I just want to share this encounter I had last Friday night in a bar, it is nothing really important, just a funny experience.
I was having a good time, drinking and talking to strangers in my favorite bar. This girl joins the conversation, saying she is a camerawomen and we talked about her profession. She complained about the ubiquitous sexism, saying that men often think she is just holding the camera for the real guy and that she gets hit on all the time, even though she is a lesbian, etc. I can certainly believe her experience. We talked about gay rights and other issues when I said I am actually a men's rights activist..
Sorry what?
A men's rights activist.
Whaaaaaat? You are whaaaat? A - m e n s - r i g h t s - a c t i v i s t ?
Yes, a men's rights activist.
Is that a joke?? Men have aaaaall the rights! Why would men want even more rights?
To my surprise I stayed calm and I think I sobered up a little :). I started to explain that men face range of issues but my new friend wanted to hear none of it, saying that women face issues, gay people face issues, but what men face are simply human issues that all other people face too. I felt fire eating me inside but I stayed calm and smiling and I started to explain various issues only men face in society. My new friend listened for a while when she got hooked on the issue with acces to mental healthcare, suddenly remembering someone from her past. Her expression changed and she said that it is true that men face issues with access to mental health care and that she must google these 'men's rights'. I gave her last bit of advice to keep her eyes open and distinguish betwelnn real MRA and all kind of misogynist haters, incels and other "conservatives" :).
That's it. I don't think I changed her outlook too much, but maybe I gave her little something to think about. And for me it was a crazy experience to see firsthand how other marginalized - and until recently legally discriminated - minority think about men, their issues and their rights. (Thank you toxic feminism!)
[–]AskingToFeminists 50 points51 points52 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[–]magus678 10 points11 points12 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]AskingToFeminists 5 points6 points7 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]DanteLivra 99 points100 points101 points (5 children) | Copy Link
[–]salbris 48 points49 points50 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]DanteLivra 20 points21 points22 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Petsweaters 11 points12 points13 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[–]DanteLivra 5 points6 points7 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]Petsweaters 3 points4 points5 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]AmiablePenguin 56 points57 points58 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]LolwhatYesme 14 points15 points16 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]ParanoidAgnostic 38 points39 points40 points (5 children) | Copy Link
[–]friendofalltehworld 7 points8 points9 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]asparaguswalrus683 6 points7 points8 points (3 children) | Copy Link
[–]EvilSapphire 10 points11 points12 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]ParanoidAgnostic 19 points20 points21 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]asparaguswalrus683 6 points7 points8 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Oncefa2left-wing male advocate 34 points35 points36 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]iainmf 9 points10 points11 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]xsplizzle 23 points24 points25 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]fgyoysgaxt 5 points6 points7 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Equivalent_Parking_8 5 points6 points7 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]griii2right-wing guest[S] 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]friendofalltehworld 4 points5 points6 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]griii2right-wing guest[S] 0 points1 point2 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]DistrictAccurate 5 points6 points7 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]griii2right-wing guest[S] 0 points1 point2 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]purebredginger_ 18 points19 points20 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]griii2right-wing guest[S] 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]LettuceBeGrateful 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]YesAmAThrowaway 1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Henry_Blair 1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]T_Nightingale 1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link