General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Men expect sex after expensive dinner dates: study [View all]Squinch
(50,932 posts)There is a vein in our culture that does what you say. And it isn't only men. There are women who feel they can gain some form of ascendency over other women by joining the mockery with the men whose motivation comes from fear of women as equals.
But there is also another vein in our culture. Though we don't acknowledge it as much, it is as strong here in DU as the mysogynists. It is made up of men AND women who are learning how to express equality, how to respect and encourage each other, and how to extract the patriarchal views from where they have wormed their ways into our psyches. I consider myself to be hands down feminist, and I'm no spring chicken, but I am still learning things here all the time about how to be more respectful of the equality between women and men.
We are lucky here to have some brave souls who point out things that make us uncomfortable, and make us challenge beliefs we have taken for granted, and take us, kicking and screaming, further down that road.
Don't be ashamed to be a man. We are happy you're here, and that we are all progressing together. This process, if you step outside of the terrible frustration we feel being inside it, is actually pretty beautiful.
We'll all get there.