my feminist views are mostly concerning the issues of sexual violence and widespread assumptions about gender which i don't think are moot in western culture.
these studies are from the 90s but they get at the sort of thing i'm talking about and i don't think they're resolved. there are definitely far worse things happening in the world. i don't know if we should start comparing pakistani women to starving african children or litter in nyc to smog in china or if these kinds of comparisons are relevant.
i also don't know if i'm idiosyncratic in thinking that things like mens custody rights and the low reporting rates of abused males are also issues that fall under the umbrella of feminism. just like cultural acceptance of rape and murder of middle eastern women, they are symptoms of the historical perception of gender. i've been told maybe i should just call myself a proponent of human rights, but that feels like giving in.
it is frustrating, though, that mens rights and feminism are seen as opposing philosophies. its also frustrating when men are blamed in isolation or when i'm accused of blaming men in isolation when the historical root issue is all pervasive and has been perpetuated by society in general, including men and women, for how many years. its also frustrating when extremists are used as examples of feminism, just like all republicans are tea partiers and all those for drug legalization are potheads.