My perspective: And why I believe it.

So I have always thought of feminism as women’s movement. In my own experience in high school I ran into immature guys putting girls down constantly. I know they are hormonal teenage guys, but I watched guys take advantage of girls that were their “friends”. The girls just followed the guys because they wanted to stay cool or be invited to parties. I personally went through this my junior year or high school. They made comments constantly that sexualized my body and I laughed it off because I wanted them to still accept my friendship. The day I stood up for myself was the day I was dropped as a friend. They moved on to other girls and kicked me out. For a while I was that “feminist” that hated men. I thought they were all disrespectful and out for themselves.  I learned that feminism is a movement for men AND women. A support system that advocates rights for men too. "The very term “men‟s movement” has itself taken on different meanings over the last thirty years or so. In the 70’s and 80’s there were attempts to call it “profeminist” or “gay affirmative (Morrison 9)."  Fighting for women’s rights and hating the other gender is just another form of regression. Coming to the conclusion that men suffer from gender inequality too has helped guide me to a new perspective. It’s kind of like a cycle, and since men have held most dominant roles in society, if woman keep rising to the occasion of those dominant roles than it will become the new normal. If men do not feel like they have to fit their gender roles: some examples; aggressive, athletic, muscular, sporty, masculine, then women will not fit theirs either. It is angering when people think that a man is supposed to work and the wife has to stay home and raise kids becauase that is how it has always been, but how is society supposed to be dynamic if other people want to keep it the way it was forty years ago?  Professor of Womens Studies & Geography at Florida State University says gender roles they can deeply reflect on their own self and on their own conduct. So what do I think everyone should get out of all this information? The lesson is simple. Accept any and everyone. I'm proud to say the world seems to have gotten more accepting of diversity, but work could still be done and it starts with education of topics. Watching the videos I linked will help reflection and hopefully a better mindset on how the world can address equality issues.

Linn Egeberg Holmgren & Jeff Hearn, “Framing ‘men in feminism’: theoretical locations, local contexts and practical passings in men's gender-conscious positionings on gender equality and feminism”, Journal of Gender Studies, 18:4, 403-418, 14 December, 2009. Digital Journal. 11 July, 2016 and

MORRISON, PAUL

(1980)’ Our common ground...’, Anti-Sexist Men’s Newsletter, 10.