Today, third-wave feminists demand that there is not equal pay for equal work and time. They press that we must believe all women in any and all accusations made about a man and his presumed misconduct. Feminists go on to beg that the fight for human life is actually a war on the woman’s body because all we non feminists could want is absolute control of her genitalia and uterus.
But here, I bring up a few things that I believe feminists should actually be fighting for. These are the parts of life that are true injustices–the things that keep many of us up at night wondering, “when will the misogyny, the bigotry, and all other social injustices end?” I believe that in bringing these matters to light, feminists can finally start tweeting, blogging, and man-shaming their coworkers and Facebook friends and finally bring an end to these horrific and unjustifiable atrocities.
- Pockets: I’m really tired of these men demanding that I not have pockets. What I want it to just be able to carry my mace in a front pocket (or two) in order to more easily fend off the vicious animal that is the male offender. Why am I wearing jeans that don’t have six pockets the way cargo shorts do? I understand that our jeans and shorts are skin tight (legend has it that if you wear jeggings long enough, it will actually bind itself as one with the woman’s flesh) while men’s are a regular, breathable size. But still: this in no way justifies why I can’t have a few usable pockets for my day-to-day runway walk through my lecture hall at Texas A&M University.
- Men’s Urinals: Ok, either one of two things needs to happen here…Either you give us a funnel to aim with so that we can stand while peeing, or men don’t get urinals at all. I’m sick of us abiding to the anatomy of the privileged male body by giving them a bathroom structure that best fits them. What about my body structure? Why does he get to gain the pleasure of standing while going number 1 all the while I am sitting on the gas station’s, slightly browned and moist toilet seat?
- Menstrual Cycles: I know this might be a stretch, but quite frankly feminists shouldn’t be silent about this one. We get to cramp, puke, break out, and have an excuse for our craziness once every month while men just get to sit by and deal with our aggressive, snappy attitudes? Sure, biology is winning again with this one. But I’m sure we can find something to have men suffer with every time his female classmate, coworker, or significant other is dealing with mother nature.
- Manspreading: Let’s go ahead and cut the crap. You think it’s ok to sit there with your legs stretched about because it’s to accommodate for your comfort due to your basic anatomy? I get that most of you men are ok with our booty shorts, our see-through leggings, and our mini-skirts but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Just because we get to show as much as we do in no way means you get to sit a certain way in your sweatpants, jeans, or basketball shorts. Your legs are distracting and shameful. Close them, please.
- Chivalry: If a man holds a door open for me one more time, I might write an entire, screaming, all caps-lock tweet again about all the misogyny in this horrific act. How dare you menacing animal assume that I’d want you to keep me from using my lazy arms once again to get from one room to another. Did it ever occur to you that maybe my self-esteem and sense of independence is entirely based in whether or not we can open doors, carry books, or pay for our food all on our own? No? I guess that’s what happens when you find your pride and masculinity in helping others. The audacity…
- War Draft: So you get to go to the front lines? You get to wield a deadly weapon against the enemy that attempts to terrorize and control others? You get to go overseas and be away from your kids and parents for months, even years, at a time? You get to be awarded medals and honors for being shot, captured, or further protecting the people of America? Why don’t women get to be drafted? Why aren’t we forced, or at best, highly encouraged to enter combat that will more than likely leave us with PTSD and years behind getting our college degrees? It’s not fair. No, it’s worse than unfair: it’s unequal.
So feminists of today are fighting for the right for equal pay all the while taking more vacations and working less hours. They’re fighting for the right to remove an unborn child from their womb because who says life should matter more than a grown woman’s childbearing status for seven to nine months.Truly, these women are fighting against atrocities and for their beautiful, well-deserved rights. But they are leaving some critical elements from the list, and I call upon them to choose wisely in which aspect they decide to tweet and scream about and repost for.
Mallory Chapman 