Can men be genuine feminists?
I’m biased. If I hear a man call himself a feminist, I begin to think of him as somewhat feminine. Why?
If he supports feminism, then he probably supports the idea that women should be like men in the society. If women leave the stuff women do to do what men do, then who does the things women used to do?
The answer: men do.
And when a man does what a woman usually does, he looks a bit feminine compared to those men who only do what men do.
I know, I know. The outrage — excuse me, “the things that women do?!”
Yes. Like washing the dishes, cleaning, doing the laundry…
They (men) don’t call it “a woman’s job” just because they want their woman to do it — though they do want their woman to do it — they also call it “a woman’s job” because women most often do it.
If we look at feminism in its innocent child’s shoes, as nothing but a wish for women to be paid like the men at the same job, then yes, a man can be a genuine feminist. But if we look at the big picture of what the feminist agenda is actually driving at, men cannot support it ( not genuinely, anyway) because it’s against their interests.
Men are taught the right things to say, but the practical life of most couples proves that they’re just words said to please.
If a man can choose between a woman who washes the dishes and one who expects him to wash them 50% of the time, he’ll choose the former. If he can choose between coming home to a warm meal and coming home to cook, he’ll choose the former.
So while men are probably okay with you having the same salary as them, they still wish you’d hold on to the traditional feminine traits and take care of them — that’s why they marry. If they just want to have fun, they don’t need to take up the obligations that come with marriage.
