In last month's issue, someone wrote an article about why being a guy is harder than being a girl. I would commend him for his efforts, but the reasons he cited included having to choose boxers or briefs, shaving his face, guys being called dumb for fighting but wusses if they don't, and a few other arbitrary issues. I wrote a response and I was hoping that some of you would read my letter and give some feedback. Thank you in advance for your support!

When I first hear some of my friends poking fun at Name’s opinion article “Title” from last month’s newspaper title, my first instinct was to stand up for the piece and its author. From the way they were speaking, it seemed like my friends had convinced themselves that girls have more challenges, no matter what evidence had been presented. As a supporter of the Men’s Rights Movement, I believe that there are legitimate claims that support Name’s claim that guys are often faced with social challenges that women are not. However, after reading the article, I have to concur with my friends that the reasons Name put forth were far from real issues. After reading the introduction, I expected to read about true injustices that men are often faced with; instead, the concerns about underwear choices and shaving were brought to my attention.

If I had written an editorial about ways that society discriminates against men, here are the facts I would have included: 1. The suicide rate for men is about four times higher than that of women. 2. On average, men receive 63% longer jail sentences than their female counterparts convicted of the same crime 3. An overwhelming majority— about 84%— of mothers win custody instead of fathers. 4. Sexual assault is often treated as a joke when a man is the victim. There are around 1500 “shelters for battered women” in the US while there are only a handful which provide the same services to men 5. Female genital mutilation “is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women” while male circumcision is often considered standard even though it provides no benefit to the child and could even be considered detrimental to his sexual well-being 6. Men are often expected to be “tough” and are ridiculed when they are not. The idea that they cannot cry or have “unmanly” feelings is beaten into them, sometimes literally, from a very young age.

I hope that these facts bring some legitimacy to the argument for men’s rights. Receiving “shots to the groin” or “going to school looking bad” are not, in my opinion, true struggles for men. Real misandry is out there and we as a society must recognize its presence and treat everyone, male or female, in a manner that truly respects the fight for equality.