Feminism is like anti-obedience school for dogs, explains Men’s Rights Redditor

Well… my analysis of where radfem transphobia originally comes from is the following: Some people, like myself, don’t have much in the way of a gender identity to start with. As Ozy put it, we’re “cis by default”. We go by cis since we don’t mind being called the pronoun or the name that was assigned to us at birth, and don’t really mind our bodies (well, I don’t completely fit this mold since I feel more at home in a more masculine-looking body than the one I was born with, but I’m still very much cis-by-default when it comes to pronouns and stuff). If you’re like this, I think you’re far more likely to be attracted to feminism than if you completely identify with your assigned gender. If you don’t have much of a gender identity, you’re more prone to feel that gender is something tacked-on, something made-up by society. And when you’ve come that far, you’re probably gonna become a feminist.

Hmm, this bothers me a bit, and I think it’s because of what sparky was saying about the difference between gender identity and societal construction of gender roles. For example, I’m biologically female and cis. In terms of gender identity, definitely comfortable with being and being seen as female, like having a feminine face and body. I like some stuff that’s gendered feminine from a societal perspective (clothes, makeup, cooking), and other stuff that isn’t (loud aggressive music, ice hockey). In terms of gender roles and how they operate in society and are used to determine appropriate behavior, job types, ways of relating to other people and so on, otoh, I’ve hated that stuff and been kicking against it since I was a little kid. So, little kid who was happy to run around wearing sparkly eyeshadow and fairy wings while watching The Last Unicorn and singing along but would punch you in the face if you told her she couldn’t do something because she was a girl, and then go play football with her (male) best friend.

I’m totally comfortable in my gender identity, which is the one that people would assign to me based on my genitalia and my appearance, but really annoyed by the expectations that society imposes on people with that gender identity. Which is what initially drew me towards feminism, and I think that’s the case for a lot of people, so it feels really weird for people to be assuming that it’s more likely to be discomfort with gender identity rather than discomfort with gender roles in society that would draw people to feminism. Also, honestly, I’m not sure that there are enough people who’re uncomfortable with their gender identity in a maybe-not-quite-cis way to account for how many people identify as feminists, just in terms of raw numbers. Though I can definitely see how “my gender doesn’t seem to work the way people expect it to” would lead people to look for alternative ways of seeing gender, which would eventually expose them to feminist theory.

So I was looking for feminist groups on DA and if you search for feminism, the first two that come up are both MRA groups 9_9 I can tell they are bona fide MRAs because one features the fabled two-dot ellipsis in the group description!

Whooooooo wants to see some MRA art?

A gallery with a lot of magenta

This folder is called “fact-based.”

I think my favorite is the one that says “Pregnancy is no excuse for misandry.”

@Cassandra: You may be right, I may be wrong. It was just a hypothesis I came up with because so many people in feminism seem to be – not uncomfortable with their assigned gender, but having a feeling that gender isn’t real, that’s not the same thing (although usually combined with) not feeling that girly stuff is for them. But maybe that’s me misinterpreting the situation and once again projecting myself onto others.

Everything is misandry Cassandra, because everything is run by the feminist conspiracy in association with the Furrinati.

The thing is, the image is PRO-equal pay for women, as far as I can tell. So not misandry.

Lol, I just read through the description page for one of those MR(f)Arts. They start by saying that women were needed to reproduce and raise kids so that’s why they stayed home, and then went on with this little gem:

2. Did woman really want to be like men

Place yourself in the shoes of a common laborer. What is your day like?

Seriously? Does this guy (I’m assuming) really not know that women went to work too? That labouring was not something that only men did? That the lower class required pretty much everyone in the whole household after the age of 8/9 to work because they got paid so shitty? Right after his admittance that women did all the work at home too, without help of “appliances”.

Interesting sidenote: Since appliances have been invented to “cut work”, time doing housework has actually increased significantly! People (mostly women) now do more unpaid work at home than they did before WWII, mostly to keep up with the idea of a “perfect” home (since there are affordable appliances that should make that so much easier!), and the use of better/more reliable sources of light that show the dirt more. People, in general and particularly in the middle class where the ads are targeted, can now afford to light their houses well, and appliances are supposed to cut time so everyone is expected to have far cleaner houses than ever before.

The one that goes “if feminists are for equality then why don’t they like men’s rights activists?” has totally stumped my ladybrain. Except it hasn’t, because my ladybrain can recognize terminal stupidity.

… do I want to know what this is? Or do I not want to fry my brain tonight?

katz – Ah. Damn it, I just used up my energy on a new blog post, but let me try.

My sad attempt on an MRA poster.

I tried. I think I write better than I do images.

Good point katz. They’ll probably change the URL though.

Oh, poster time?

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/AdOL1QG.png?1[/IMG]

Hope that worked… btw, can I make my photos only available via links? I don’t need all of imgur seeing my confusing manboobz art.