAN. So please, enlighten yourself.

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - Are you talking about comparing women assaulting men with men raping women? Because I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that says women assaulting men is more common than men being assaulted by other men or women being assaulted by other men (or women, too). Just because “assault” was meant to imply sexual assault. I don’t think it’s exactly fair to start counting up all these different types of offenses and combining them because it takes away from a very large problem that primarily women still face. Something like 7% of rapists are women (and again, give or take on that because we both know men don’t come forward as much) and while I don’t want to say it’s not important to focus on male victims, but I don’t see how it isn’t completely clear that this is still a “women’s issue.” As for justice when it comes to rape, a lotttt of rape cases that women bring forward are also thrown out or don’t see their rapist go to jail.

I see feminism as being about having a CHOICE!  If someone wants to have lots of babies and be a stay-at-home mother, fine by me. As long as she doesn’t assume that’s what I want. And you seem to see it that way, too, so we agree. I just want different things in life. I want to be a musician and write and direct rock operas.  Being a wife and mother doesn’t interest me much. I do want to be in an egalitarian relationship where we both love each other and treat each other like the most amazing person on earth, I just don’t want it to have to follow traditional gender roles, and I don’t want to give up my career for it. And if I do have a baby, I don’t want to be the one who’s home with it all the time.
But for some reason, while men seem to be fascinated with what I do, they also seem to be intimidated by it, which is sometimes hard to take…

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - No. I’m talking strictly about who the majority of victims are. Men are victims of violence and abuse more than women. Why it isn’t a priority to help these victims as much as we help female victims is a mystery to me.

Good example. My friend was jumped and put in a coma for 3 days back in 2003… The perps only saw a year of community service and received a fine that none of them have paid to this day.

Had he been a female and had the perps stuck their genitals in him, these dudes wouldn’t have seen the light of day.

Even if they hadn’t stuck their genitals in them they wouldn’t have seen the light of day.

There’s a difference in how we treat male victims and female victims… And we have a much stronger preference towards protecting women. Chivalry still exists in many forms in this country.

I always say: If we had nearly as much concern for male lives as we have for female lives, we likely wouldn’t be going to war anywhere close to the amount that we go to war.

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - Well the difference between men experiencing violence and women experiencing violence is that often times (such as in sexual assaults or domestic abuse cases) the violence occurs against woman because of their gender, which makes that a more complex issue than men experiencing violence overall. I don’t want to dismiss any case of violence, but I have a bigger problem with ones that are specifically hate crime oriented. It’s like saying yeah, gay people kill themselves, but straight people do to so we should treat both cases the same when that would be ineffective. Because overall these issues have very different causes, it’s necessary to treat them as such. Which I understand some people think may perpetuate the differences between genders, but when gender is the cause then there isn’t much else to do. And I have PLENTY of personal anecdotes of straight up sexism that I’ll save.

I think what feminism is all about is making sure that it’s your CHOICE to be a stay-at-home mother, and not that it’s a role forced upon you. I suspect people who say you’re setting feminism back don’t really know what feminist activism is about….

My own personal preference is to avoid children and being a housewife. I just can’t fathom being intellectually stimulated or feeling satisfied by that lifestyle. But what I want is for you as a woman and human to be able to choose what you want to do with your life. So more power to you looking for what would make you happiest in life. 

You sound EXACTLY like me. I’m 24 and my ENTIRE LIFE. I’ve wanted to be a wife and stay at home mother. Think 1950′s style. I even have a secret love for 1950′s dresses and I own a few of them.

Because of the way my life has gone I’ve been forced into the working world and into a career that makes me feel unhappy and overwhelmed. I make good enough money to support myself in San Francisco, but I’m miserable. In reality I’d rather be cooking, baking, cleaning, sewing, shuttling children around and the like..

I’m called Anti-Feminist all the time and I just shrug it off. If a lady want’s to be a man, fine, but I am NOT one of those women.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - There are reasons why some programs don’t allow women to be apart of them. Have you seen the requirements for becoming a Navy SEAL? I highly doubt many women, as well as a crapload of men, would be able to take the pain like that. Even though some women might be qualified, there are certain aspects to consider. No, the vagina isn’t something to just brush a person off because, but yes, a period is. It makes women considerably more irritable, plus they become deficient in iron, and period pains can sometimes be so painful to the point of debilitation. If a women has to fight, and she’s on her period, one bad blow to the stomach is enough to take  her down. (I would know.)

Besides, you seem like a fiery feminist. It’s about choice, right? Stop trying to make it seem like everything you think is right, and choices other women might want to make is wrong. Just because I think that some women might not be good candidates for the job doesn’t mean that I’m destroying progressive women.

@HopeWithinReach@xanga - xD Well put!

O: Baking, you say? Have any good recipes?

i like you. i, too, live for God.

i’m not a die-hard feminist, that’s for sure. feminists are extremely “out there”. i think that i believe that women should be able to have jobs that men have and should have the same kind of pay that men have, yes.

but i definitely have the same desires to marry and have children and settle a bit. i’m studying to become an elementary school teacher, after all. i mean, you can’t get more “stereotypical woman” than that.

my mom studied to become an accountant and worked as one for about 8 years. it wasn’t until baby #3 was born that she decided to just be a stay-at-home mom. and she LOVES it. so…i wouldn’t mind being a stay-at-home mom, but i feel like my profession will kind of allow for me to do what i love: teach kids, and still have kids and spend time with my own children. (music teachers don’t usually teach at the school during the summer.)

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - i don’t think she was rude in any way or said anything about women being not strong enough. so, enlighten ME, please, on what she said that sounded like she was speaking for all the women out there and was saying that women wouldn’t be strong enough? i’m very confused.

@CrystalisLeaves@xanga - Exactly, it’s about choice and I want woman to have the choice just as men like. Like I said, we’re not all the same. If a woman is capable of handling herself then why wouldn’t she have that option? I grew up in the gymnastics world, and I know that women who are insanely physically active don’t even GET their period. I’d imagine that a lot of women who meet physical requirements for special forces probably don’t either. And it’s gender equality activist, not feminist. Again, you do not speak for all women. If we allow women to join certain special forces, is it really THAT bad that we may have a woman here or there that IS qualified for the position? “Stop trying to make it seem like everything you think is right, and choices other women might want to make is wrong. Just because I think that some women might not be good candidates for the job doesn’t mean that I’m destroying progressive women.” This isn’t about me being right this is about fucking equality. But yes, there is a right and wrong when we’re talking about discrimination and I want to see women at least getting the same opportunities as men. I’m not saying we should throw a bunch of under qualified women in special forces just as I wouldn’t want under qualified men in there either. So “it’s about choice” plan and simple.

@x_SwIm4ShArKs_x@xanga - This was her comment “There are branches of the military women cannot join because THEY DO NOT meet the physical requirements. You can be as adamant as you want about “women can do everything men can,” but seriously, don’t kid yourself. There are just some things we cannot do.” 

It speaks for all women because she used women as an entire gender to dictate what each and every individual woman is capable of herself. It’s rude and offensive to me as a woman who doesn’t want to be grouped together like that and told that there is zero possibility I can ever meet requirements because I am a woman, so therefore we might as well ban women from even pursuing those roles even though there may be some woman who CAN meet the requirements. Seriously, my vagina doesn’t dictate what I can and can’t do.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - So men don’t get harmed in part, because of their gender? I call BS on that. Men are sent to war, in large part, BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER. They are beaten severely in ways that women likely wouldn’t be subjected to nearly as often, in large part, BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER.

And I’m not at all saying that females don’t have sexism thrown at them… All I’m asking is that you just RECOGNIZE sexism that’s thrown at men. How is it NOT an issue that my friend didn’t get justice (and many other dudes I know who have been jumped and beaten down; including myself) yet females are the massive priority for protecting even when the slightest unwanted finger touches them. We should be taking sex out of the equation and prioritizing equal justice for ALL victims, regardless of sex. Feminism, with their power, could accomplish this… But they’re too gynocentric to do so.

Warren Farrell said it best: “Wars will not end via female leaders but when men’s lives are no more disposable than women’s.”

@Blind_Paraplegic@xanga - You’re still trying to compare two different issues, and they aren’t the same. That’s all I can say. It isn’t right to say that men and women are abused for the same reasons therefore we need to treat them as the same issue. As for men going to war, there hasn’t been a draft in quite some time and I doubt we’ll ever see one in our lifetime so that’s kind of irrelevant. I’m well aware of how sexism targets men, but sexual assault and rape isn’t a problem the same way it is for women. To say that diminishes what plenty of women I know, including myself, have faced in terms of sexual assault, rape, or simply being made to feel uncomfortable by cat calling or incessant flirting. And I don’t want to play the privilege card, but seeing as you’re a male I can understand how it’s difficult for you to understand this, as it may be difficult for me to understand where you’re coming from. And yes, I’ve known men to get jumped and mugged on the streets, but I also know women who were also attacked and robbed. And we can say all we want this and that is wrong, but when it comes to females being attacked, there are much more precautions we’re meant to take. Almost every college orientation has self defense classes aimed specifically for females, they give out pepper spray, they tell us as women to walk in groups, put your keys between your knuckles, cover your drinks, etc. And if we don’t do these things and something happens to us, well then we should have been protecting ourselves better and it could have been avoided. Men aren’t blamed like that. Men aren’t slut-shamed when they are raped and asked “well what were you wearing?” “were you flirting with her/him?” “were you drinking?” I don’t really know what else I can say, but they’re very, very different issues. I know this from experience as well as a boatload of other stories and studies. And I don’t want to say one is more important than the other, I just want to say that we need to approach them differently.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - ”And if we don’t do these things and something happens to us, well then we should have been protecting ourselves better and it could have been avoided.”

And men get the exact same treatment! In fact, probably worse on average.

I got beat up when I was younger, and my brother expressed DISAPPOINTMENT in me for not winning or fighting back… Even though I didn’t want to fight and there was absolutely no reason why the fight even started.

And while this may happen to females when they get abused as well.. Atleast they have a whole group of people willing to hear them out and fight for their victimhood… Men on the other hand, don’t have ANY outlets.

“And yes, I’ve known men to get jumped and mugged on the streets, but I also know women who were also attacked and robbed.”

My point in bringing it up, is that men are FAR more likely to be jumped, mugged, abused, murdered and assaulted than women are. And yes… Their gender DOES have something to do with it… Cuz if they weren’t male and were instead female, they likely would not be assaulted and abused so much.

“Men aren’t slut-shamed when they are raped and asked “well what were you wearing?” “were you flirting with her/him?” “were you drinking?”"

No. Instead men get laughed at when they’re raped. Often times they’re not believed to have been raped because “they must have wanted it”. Other times they’re looked at like pussies because they “should have fought back”. And obviously this pressure is rougher on a man because far fewer men come out and admit they’ve been raped as compared to women. That isn’t to say that women don’t have pressures that will hold them back from admitting they’ve been raped… Just that it’s rougher on a man to come out and admit it. In fact it’s so bad, many men repress the shit out of their rape and others go through life believing they haven’t been raped and they blame themselves among other things… This is more prevalent amongst men than it is women (not that it isn’t prevalent amongst women)… And the reasons for this is because we treat our male victims worse than we treat our female victims. Of course men aren’t going to admit such a thing when there’s no sympathetic outlets for him.

My issue is that there’s PLENTY of sympathetic outlets for women, and practically NONE for men. No one is doing a DAMN THING about it… And the group that should be doing something about it (feminism) because they say they fight for gender equality, are ignoring it and are instead opting for gynocentrism.

I recommend to you and everyone here to check out this book: The Myth of Male Power by Warren Farrell

The outline of the book can show you a bit where I’m coming from: http://www.warrenfarrell.org/TheBook/index.html

I also suggest the (mostly) gender egalitarian blog http://www.feministcritics.org

Random plugs I know… But I don’t feel this argument is getting anywhere… Probably best to just call it a day and leave you with some links. If you’re interested in actually figuring out where I’m coming from, you’ll check it out… But I don’t expect you to.

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - Mad props, you said everything I wanted to say.

OP: You should be ALLOWED to be whatever you want, including a stay at home mom/house wife. Other women should be ALLOWED do do anything they desire and can do. Army positions? Yep, if they can, they should have the opportunity. Feminism is about equality…and you can’t have half assed equality.

@hopethatitglows@xanga - Thanks, I’ve been getting a lotttt of flack for what I’ve said and it makes me so sad to see women dismiss other women’s physical capabilities just because women have been known to be the “weaker” of the sexes.

I think being a housewife is an honorable role. You get to make sure your kids and husband get as much love as possible and raise the kids who will shape up our future. Just make sure that they still do some kind of housework.

I think anti-feminism is just the belief that women can’t and/or shouldn’t do this or that. But just because she won’t do that doesn’t mean she can’t. 

@FIREExATxWILL@xanga - I would also imagine that those physically active women you refer to are not the physically fit women you see in the military. I’m not familiar with the world of gymnastics, but from what I’ve seen in the media, these women don’t get their periods because they have to keep their weight down, or something. I wouldn’t know, and I’m not going to judge. But I would assume that these women wouldn’t have the muscle and girth that the women of the military build. Now, because of their physical attributes, they wouldn’t be able to do certain jobs. I’m not saying it’s because they’re women, I’m saying it’s because of what they are trained for and what they’re physically fit for. I would, however, bet that the women who meet the physical requirements to join the military are fit and healthy, and I highly doubt that every single women in the military doesn’t get their period.

Having women in jobs they are QUALIFIED FOR is perfectly fine, but you should see, as a “gender equality activist” that I said most men AND women wouldn’t meet the requirements for becoming a Navy SEAL. It’s because it’s hard on everyone PHYSICALLY. Women aren’t built for these kinds of things, and people know it. Women can do whatever we want now, and we can still be as smart and as capable, but there are still people who are better, may they be women or not.

Sorry to say, but throughout your debates between me and other Xangans, it seems as if you’re trying to push off your opinions as what’s right, and whatever anyone else thinks is wrong. Your last comment even said there is a right and wrong when it comes to discrimination. There’s a reason there are requirements to things: because they don’t want under qualified people to work in the service. If a man is more qualified than a woman to be a chef, so be it. But gosh knows there’s a woman somewhere who’s kicking a man’s ass at brain surgery or something like that. In life, there’s always someone better than someone else. Just because people want doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. If you were really for equality of both genders, you’d argue the other side of the fence about how men are exploited at certain jobs, because even though there are women who can’t qualify to be a SEAL or some other part of the military, men are being thrown into the front line without a second thought. Isn’t that a little unfair?

I’m sorry if I came off as rude, but opinions are to each their own.

@CrystalisLeaves@xanga - It’s less about weight and more about a physically demanding lifestyle, a lot of professional athletes in the track world also go without periods. I’m sure if some women did train harder than they’d be more likely to meet certain requirements, even if those women are far and few in between. I just want women to have that opportunity, what is so wrong about that? If they can’t do it fine, but at least give them the chance. And I don’t want to come off as if what I think is the absolute right answer, but I can’t understand discrimination ever being right. It’s not about me wanting to be right, it’s about me wanting what IS right. As for your comment about men being thrown down on the front lines, I’m pretty that’s because they’re ~qualified enough~ for those roles. I believe if that’s where a woman wants to be than by all means let her try. I’m not a poor excuse for a gender equality activist, but this post referred specifically to women so that’s where I kept the focus. I don’t believe you’ve been rude (and I hope you don’t think I’ve been rude but I do tend to get super riled up when it comes to gender issues)