(Sigh)

I've been reluctant in beginning my own thread but after Patricia Arquette's acceptance speech at the 2015 Oscars, where she blew a huge fart out of her mouth calling it "Equal Pay" and "Equal Rights for Women Everywhere" and the audience sniffed it up like exotic perfume, it's time to vent. And vent HARD!

Frankly, I'm not sure how long I can take this. I'm pretty biased since, long ago, I was seriously hurt by both genders in my youth and haven't even come close to fully healing from what the female gender did (no avenues, no support systems, just the same old sympathy for what the males did. Nothing more.). So every time I keep hearing variations of what Patricia said and the cheers of adulation from the crowd, it takes a lot for me to not fly into a venomous rage. All those "Teach men to do this...", "Teach men to act like that..." propaganda machines rolling on.

Five years. Five fucking years I've been working on this. All alone, by myself. Dealing with this culture that allows women and girls to get away with abuse and harm while moaning about how oh so bad they have it.

No matter how many times you tell them "Hey, you're not the ONLY ones with problems here. You don't have a monopoly on hate, suffering, and torture!" YOU'RE the one labeled the problem. Or you're the privileged white male who should remind themselves of how the streets get paved with gold wherever you walk and special exceptions rain down on you from the gods above at the expense of women. Ergo, your petty little trauma doesn't matter and is an anomaly. You don't exist.

Yeah.

I'm the privileged one. I'm the problem.

Meanwhile:

-You get granted automatic consideration for custody of kids because mothers know better than fathers according to courts.

-You can scream "Rape" at any man you please and get granted a sympathetic ear.

-You can hit, lambast, and psychologically break a man/boy into little pieces then call it "Empowerment", "Girl Power" or frustration due to being a victim of circumstance or society. Hell, look at certain stories and movies with strong female leads in them. How many just can't resist talking down to, and hurting, the male supporting characters? Make them out to be the dumb ones?

-No matter what, people celebrate when a woman achieves something. You can bask in it and call out men as a collective for keeping you down.

I'm going to focus on the hitting, torturing and psychological breaking of boys and men because this is the source of my triggers.

I hear this so much, this "Equal Rights for Women" and I'm in favor of it of course.

But I will never ignore the dark side of women. Because I endured it as a young man. And no one wants to hear about it. Save for scattered channels here and there.

Nor will I ignore that men like me need equal rights, too. Especially in the arena as abuse survivors. Even if it didn't take a hand or a boot to cause damage.

Yet I get called the problem for considered what's missing for men like me. Then again, I'm used to it. I've been called a "Problem" too as a special needs child. I'm no stranger to judgement and ostracization.

I just don't know how much more I can go on.

The only thing keeping me alive are my two nieces. Just stopped by today and the two year old was such a joy to interact with: Reminding her of the value of shapes and letters through common household items.

They keep me going.

For now.

Is there hope for me? I'm five years into my journey and am getting nowhere.

I want to support equal rights for women. But who's going to support equal rights for me?