Helping Men Understand Feminism

So I recently read a very interesting article about the Kesha rape/contract dispute that is currently making its way around through the press. To be honest, I don't know all of the details, and I doubt anyone in the media really does know all of the details except for those involved. Maybe it will go to court sometime soon? It took a while before Cosby went to court. And after it starts it could take a very long time until we get a verdict. I don't want to make any sort of moral judgments until a court decides.

Now, as a guy these sorts of stories terrify the crap out of me. To be completely frank with you now, I'm a virgin. It's a religious thing, and I don't believe I should have sex until I find someone who I consider a true life partner. But the idea of getting accused of being a rapist is still terrifying. A rapist is the lowest of the low, scum worse than dirt, and a stain upon mankind. To know that someone has the power to take me and turn me into that with just an accusation, true or false, feels me with a sense of dread when I think about it.

Now, I want to make very clear, I don't think this means that feminism isn't a thing, or that men are the real victims. Most rapes don't get reported, and this power only tilts the power relationship an inch. Still, that inch is terrifying for those who are used to living on the top.

But it can speak in some way to a common understanding that can be built. This is an example of something that women say men cannot understand. Well, we can understand it, and a lot of us freak out about it. When you talk about microaggressions, ask men if they have ever been walking alone at night when a woman crossed their path. Did the woman try to create distance between herself and you? Did she have a look of fear in her eyes? How did this, as a guy, make you feel? Even white men get microaggressions, and that can be a place to start a dialogue.

I checked out the rest of the site that had the Kesha article, and it made me happy I had my adblocker on to prevent them from getting any revenue from my views. Articles should not have whore or bitch in the title. That is NOT a way to start a dialogue. Blagh.