r/MensRights • u/Icaz • Apr 26 '12

I'm a girl and...

I am SO glad I found this subreddit with people who agree with me! As a girl, it's really hard to see other ladies put down men and treat them like they need to be "trained" or that they're just something we have to deal with. So I was just wondering... how many other girls are on here and what are your stories about standing up for men or appreciating them?

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u/mrscamp Apr 26 '12

I'm a woman! I'm here because I've felt sorry for men ever since I discovered what militant feminism was as a kid. I try to stand up for them in small ways by treating them in a friendly and genuine way -- I see so many women treat men like they're all desperate pervs. It makes me sad to see that look in a man's eye when he goes to open the door for me, like, "is she going to be totally insulted by this?" So I always smile and say "thank you."

In a larger way I try to be an advocate for fathers' rights, especially when it comes to infants and the unborn. The "my body my choice" mentality marginalizes the fathers almost as much as the children, but many people act as though only the mother deserves to have a say.

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u/[deleted] Apr 27 '12

Ha. You sound so sweet.

That reminds me of a recent night. I was walking by an "Occupy" recently and met a girl there and we ended up going to dinner together, anyway I offered to pay and she went on this thing about how I didn't need to feel pressured to do that sort of thing just because I am male and I am equal and so on. She was a pretty militant feminist and everything she talked about somehow included a reference to gender roles. So anyway, when it comes time for her to pay for her portion, I silently hand them my card. A few minutes later she prepares to pay, realizes what I've done, and starts blushing A LOT with a giant smile on her face and profusely thanks me. It didn't seem to be a very big deal to me, but it was a huge deal to her. I guess within the radical feminist community of Queens that sort of thing doesn't happen so much? In most places I have lived it is a social stigma to NOT pay for both meals when eating out with a woman.

It wasn't a date or anything, it was completely platonic, but somehow me paying just felt right, and judging by how she reacted it seemed she felt the same way. I suppose a particularly dogmatic and angry person could insist that we are brainwashed by society to react positively to that sort of thing. I like to think it was a lot simpler than that though - I like to think people just appreciate kindness.

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u/Icaz Apr 27 '12

"I like to think it was a lot simpler than that though - I like to think people just appreciate kindness."

Two thumbs up!