She For He

Following the recent attention around the shocking new revelation that men can identify as feminists (I know right, who knew?), a sudden spark of opposition has appeared in the form of 'meninism', which seems to quite literally follow the same principles as feminism, yet with more moaning. 

To me, meninism seems to be a complete misunderstanding, as many who agree with it seem to consider themselves as heroes of men's rights and warriors against the ghastly women who oppress them. What they don't seem to understand that feminism works for them, too. As a response to this, I thought that maybe I should clarify some real issues men have to deal with, rather than letting men be degraded by this new wave of 'meninism'. This post is very much inspired by a tweet I saw, but I can't remember who it was who tweeted it so just pretend I gave them credit. 

The exclusion of trans-men:

The struggle for equal gender rights is often seen as a battle of the sexes, completely disregarding any other gender than cis-male and cis-female. Transfolk often have to deal with the fact that people mislabel them by deliberately using the wrong pronouns, dehumanising them and sometimes excluding them altogether. What people often forget is that you do not necessarily have to have a penis to be a man; if, biologically, you are a woman but you believe that you would prefer to identify as a man (and vice versa), then you are one, and anyone who disrespects that is the one in the wrong. Those who are transgender should not be persecuted for being so, and this is why trans-men should be very much included wherever the topic of men's rights is mentioned. 

Gender stereotypes and emasculation: 

Amongst feminists, the abolishment of gender stereotypes is a primary aim. Gender stereotypes cast chains around both men and women, and disallow individuality, diversity and anything that does not fit the mould. Men are frequently ridiculed for being "too feminine" (which is sexist in itself) and for partaking in anything remotely 'female'.  Even trivial things such as being demonstrative and expressive are labelled as being 'in touch with your feminine side'. This belief is damaging as it restricts men from being open, which I believe is a factor towards why suicide is the 2nd most common cause of death amongst men aged 18-24 in the UK. Homophobia often links into this, with men who show any sign of emotion being branded as "faggots" (an offensive slur used to refer to gay people). If gender stereotypes are disbanded, all genders will be freed from the mould they supposedly must fit. 

Disregard of male issues: 

The only time I have ever seen men mention the subject of rape or domestic violence is to degrade or lessen the severity of that against women. Never have I heard a man openly condemn or even accept the fact that men can be raped, and men can be victims of domestic abuse. Once again, this is an example of the emasculation of men, as many believe these to be predominately female problems. Although the majority of rape/abuse cases are against women, it is still an issue for men and must be prevented. 

In theory, meninism seems like a rebellion against the idea of female supremacy, however, it was born simply of a misunderstanding towards what feminism actually is. Feminism is about equal gender rights, which eliminates the need did 'meninism' in the first place. Furthermore, meninism seems to complain about trivial issues such as so-called 'double standards', yet completely disregards the need to rectify significant issues like the ones mentioned. If men's right activists educated themselves about the meaning of feminism, perhaps men's rights activists would not be needed at all, as feminists are gender rights activists and work for everyone. 

Rules 4 Girls

Ladies, do you ever find yourself tossing and turning in bed at night, unable to sleep due to the crippling anxiety you have towards the notion of not being perceived as a ‘real woman’ by misogynists? No, me neither. Gentlemen, does the thought of a girl not mutilating their bodies with razor blades in an attempt to remove the same hair you have in the same places make you want to gag? No? Still, have no fear because the people of Twitter (yes… again) have simplified womanhood into a few concise rules that every member of the female species must follow. NOTE: These are all quoted directly from the account.

Rule Number One: “Don’t dress like a slut if you don’t wanna be perceived as a slut #keepitclassy”

Don’t you dare dress how you want to dress, and don’t even think of crafting your appearance for anyone but the men you are undoubtedly attempting to seduce! With the definition of slut being someone who has sex with multiple different people, might it be possible that a woman could be desirable and sensual? Be careful, you wouldn’t want people to think you get laid often! Or, instead of abiding to this ridiculous and offensive ‘rule’, you could wear whatever the hell you want and dress in a way that makes you love yourself? If you want to cover every inch of skin you have, go for it, that’s fine. However, remember that if you want to wear something slightly more revealing then that is equally fine. Dress to impress whomever you want, but dress to make yourself feel comfortable and confident – prioritise yourself.

Rule Number Two: “Don’t ever say ‘Hi’ to a guy first.”

Always remind yourself that it’s vital that you continue the segregation of the sexes in our society. Don’t speak unless spoken to, seen and not heard… etc. Whilst doing so, you must blame yourself for the ‘friendzone’/being seen as rude/being seen as cocky, conceited or stuck up, despite the fact that you are being instructed to ignore your male friends and colleagues. Remember, you’re a stern, cold-hearted bitch, and it’s your own fault, not that of the people restricting you from interacting with others! On the other hand, you could always decide to ‘rebel’ and speak to who you like, when you like, if you like. After all, you don’t owe anyone your time or your thought, but if you want to give it to them then you have every right to.

Rule Number Three: “Shave.”

If you do not take this sharp object – which is often used as a murder weapon – to your skin and remove the hair that naturally grows, and re-grows, and re-grows, then you cannot be a ‘real woman’. If you do not deny yourself the right to possess the same bodily feature as your male counterparts, then you cannot be a ‘real woman’. If you think for a second that ditching the razor and embracing the hair is A-Okay then you cannot be a ‘real woman’. However, if you’re not a fan of razor rash, and you’d rather not walk out of the door with plasters covering your scabby knees, there is always another option… just don’t shave? Don’t get me wrong, if, like me, you prefer to get rid of hair for personal reasons, then that’s groovy, but if you can’t be bothered to endure the effort then why listen to those who tell you to do so? If someone cannot accept your body in its natural, untarnished state, and if they cannot accept you in a way that makes you feel happy and self-confident, then what’s the point? Besides, if your forearms are as hairy as a man’s then that’s a bloody good competition. Stay warm in the winter if you want to. Shave if you want to. Do whatever you want to, and whatever you think is best for you.

Having looked through each and every tweet posted from this account – all the while trying my hardest to refrain from tearing my hair out of my head and snapping my phone in half – I have decided that it is all bullshit, and should be whole-heartedly ignored/opposed. The thought that people in the world still think this way is extremely worrying, and thoughts like this can be unbelievably damaging. When will people realise that people can do whatever they want so long as no one is being harmed in the process? Not only are these ‘rules’ inappropriate, discriminate and degrading to all genders, many of them are simply rude. It seems to me that many forget how to go about being a decent human being. To anyone reading this: be nice.

The Magic Numbers

As if by magic, my view count has rocketed over the past month or so and is now at... wait for it... 25-bloody-thousand!! 

Thank you to every single person who has read this mediocre little blog of mine, I want to grab you all by the face and kiss you, even if it's just one person who's refreshed the page 25,000 times. Considering I only started this blog in April, things aren't going too badly :~) 

Thank you millions X 

Crazy, New, Exciting!!!

Due to much deliberation regarding the direction of this blog, I’ve decided to change things up a little. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be my usual angry-feminist-who-doesn’t-take-any-shit self, and will still spend a lot (possibly too much) of my time arguing with misogynists on twitter, however, I intend to do a bit more than just the ranty stuff. Although I seem to have a shit tonne of work to do practically all of the time lately, hopefully extending the variety of things I can write about will lead to me actually writing more, rather than leaving it for three weeks, desperately trying to think of something mildly entertaining/informative for you to read. I hope those of you who have been here since the beginning don’t start to think I’m too crap :~)

X

The Mighty 200,000

If you clicked on this post thinking that the "200,000" was referring to the amount of views on this humble little blog of mine then all I will say to you is "I wish!!" No, I'm talking about one of the few things born on the internet that I can actually praise rather than rant about like I have done lately. No More Page 3 is an organisation who are trying to get rid of the topless photos which leap out at readers of British tabloid, The Sun, the second the first page is turned. This once small group just hit 200,000 members! 

Why do naked women appear in newspapers? Surely people who purchase The Sun (no matter what personal prejudices I have against them) want news, not nudity? It is hard for me to understand how degradation and objectification of women found it's way into mainstream publication in the first place, but 42 years on, isn't it old news? 

Former Green Party representative and MP, Caroline Lucas, recently caused quite a stir in Parliament by revealing her No More Page 3 t-shirt. Not only are political figures becoming aware of the campaign and it's desire to change the way the nation broadcasts and receives the news, celebrities including Russell Brand, Eliza Doolittle and adamant feminist/Times columnist Caitlin Moran are supporters, too. Moran even commented "teenage tits aren't news OR a feature". Too right. 

My mother tried to tell me that Page 3 is perfectly fine because the girls being featured are doing so out of choice, and are not being pressured into doing anything by The Sun. Whether this is true or not, this is still irrelevant to the topic of whether boobs should be in the news. And anyway, I doubt the page 3 girls think "woop-de-bloody-doo, I love being objectified by men I don't know! Let's plaster my bare boobs in one of the most popular newspapers in the country, which is displayed well in reach of young children, and suggest to them that my body (and eventually theirs) is the only part of me that anyone really cares about!!" with much delight. 

Let's make 2014 the year boobs were taken out of the news. 

Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #NoMorePage3 hashtag, or sign the petition on change.org (https://www.change.org/p/david-dinsmore-take-the-bare-boobs-out-of-the-sun-nomorepage3 here's the link if, like me, you're a lazy sod who can't be bothered to google it. You have no excuse now!!). Hopefully, I will not have to make any future posts on this issue, as it's nearing the final push it needs to come true. Fingers crossed!! 

Social Media Misdemeanours

Following my previous post almost a month ago now (sorry!!) regarding a trending topic on twitter entitled #WomenAgainstFeminism, I have decided that now is as good a time as any to address yet more social media stupidity. God, I wish I didn't have to, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

As I write this, there is a hashtag circulating around Twitter called #FeministsAreUgly. So, as you've probably guessed, some people got a bit of a roasting from Yours Truly. All I'm currently seeing on my timeline is witty comebacks being fired against this statement. Man, I'm so proud. Is it just me, or is the phrase "Feminists are ugly" completely promoting feminism? After all, it just proves feminism is needed to stop people from objectifying women and suggesting that the only thing about them relevant to men is their appearance. And guess what, even if we're ugly, we genuinely don't care. I'm sure we'd all rather be ugly but bad ass, educated promoters of equal rights than pretty and naïve/so narcissistic that we do not want anyone to be on the same societal platform as we are. 

 

Whether it's to take the piss out of the derogatory hashtag, or argue against it with a more serious tone, pretty much everyone had something to say. But it's hashtags like this that allow misogyny to be broadcast in the first place, and with social media platforms like twitter now attracting a user demographic of mostly teenagers and young adults, it can easily be passed on to people who may grow up to be fully-fledged misogynists. 

I cannot believe it has gotten to the point in which I am even having to comment on things like this, but the latest large-scale act of digital sexual harassment is revenge porn. Revenge porn is when someone (this 'someone' being presumably angry and bitter... and demented) posts indecent images of someone else (normally their ex-partner) online for the world to see. These images are usually of a sexual nature, 90% of the time are of women, and most importantly, are posted without their consent. 

Not only is this practice illegal and incriminating, it is also highly damaging to the individuals in the pictures. A high number of images are of under 18s, which means that people in possession of them can be prosecuted for owning or being involved in the distribution of child pornography. This is an extreme case of internet-based misogyny, and it needs to stop. 

Since the steady growth of the internet, new technological methods of sexism have been introduced, so much so that they have started to make themselves known 'IRL'. I have already written a post regarding 'laddism', which is a predominantly internet-based idea, and I have touched on rape culture in today's society and how it has almost been given a digital regeneration right at the time when we thought things were changing. Rape culture is the idea that sexual assault is something that can be joked about, and that it is the victim's own fault. Whether it be the clothing he/she was wearing, where they were, or who they were with at a specific time, people are excusing the rapist and pushing the blame on the victims. Thankfully, I myself have never been raped, and I honestly feel for those who have been. It makes me sick how they could possibly be blamed for another individual's vile actions. 

These are some messages I received on twitter (good old twitter) last week which truly prove my point: 

So what we've learnt from this is, the way a person decides to express themselves through clothing is subliminally saying "please rape me." Moreover, rape is a compliment, as you definitely need to be attractive to be a victim (what a shame, apparently I'm too ugly to be sexually assaulted). Additionally, rape is just another excuse for bra-burning, hairy-legged feminists to cry and complain about how men are shit. Oh and finally, who could forget the amazing revelation that rape culture doesn't even exist. It is just fiction. We made it up so we'd have something to moan about. Well no, I refuse to gloss over it, I refuse to excuse the perpetrators and I refuse to blame the victim. I refuse to receive hateful messages for not wanting people to be raped.

This is not the first post regarding World Wide Web wankers, and I'm sure it won't be the last considering the fact that new ways of being a sexist, misogynistic moron are invented everyday. So, until next time folks... 

#WomenAgainstFeminism

Hiya lovelies, so there's this thing going on over on twitter called #WomenAgainstFeminism and I have a few things to say about it. Having clicked on it (I knew I shouldn't have, I just get too damn angry), some of the things people are saying have really boiled my blood. Not only is feminism being described as unnecessary, - something I have already talked about in previous blog posts and undoubtedly will again - it is also being hailed as something only to be believed in by women who are riddled with personal insecurities. 

Let's just get one thing straight (once again): Feminism is not female supremacy, it is equal gender rights. It is not about dehumanising men, it is not about hating men and it is not about thinking women are superior, it is simply about being equal in all aspects of society. Many women featured on the #WomenAgainstFeminism tag are unbelievably unaware of this. 

Secondly, without feminism, the women using the hashtag would not have the opportunity to express their dislike towards it. These women surely have jobs and the right to vote, so why not be on your own side? Who wants to be victimised and discriminated against? I'm not saying every woman in the world falls victim to sexism, but that doesn't mean that sexism doesn't exist. Even if you personally have never experienced it, that does not mean it is not an issue that needs to be addressed. 

So, ladies and gents, we are bitter, angry and immature...HA! Yes, we're angry, but we're not bitter if we're trying to do something about it and we're certainly not immature, and when I was trying to explain this to a certain someone who responded to my tweet (shameless self-promotion there, by the way), they seemed to be quite stubborn, until they eventually stopped replying altogether. I guess they had nothing left to say, huh. Don't get me wrong, I have received a tonne of shit because of this blog and some 'controversial' tweets and speeches and opinions, but I will not stop doing what I'm doing. I have experienced sexism, as have my friends and my family and acquaintances, and it is clear to see that women and men globally witness/are victimised daily and it's not right. I do not understand why we still need to campaign for feminism, after all, it is the 21st century, surely all that should be over by now, but until it is over (or until I die, whichever comes first) I will not stop. 

Happy Birthday, Emmeline

Today is the 15th July. As it's Emmeline Pankhurst's birthday, I thought I'd return to the blog I seem to have abandoned as of late and sing her praises. After all, she is a bad ass lady. Sorry for leaving you, you know my reasons...

So I did a wee bit of research (and by a wee bit, I mean I spent far too long in Birmingham Central Library, in a chair I was too small for, elbow in the air, scrawling in my notebook. Let's just say my handwriting is hardly legible). Naturally, I was wandering around the politics section (quelle surprise) and I noticed the glorious name of Emmeline Pankhurst plastered on a book my eyes skimmed across. Within minutes, I'd read ten pages and written three pages of notes on things I already knew but I thought would be interesting to share. So here's what I've got: 

Emmeline Pankhurst - 

"A traitor to her sex", "an idiosyncratic mixture of feminine charm and political guile", with a professional façade of femininity, whilst at the same time, a habit of breaking every known standard of 'acceptable female conduct' - A cotton wool woman with an iron determination. Her big ideas remained constant despite her tendency to switch between British political parties during her career. Not unlike the 21st Century situation, many found it difficult to reconcile beauty with intelligence. It was believed that women were seldom anything other than pretty and empty-headed or clever and ugly. However, contemporary newspaper, Saturday Night, reported on their assumptions of Pankhurst prior to an interview with her - "I imagined a hatchet-faced old dame, with her hat on an angle of forty-five degrees. Instead of these, I found a lady, singularly attractive in appearance, graceful in carriage, dignified in bearing and a public speaker or culture as well as force." Emmeline Pankhurst proved to women that they can have it all if they so wish. That they have the ability to be passionate and militant leaders, both politically and in their everyday lives. Yes, this was a century ago, but both female and male feminists are still finding it difficult to be heard and listened to. Today is her 156th birthday, and yet she still continues to inspire feminists across the world to maintain their determination. We've had a female Prime Minister (no matter how successful you believe Mrs Thatcher was, this is not the time nor the place to say so), and many have persevered in their quest for equal rights through organised protests, similar to those of the original Victorian to Post-War feminists. Happy Birthday, Emmeline Pankhurst. 

Pretty, Pink and Pissed Off

I have pink glasses, I wear flowery mini-skirts and I have an unexplainable obsession with anything silver and sparkly (particularly with a pair of shoes my boyfriend hates.) I'm an extremely girly girl, so what? Well, something took me by surprise today. "That's not very feminist of you, is it?" The people who said this will probably read this at some point, so if you are, this is just to clarify a few things for you. 

So apparently, because I'm a feminist, I'm not allowed to like stereotypically "girly" things. And, because I'm a girl, I'm not allowed to like stereotypically "boy-ish" things. So... What am I allowed to like? It seems that everyday lately, the encouragement regarding this blog has been put on pause and the ridicule has well and truly begun. I have received the most ridiculous "insults" ever, some of them pathetic and poor, some of them too close for comfort. It's gotten personal - someone even suggested that the only reason I'm a feminist is because my father is not around, and that I have used that as an excuse to create a secret "prejudice against men." All of which, you know, is untrue. All I'm trying to do is make a difference, help a few people out maybe, and express my feelings safely. What's so wrong with that? 

And as for the "what about men's rights?" thing, feminism is the belief in equality of the sexes, not female supremacy. I have said this countless times but because of the 'fem' part of the word, I get stupid responses such as "I'm going to become a male-ist", which is contradictory as it is, considering feminism is working for men too. 

By the way, saying "you're such a feminist" is not an insult, because I am one. It says so at the top of this blog. It says so in my twitter bio. I am a feminist and I am proud, hence why my only response to you is "yes, yes I am."

I just don't understand what the problem is. I'm not hurting anyone, I'm not campaigning for something morally wrong, and I'm not using this blog to get back at my ex-boyfriend as someone suggested. This world needs changing and I'm trying to do my bit to help, so it would be greatly appreciated if it wasn't made difficult for me to do so. 

Thanks for reading. 

Not Hardcore Unless You Live Hardcore

Helloooooo ladies, I know my posts are becoming few and far between, but the summer is coming so that means that soon, you will not be able to get rid of me. I've got something to say.... 

It was fourth period, I was tired as hell and slightly irritable, and was being forced to endure a dreary English lesson - never a good thing when you are so close yet so far from the end of the week. So you can imagine my immense feeling of "urghhhhh" when my teacher asked me to do her a favour and get some pencils from an upstairs classroom, but nevertheless, I agreed, because I like my English teacher and I'm a helpful sorta gal. Silly me for thinking I'd be back in a minute or less. I knocked on the door and saw a group of around twenty five boys who I recognised to be members of my year group (just about) through the small glass window. I swear, you would think they had never seen a girl in their entire lives. I was greeted by the same amount of wolf-whistles as there were people present, and the teacher on duty told me "boys will be boys". Yes, boys are boys, but why does that mean they can whistle at girls like they are animals? But the thing is, I wasn't scared or intimidated, I just thought it was so pathetic. It actually made me feel pity that they do not have the knowledge of how to communicate with people. But it got me thinking, are we really safe in our own schools/workplaces?

And because I am prone to overthinking things, I overthought, and I was reminded of something that happened to me last week which will probably enrage me to speak about. I was walking through what is generally considered to be a pretty nice area, which I know practically like the back of my hand, in broad daylight despite it being evening (but even so, what does that have to do with anything?) when I was followed, yet again. Two middle-aged men began blowing kisses at me and walking behind me, so I walked faster, and they walked faster, and faster, and faster, until eventually I ran halfway to my destination and ended up at a bus stop, desperate to get away. The bus drove past me when he saw me crying. He drove straight past me as he looked me in the eyes. So I had to call the only person I could rely on to not be a complete prick, when I was so scared my hands were shaking. And I paced back and forth, refusing to stay in one place until he got there in the fear that the two guys would find me again.

This is probably one of the worst experiences I have had, but it is definitely not the only one. A similar thing happened when I was twelve, on my way home from a musical rehearsal. I get cat-called almost everyday on my way home, whilst in my school uniform. And sleazy teenagers from my boyfriend's school just stare, with the occasional whistle. And there is a man who I don't know who puts his arm around me every time he sees me for some reason, and I'm tired of it. But no, I should "take it as a compliment" - who the hell takes 'get your tits out' as a compliment? And as for "boys will be boys" - well boys need to grow the hell up then if it means they have an excuse to practise misogyny in the 21st century. And forty year old men are not boys either. And when things of this sort are reported, it doesn't matter, because it always manages to be your fault. 

"You shouldn't have worn this",

"You shouldn't have gone out at that time",

"You shouldn't walk through that area",

Well why not, because I can't walk through the city I was born in without being harassed? You got it.

But don't let this deter you from dressing how you like, going out and doing things you usually do. Don't let anyone take that away from you. 

The F Word

Guess who's back!! I apologise profusely for my lack of presence, but it's been half-term week and I've had places to go and people (well... person) to see. 

So, Thursday was a *cough* eventful day, which ended with a pen-shaped indent in my finger, a notebook filled with messy scrawlings and a migraine... Worth it. The things we do for you! 

So, being the Cassanova he is, Tom suggested we go to The R Word (The F Word... Get it?) - an anti-racism debate being held at The MAC in Birmingham. In the studio, there was a long table in the middle, with around 20 people seated at it, and a number of chairs surrounding the table for visitors to sit in. The idea of this layout was that during the debate, if you wanted to speak, you would go up to someone who was sitting at the table, tap them on the shoulder and swap places with them. 

I entered the room slightly naïve and blissfully unaware of many social and economic issues others face. However, I did realise that a lot of the discrimination people of ethnic backgrounds receive in this country links in to the abuse women get too. Discrimination is discrimination, regardless of who is on the receiving end of it. Despite the fact I was born in this country, I can't go a week without being called a derogatory term due to my Romany gypsy ancestry or the fact that women are often second class citizens in some aspects of their culture (which may be my family's, but not my own). The result of the discussions were promising, if not a bit full on for a Thursday night, but a lot of it needed to be said. 

One thing I definitely did notice is that people (the younger generation in particular) are told to "just chill out" too often, even though they're trying to make a difference. Why should people sit down, shut up and accept it? Why should people adopt such a sense of 21st Century cynicism, like nothing they do will be of any help? Why are people so passive, are they uneducated as to how to help? Truth is, there's only so much preaching you can do until people stop giving a shit. Young people - future voters - need to take a stand. They need to understand that welcoming people into your world and being generally friendly can be helpful when it comes to dispelling any misconceptions people may have of you. Show them you're better than that. But at the same time, something needs to be done on the larger scale of things. Being nice doesn't always work. 

"There are worse things in the world...", 

"You should take it as a compliment",

"I think you need to chill out".

Why should we take abuse and excuse it? Why should we take it as 'banter?'

Yes, there's having a laugh, but not all of it is an innocent joke. Entertainment often means that people have to give up their morals in order to be socially accepted, humorously appreciated or financially stable. It's the same regardless of which group it is aimed at, whether it's sexist, racist, homophobic etc. 

So how do we make a change? Ladies, gentlemen, I need you to be rebellious and stop rolling around in the pools of hatred you grew up in. Hatred is taught, not inherited. However, hate is so much easier to feel. We need to teach love and tolerance and acceptance before it's too late. Change starts within a community, hostility melts with conversation and education; the end to discrimination will start off small and gradually expand. This blog is my own way of making a small change. With younger people getting involved more-so in politics than possibly ever before, can older people's ideas be challenged - can a leopard ever change it's spots? 

You're a human being before you're a man/woman, and you're a man/woman before you're a member of a race or religion. Be humane. 

Mermaids Against Misogyny

If you haven't heard already, six women were murdered by 22 year old Elliott Rodger in Santa Barbara on Saturday after three of them refused to have sex with him. The three in question were consequently stabbed to death before Rodger went out on the streets and began to shoot at random passers-by. He left a YouTube video describing his humiliation, misogynistic values and (lack of a) sex life, which eventually led to many sympathising with him.

So, the girls seem to be at fault for their deaths, despite the fact that all they did was tell him no? So feminists are stereotyped as man-hating dykes when a misogynist, who kills six women, is labelled as 'mentally ill' and receives an overwhelming amount of sympathy?

As a response, something of a revolt seems to have been established on twitter under the hashtag "#YesAllWomen". On this tag, people (such as myself) have written ways in which they feel discriminated against due to sexism or as result of lack of gender equality. Reading through them, it shows we've still got a hell of a long way to go.... 

Are Men the secret to Equal Rights for Women?

Pre-post note:
One of the many perks of having a wonderful boyfriend, who identifies as a feminist, is that he writes bloody brilliant posts for me just like the one you are about to read. Thank you, Tom. Hopefully, this will be the first of many...

Post:

It is the Wednesday 28^th August 1963, 300,000-strong army of peaceful protesters descend on Washington like a pack of hungry wolves. Marching for jobs, freedom and equality; as well as to hear the tranquil words of the godfather of the Civil Rights movement in the United States, Martin Luther King Jr; among the crowds of expectant people, waiting with baited breath for the speech which would transform America forever. Not just black people who had suffered racism (who still had their shirt stained by the blood of oppression), African-American women and children who still had the scars to show and the nightmares to tell, but white people, who had no experience of racism but felt that it was right and moral to help the cause of black people in America because they saw the injustice of what was going on and decided to take a stand.

What I’m trying to get at is that when it comes to sexism - which I know is very different to that of the civil rights movement in American in the 1960s – feminists (in which I count myself as one despite being a bloke, with a penis, who does stereotypically manly things like watch football and drink Bovril) believe in equality of the sexes, and therefore I am totally unashamed of calling myself a feminist and it does not make me any less a man.

Anyway…back to my original point which I seemed to have deviated from somewhat… I think that in order to create a more equal society for women, what feminist groups need are men. We need more male feminists who firmly believe in the equality of the sexes and are very against the objectification of women, like the white people who supported the black struggle in 1963. I think that way, decision makers/dudes in power (who, because of sexism, are guys) are more likely to listen to blokes compared to female feminists, not because they are not any good but merely because of the sexist culture which society encourages.

Obviously, I could be talking out of my backside (which is a great possibility due to my big arse). I have never been part of a real, organised feminist organisation and I have never been on the receiving end of sexist abuse, if you exclude my father being a male nurse and some of the grief that he got when he first ventured into the nursing possession in the 1980s.

I know as a bloke that due to ‘laddism’ and other ideas which our internet-age culture clings to and watch expand into situations and notions which are clearly sexist. Although it might be a hard and thankless task trying to get testosterone-filled tykes to change their ways, I think it can be done and It would only take a few for a change on how women are viewed in British society.

In short, I’m calling to take the moral high ground and stand up for feminist causes! Ladies, nag your boyfriends to help, otherwise nothing can change…

I hope you have enjoyed reading this little and substandard post compared to the rest of the posts on this fantastic blog. 

THREE THOUSAND VIEWS

I have had this blog since the 15th April, which was just a little over a month ago, and have already received three thousand views - seven hundred of which were in the past forty eight hours. That's insane. 

I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has tweeted me telling me how my blog affected you. Whether you have promoted it (thank you Maz, Eve, Millie and Tom) or even just clicked on a link or read a post. The numbers all add up. 

According to my blog stats, we have reached Australia, America, Russia, Germany, Austria, Italy, France and India amongst others. You have made me so bloody happy. 

Why we still need Feminism

Today, in a last-period cover lesson, our task was to research something we feel strongly about. It's probably not hard to guess what my best friend and I researched.... 

Typing the word "feminism" into the search bar, I had no idea what to expect. Perhaps they'd make feminism out to be a dirty word, perhaps I'd see evidence of the feminist movement being glorified or criticised, perhaps I'd find other amateur bloggers like myself who just need a bit of a rant from time to time. 

I am so relieved to say that the latter was, in fact, predominantly true. Three blogs similar to mine appeared on the first page of my google search, which makes me so imponderably happy! However, as much as I adore the idea of spending my last lesson of half-term reading through anecdotes, queries and complaints so similar to my own, they didn't do much in terms of statistical research. 

So we typed in "feminist facts and stats" (so 'down with the kids', I know) and then my blood really began to boil. 

"As of 2013, children as young as five months old are victims of FGM." 

FGM, the abbreviation for "Female Genital Mutilation" is still a popular practice amongst Jews and Sunni Muslims. The excruciatingly painful - and often deadly - procedure is often completed without aid of anaesthetic, and makes urinating awful and sex impossible. Whilst a lot of victims of FGM are married off prematurely, often between the ages of 9 and 15, "consummating the marriage" can lead to an early grave. 

"26% of people in the UK believe that if she is in public wearing sexy or revealing clothes, a rape victim has only themselves to blame" As I was reading this I screamed 'some people are so bloody stupid!!' I don't know how anyone can possibly say that anyone deserves to be sexually assaulted. Why don't we teach boys from an early age that rape is wrong, rather than teaching girls (and eventually, women) to dress a certain way to avoid being raped? According to a UK report, only one percent of rapes in Great Britain result in conviction; rapists are getting away with destroying the lives of other people, and nothing is being done about it. This has to change. 

"The number of Honour Killings per year is estimated to be over five thousand." 

If you've ever watched the news, read a newspaper or scrolled through any online news platform, you probably know exactly what is meant by the term 'honour killing.' However, if you don't already know, an honour killing is a murder usually conducted by the family of the victim, as a result of an action which could be deemed as dishonourable to their name. Honour killing is usually considered to be a solely Muslim issue, despite the fact that Sikhs, Hindus and Christian honour murders have also been recorded. The 'dishonourable' action in question is usually the over-statement of the century - seeing a boy alone, overusing make up and even swearing on social networking sites have all been supposed reasons for a murder, but the most commonly seen is refusing to elope with your appointed partner in an arranged marriage. Five thousand honour killings take place per year, but that's five thousand too many, 

I found out a lot of things I didn't previously know today, and I also came across a few things I did know, but each fact, figure or statistic I read angers and disappoints me as much as the others. People may believe that gender equality was achieved in 1918, with the end of the Women's Suffrage, but it's clear to see that there's still a long way to go, not just in the UK but across the world. 

L-A-D

Just when I thought I was running out of things to complain about (never gonna happen, kids), my lovely boyfriend reminded me of something that pisses a hell of a lot of people off.

"Laddism" 

The 'new lad' is described by Tim Edwards, a sociologist at the University of Leicester as a "reaction to second-wave feminism". Their general lack of respect towards others, particularly women, is often featured in newspapers and causes controversy amongst men and women alike. 

One writer described lad culture as a practice in which "lads took up an anti-intellectual position, scorning sensitivity and caring in favour of drinking, violence, and a pre-feminist and racist attitude to women as both sex objects and creatures from another species".

Although most men's magazines refer to typically 'manly' interests - cars, booze and women (Kira Cochran said that "it's a dark world that 'Loaded' and the lad culture has bequeathed us.) -when will boys stop being boys? When do naïve teenagers become pervy men, and what's the barrier between harmless Jack the Lad-style behaviour and taking it too far? 

Lad culture seems to dominate social media nowadays, with twitter pages like the LADbible, and copy cat pages, having up to 880,000 followers each. Tweets containing jokes about rape, derogatory terms for women and general narcissism appear on people's timelines everyday, and yes, they may be 'innocent jokes' but they are offensive more often than not. 

Of course, it's fine to have a joke, but sometimes jokes aren't funny. Stop saying "boys will be boys" and teach those boys to respect other people, and themselves. 

I have a feeling this post will be continued, but until then....