My male feminist friend bought into Men’s Rights???

I’ll admit, I did too at first.  But thanks to this site, I’ve been able to see both sides of the issue and come to terms that patriarchy hurts everyone, even men. Gender equality is something I’m truly passionate for as a feminist because it’s good for both men and women.  Yes, being a feminist means I take a special interest in how things affect women, but I’m very interested in how sexism hurts men as well.  This mainstream dogma of what it is to be "manly" fascinates me to no end.

We’ve seen the men’s rights movement come up before with that guy who’s sueing Columbia for Women’s Studies (I’m bad with names) and today with the Men’s Rights and the Domestic Violence ads.  I’ll be honest, my main beef with Men’s Rights is how they target women in divorce courts and sebsequently blame feminism for the unfairness to men with child support and how "men can’t get out of fatherhood".  This really hits a personal chord since my mom was divorced twice and barely scraped a good deal out of both of them.  Also my cousin lost her little girl to a crack-addict and the court knew he was one.

Divorce is messy.  Unless it’s an annullment or other circumstances, usually no one gets what they want.  That’s what makes it a compromise, n’est-ce pas?  I’m not saying that there aren’t cases where things were heavily in the woman’s favor, and there aren’t cases where things are heavily in the man’s.  This I bear no grudge.  The system is just heavily flawed due to emotion and bias.  But to go and blame feminism?  Divorce has been around *way* long before the feminist movement.  And yes I’ll admit has had some impact on it since the first and second waves.  But it doesn’t have it’s iron grip upon it. Hell, what does feminism have a firm grip on?  All I can think is sufferage (don’t forget to vote!) and even then not really. 

The point is that I base my opinions upon fact and research.  I don’t agree with masculinism because it’s about men.  I disagree with it because it’s flawed and ultimately reinforces gender stereotypes. And the whole reason I’m writing this is because my male feminist friend accused me about being sexist for that reason!  I don’t need to ask you as a community if he’s right.  I know he isn’t.  But to be called a sexist blatantly.  I am upset.  I don’t think I’m sexist for disagreeing with masculinism.  I’m entitled to my researched opinion.

I’m not totally off the mark, am I?