I read a sentence the other day in an otherwise swell journal that really pissed me off. That sentence was:

"If women want to be treated equally, they should..."

What he was talking about doesn't matter a damn, it's the beginning of the sentence that really boiled my peach. We have to do something? There's something special and magical that we should do and then we'll stop being punished for not having cocks? Why is this even a question anymore? Why would anyone have a discussion on the matter and take the con side? It's completely ridiculous.

At this point, when half the workforce is made up of women, the simple fact that men and women should be paid the same for the same work is like saying that men and women should be charged the same for similar drycleaning.

Whoops! They just had to legislate this in New York.

And I don't think that has a fucking thing to do with opening doors. People are always throwing that in each other's faces "If you're such a big feminist, you can open your own door" and "Why are you opening that door for me? Do I fucking look crippled?" Opening doors for people is politeness, period, and one shouldn't have to trade an extra $5000 a year for it. I do my share of opening doors, I open them for older people and handicapped people and people with bundles and baby carriages. And no, I don't think I deserve a medal for common courtesy, I'm just saying that I don't think I should be stripped of my feminist credentials because I let someone open a door for me occasionally.

I'm lucky, I grew up in a liberated household, though I wasn't aware of it at the time. Both my parents worked, but since it was acting work they both were home alot and both took care of me (I realize that most people do not have that luxury). My Mom cooked mostly, my Dad shopped and did the dishes, they both did the laundry and cleaned the house. And it's not as though they sat down and made a list and planned things out--whoever noticed that the laundry needed doing did it.

Also, my Mom switched back and forth easily between her maiden and married names, so I tend to think that insisting on one or the other is kind of silly.

Somebody once told me that I would never get a husband if I didn't clean house, and I was so shocked that I couldn't answer. Of course, I should have said "Well, I see why you're twice divorced" but I didn't think of it in time.

Another thing that annoys me is when women who are clearly feminist refuse to admit it. I read an interview with Kirstie Alley recently where she said that she didn't hate men and she liked wearing makeup, so she couldn't be a feminist. Women who hate all men just because they are men are not feminists, they are assholes, and that makeup comment is just moronic.

You wanna know what I think feminism is? Feminism is allowing all people (men and women) to live up to their potential and not slamming them into gender-based roles when they don't fit, or looking down on them if they choose said gender-based roles. That's the nutshell version. Of course, there is also equal pay and sharing household duties and stuff, but that's really what it's all about. It's not about changing every instance of the word "man" in the language into "person", and it's not confusing "equal" with "same".

I don't want to be a man, but I don't think that I am less than a man. What's wrong with that?

One year ago today:
Please, please, PLEASE don't let that be my life, too!

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Last Updated Sat 9 May 19:21:09 1998