Female Misogynism
I've often written on this blog about women's part-blame for the sexism which pervades society, so I couldn't help adding a post about this article on BBC News. A recent study has found one of many possible scientific proofs that women are as misogynistic as men. No surprise for me there.
This is why it is so important, in this matter as well as in every other matter involving intolerance and discrimination, that we finally stop the we vs. them rhetorics and start to focus on actions: a teacher who favours boys when grading, is as sexist whether she is a woman or he is a man. A parent who gloats over a son's achievements, while ignoring the daughter's ones, is as sexist whether it is the mother or the father. A manager who promotes a man instead of a more competent woman, is as sexist whether she is a woman or he is a man. To say "Jews smell" is as wrong as saying "Muslims smell" or "Negroes smell" or "Chinese smell". A black person who refuses to befriend white people is as racist as a white person who refuses to befriend black people. A gay person who shows contempt for gay people or other group of the LGBT community is as intolerant as an heterosexual who does the same [Note: these examples are not products of my imagination, they stem from repeated experience over the years].
My point is: the wrong is in the action not in the person who commits it, nor in the victim who suffers it.
No one is free from prejudice, on the contrary, prejudice dominates human behaviour. The more we confront this ugly truth about ourselves, and try to consciously change our thought and behaviour, the less prejudiced we become. It is not those who think they are free of it (women who believe they cannot be sexist or black people who think they cannot be racist against their own people, because of who they are), but those who accept they are not and fight it, that are the less prejudiced.
This is why it is so important, in this matter as well as in every other matter involving intolerance and discrimination, that we finally stop the we vs. them rhetorics and start to focus on actions: a teacher who favours boys when grading, is as sexist whether she is a woman or he is a man. A parent who gloats over a son's achievements, while ignoring the daughter's ones, is as sexist whether it is the mother or the father. A manager who promotes a man instead of a more competent woman, is as sexist whether she is a woman or he is a man. To say "Jews smell" is as wrong as saying "Muslims smell" or "Negroes smell" or "Chinese smell". A black person who refuses to befriend white people is as racist as a white person who refuses to befriend black people. A gay person who shows contempt for gay people or other group of the LGBT community is as intolerant as an heterosexual who does the same [Note: these examples are not products of my imagination, they stem from repeated experience over the years].
My point is: the wrong is in the action not in the person who commits it, nor in the victim who suffers it.
No one is free from prejudice, on the contrary, prejudice dominates human behaviour. The more we confront this ugly truth about ourselves, and try to consciously change our thought and behaviour, the less prejudiced we become. It is not those who think they are free of it (women who believe they cannot be sexist or black people who think they cannot be racist against their own people, because of who they are), but those who accept they are not and fight it, that are the less prejudiced.
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