Of feminism and animal welfare

That there are many schools of thoughts within feminism, and that we sometimes disagree on feminism’s direction is not something new to any of us. In fact, it’s been demonstrated time and again in our conversations, as well as our greater plans of where we wish feminism to head within the next decade. Recent discussions on feministing, as well as other feminist venues, have proven this again.

In the interest of openly talking about our differences, what follows is my attempt to voice my discomfort (in fact, it gets me raging mad) with including animal rights within feminism. While we may not all agree, and while talking about our differences might not change anything at all, I believe it’s important because it gives us a better understanding of where we each come from, thus giving us a perspective on others. I invite you to contribute and disagree.

My discomfort doesn’t stem from the fact I do not think animal welfare is an important issue, but rather, that to including animal welfare within feminism violates the very idea of feminsm, in that it introduces an issue of social justice that lacks the deconstructions of gender.

While it may be true that feminist ethics require of us to take into account power and other privileges, it above all asks us to take into account gender, and how we each are socialized based on our sex. This is something, I perceive, the animal rights movement lacks.

By including animal welfare into feminist discourse, rather than enhancing women’s lives, we simply take away from women’s rights. While other groups that come to feminism most certainly benefit from its actions and discourse, feminism’s goal is not to enhance any of their lives. The focus of feminism, in a gendered society, is to elevate women’s status and rid society of sex-based biases.

While an examination of intersectionalities, to include color, status, sexual orientation and education level as well as abilities and disabilities are important, such examinations have to include gender. When animal rights advocates make claims of certain actions they deem unjust toward animals, yet do not take into account factors of gender, the issue is no longer feministic, but rather, social justice. Just because an issue deals with social justice does not mean that it’s a feminist issue.

Just as we must remember that it’s inappropriate to say “What about the men?” in our feminist discussions, it is also to apply the same question to animals. This is not because animals have privilege over women, but rather, because the challenges animals face and those women face are completely different. Their lives do not intertwine, nor do they have any common social plights.

Are there times and place in which to enhance the lives of men and animals? Absolutely. But any enhancement of their lives within feminism is and should be a byproduct, and not the overarching goal. Until gender equality is accomplished, feminism’s overall goal is for equality for women.

Further, it seems the claims of feminists – and by feminism’s demographics, women as a default, should focus on animal welfare, we continue to feed into the belief that women are nurturing – that women are responsible for not only themselves, but are also the caretakers of others, in this case, animals.

This suggests, then, that women that women have a responsibility toward others, and not just for themselves – that their choice of what makes them happy simply isn’t enough, but the choice also has to enhance others’ lives. This, then, is not much of a choice, if it is required of women to make choices that benefit others, and not just themselves. Whatever happened to honoring women’s choices? Isn’t that what feminism is all about?

Yet, another reason I find it troublesome to include animal welfare with feminism is that by suggesting they are equals, we give misogynistic organizations like the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals a pass in their advertising. After all, if women and animals are treated with the same priorities, then we also say that, indeed, women do have some privilege over animals, and thus actions that disadvantage them to further the rights of animals are justifiable. This is the same kind of logic PETA uses for its misogynistic campaign.

Finally, suggestions of animals having the same rights as women – or that feminism ought to include animal rights, fails at the examination of certain types of economic privileges – the very intersectionalities some pro-animal feminists have suggested. That is – while some may have the economic autonomies to be vegetarians and vegans, others may not. While some may find the tasks of being vegans and vegetarians easy because of better economical access, there are those who can only afford to eat what’s cheapest – namely meat and other products.

In the end, it is important to question the injustices of the world. But unless the issues we take on include questions of gender and power, they are not feminist issues. If pro-animal welfare feminists want to talk about vegetarianism’s benefits toward women of the Global South, and how the consumption of meat leads to deforestation, which in turn makes the lives of women on the Global South much harder, then it’s feministic. But by simply claiming that we “rape” the earth just as much as we rape women, we not only trivialize sexual assaults, we also fail to take into account gender and the challenges women face.

Feminists come in the forms of meat eaters and vegetarians, and those in between, and we each have a place in feminism – but just because we are feminists does not mean that all the issues we choose to take on are feministic in nature, or that feminism requires that we take them on. What feminism does require of us, however, is being keenly aware of gender biases, and how they impact women’s (and men’s) lives. Animal rights activism has its place within the progressive lifestyle, but within feminism, it neither belongs nor contributes to the eradication of sexism and enhancement of women’s lives.

Welcome!

As an attempt to have an archive of past postings, I’ve posted several entries from previous blog.

Some background information: I’ve written in the past year or so on the community site of feministing.com, and felt it was time to expand, as my analysis most of the time has to do with feminism, but sometimes do not, I want a forum in which I can post both.

Your comments and thoughts are always welcomed! And if you remember me from a previous long ago when I first entered feminism, hello again! I’ve come back quite changed.

As always, please also check out the fine writings over at www.feministing.com, where throves of feminists are engaging feminism everyday.

10 Ways Men Can Be Better Feminists/Partners/Allies

I am far from perfect. As a male feminist, I’ve stumbled, picked myself back up, learned and stumbled some more, and I am still stumbling – that is, to say, I’ve been in feminist movement for quite a while now and believe that part of being a feminist is about growth. I came to the feminist movement five years ago as a freshman and I am still learning and making mistakes.

As such, and in response to recent posts on this site about the involvement of men within feminism and whether they are “overrated,” I’d like to make this post about how we, as men, can be better partners and allies to the feminist community. Please feel free to contribute and add your advice. It’s the only way we’ll learn to be better partners.

One: Look internally. To combat sexism, one has to first understand how, implicitly, one contributes to sexism. While we may feel the desire to point the finger and call out sexism, sometimes we must look within ourselves. Only by understanding our own actions and how we interact with women can we engage the world in anti-sexist actions.

Two: Feminism is about the personal just as much as it is about the political. Being pro-choice and supporting gay marriage does not make one a feminist. Being an “activist” is simply not enough to call oneself a feminist. Feminism is also defined by how we interact with others, and especially women and our intimate partners. No fair supporting equal pay for equal work, yet being unwilling to help around the house because it’s “women’s work.”

Three: Don’t expect a cookie. We don’t get a pat on the back or more dates just because we’re feminists. To expect a reward for being a feminist is sort of like expecting accolades for being a good father, or paying your bills on time. You’re a feminist because you see the injustices in the world, and have chosen to take actions because of it. This makes you a good person, and good people are everywhere, you’re not special.

Four: Give up your male privilege. When I first entered this movement, I didn’t understand what it really meant, but as I grew, I understood that we must give up our sense of entitlement. Unlike women, most of us have never faced the challenges of denied access, and when we are turned away by certain sects of feminism, the answer isn’t to get upset, but to find other avenues that we are welcomed in, and can help. We don’t deserve anything, other than being treated like human beings; and as human beings, we each have our own privileges, so there’s no pouting when a less privileged group denies us access.

Five: Listen to women. By this, I don’t simply mean following women’s directions, but rather, critically listen to women’s personal narratives and thoughts, and critically analyze what they say. This is not so that we can make a counter-argument or to dismiss their experiences, but rather, so that we can see things from their perspectives. Given that our experiences as males (and I am not inclined to say that all men have the same experiences – our sexual identities, education, color and class play a great part) are often much different than that of women, the only way we can be better allies is to listen and learn. While it’s important to share our thoughts, it’s more important to learn about theirs. Without such, we’ll be doing feminism our ways and the way we see fit, rather than doing what women really need us to do.

Six: Put yourselves in women’s shoes. Sometimes, as male feminists, we fail to be better partners because we see things from male perspectives. Our lens is a privileged one, and while I don’t doubt that the majority of us mean well, even as feminists, we’ve grown into a male-centered culture in which we view the world through our privileges. Even when we think we mean well in what we’re doing, we have to stop and ask, “Well, how would she feel about this?”

Seven: Remember that while we may be equals in feminism, our experiences will dictate that we, as men, as the privileged ones. This means that our gender does matter. While we may see ourselves as “just another guy in feminism,” women may not see it as such. I look in the mirror and I see myself a man, but many women, based on experiences, will associate maleness with power, or intimidation, or pain. That said, be aware of your sex, and that you being a man within the feminist movement does matter and have all types of implications of power that can be used to thwart women’s voices.

Eight: You don’t take the lead. While there are areas in which men can certainly take the lead to combat sexism, being a leader of a feminist organization for women is not one of them. Feminism is about empowering women, and while men can gain a great deal from feminism as well, your involvement in leadership positions will firstly take power away from women; secondly, it will prevent some women from speaking up; and thirdly, from an epistemological perspective, brings nothing positive to the movement. Want to take the lead? You work with men to end sexism. Feminism belongs to you as much as it does to women, but until the violence stops; until one out of four women is no longer raped; when the rest of the world actually sees women as equals, it will always be women-centered. You belong behind and beside women, never in front of them.

Nine: Remember that you’re not doing women any favors. You’re doing this because you have a stake in it, too. Women are not damsels in distress and you’re not a knight in shining armor.
The feminist movement thrived without men in the past, and will continue to thrive with or without men. In feminism, we’re partners and allies, and until we stop pounding our chests and acting as if we’re some sort of heroes (a sign of unresolved masculinity and male privilege), we’re still not being good allies.

Ten: Work with other men. Listen to male mentors. There are many out there, and while you (and I) may feel like they’re of the “old school” and have nothing interesting to say, they’ve been through this before and can offer invaluable lessons as to how to be better male allies and partners. No one learns on their own, and just as it’s important to learn from women about their experiences, we can learn from men who have come before us about our roles within feminism. Those men include Jackson Katz, Michael Kimmel, George Marx, Jason Schultz and perhaps even your own father, and all the great folks over at the National Organization for Men Against Sexism.

Also, engage other men. You have male privilege; you can talk to other men. You don’t have to appear preachy, but by just simply engaging other men in conversations about their relationships and views about women, you can influence them to be better men and better feminists. In the end, no matter where you are in life, you’re valuable, too, because you’ve recognized the importance of feminism, and you can do a lot by reaching out to other men. There are millions of young men out there needing directions and waiting for answers, you can be that answer.

Male violence and the male crisis

A decade ago today, two high school seniors from Columbine High School in Littleton, Co., made headlines by opening fire on their fellow students, subsequently killing 13 and injuring more than 20 others prior to killing themselves.

Then the deadliest school-related shooting until the Virginia Tech massacre eight years later, Columbine remains in the hearts and minds of Americans, and is a centerpiece of discussions about gun control and violence.

But there’s nothing special about the Columbine shootings – school shootings took place before Allen Klebold and Eric Harris ever opened fire on those students, and they have taken since. Case after case, the blueprint is similar, and shows a disturbing trend: young men using violence to solve problems, and in the process, killing themselves and those around them.

This is hardly a phenomenon, and is often the rule rather than the exception, yet each time a shooting takes place, the same tired record is played – questions about gun control will be answered, the role of parents will be discussed – and yet, each time, nothing will be changed. Boys, it appears, will be boys.

But what if we approach the problems of violence differently? What if, rather than blaming the evil media for the violent programs put forth on TV, or the availability of guns, we actually discuss the messages we’re teaching young boys, and look at violence from a gender perspective? If Cynthia Enloe’s arguments of looking at international conflicts through feminist lens makes sense, then perhaps, Jackson Katz’ arguments of looking at men’s acts of violence through feminist lens also makes sense.

After shootings like these, social commentators will always have someone to shift the blame. Social conservatives will point to the decline of family values, and encourage parents to turn off the television and focus on being parents. Peace-loving liberals will focus on the lack of gun control, and say that to cure the sickness of our society, we’ve got to make it harder to obtain guns. Those who look for cultural changes will point to the rap industry, and try to get parental controls on the records children buy, and the movies they watch.

But herein lies the problem: if children are learning from their parents to embrace violence, to whom do they turn to learn any differently? If fathers continue to beat mothers, will any amount of teaching their children help? Violent men, after all, are just grown up violent boys. On gun control, we can take away all the guns we wish, and with that the knives and sticks and stones, it does not mean young men will stop the cycle of violence. Children, after all, can get quite innovative. We can also turn off the violent music, and the censor the movies they watch, but until we show young men a different outlet, they will always take up violence as a way to solve problems.

After every shooting, it seems, talking heads – the supposed authorities on the social ills of the world will tell Nancy Grace and Larry King that we need to be on the lookout for warning signs of persons most likely to commit violent acts. But if we’d just stop for a second and view society from a different lens, the so-called “warning signs” are all there, being played out everyday.

 

 

More than 950,000 reported cases of violence against women committed by men each year  is a warning sign. Nearly 32,000 women murdered by their intimate male partners in a 30-year span is a warning sign. Ninety-two percent of all domestic violence acts consisting of men-on-women is a warning sign. Forty percent of young girls ages 14-17 reporting having been the victims of violence by their male partners is a warning sign. One in 4 women being sexually assaulted by men is a warning sign. And, lastly, the incarcerated ratio of 9 men for every one woman is definitely a warning sign. Did someone not think that sooner or later, some of these violent men will snap? Worst, where do they think these violent men come from? Their violent nature didn’t appear out of nowhere. It was bred and grown in them from the very beginning, as children and later, as men. .

Yet, there continues to be groups of people will pass the buck – either out of a refusal to acknowledge the real problem, or because of just sheer ignorance.

Earlier today, I was reading an article about Columbine’s 10-year anniversary, and do you know what the writer blamed the problem on? Evil! No, the problem is not some evil-being possessing men to do what they do, and no amount of prayer or exorcism is going to change that, and most certainly, having a penis does not make one evil! To blame it on evil means to write off all men, that somehow, men were “born that way.” They were not. The problem is young men don’t know any better because we’re not teaching them any better.

The problem is we’re not standing up and saying that no, boys will not be boys, and that they have a responsibility as well as a right to learn to be better human beings, because being boys as patriarchy defines it is sending them to prison and their peers and the women they love to hospitals and morgues.

Rather than engaging in an open dialogue about the cultural constructions of what it means to be a man, we make our schools less accessible, thereby closing the gates to an institution that’s supposed to foster opened minds. Rather than condemning violence and showing men better ways to cope with anger, we try to curb the threats of violence with “better” violence by bringing in security guards with enough firepower to take over a village. Through this, our message isn’t a rejection of violence, but rather, “my method of violence is better than yours.”

I am not interested in changing anyone’s lifestyle or the activities they associate with being “manly.” But the fact is this: masculinity can exist without violence, whether used to establish “king of the hill” status or to coerce women into submission; men, whether they believe it or not, can still be men without using violence, and in fact, will be better off for it.

The fact is the solutions that have been brought forth by administrators, psychologists and sociologists have failed. We, as a society, need a new solution, and that solution is feminism.

Above all, feminism challenges us to see the world through gender-free lens – to see ourselves not as women and men, but as human beings. Using feminism to help men deconstruct their masculinity – a characteristic often associated with overpowering others through violent means, is paramount in this case, not only because other methods have failed, but because men are the obvious problems here.

When all of the violent shootings at schools are committed by men, there clearly is a male crisis that needs to be resolved. For as long as we fail to engage young men in conversations about violence and healthy ways of coping with life’s challenges, they will continue to kill.

In the many layers of feminism, encouraging men to let go of violence is one we can all take on, regardless of our values and convictions on other social issues. We, as a society, may not agree on where life begins or what defines a marriage, but we have to, we must at the very least embrace the social movement to redefine the definition of what makes a “good” man and woman.

While feminist women and pro-feminist men, along with progressive organizations have joined us in the movement to deconstruct masculinity, isn’t it time the social conservatives who see us as the enemy do the same? After all, no amount of prayer, censorship, or talks of family values will help us, until we teach men to let go of their patriarchy-driven masculinity.

All across the country, pro-feminist men are working alongside boys to curb the male violence problems, and we’re waiting for social conservatives with open arms, all they have to do is take our offer. To borrow from a Unitarian-Universalist saying, “We need not think alike to love alike,” – it’s time we teach men how to love.

Pornography and masculinity

I am sitting in the dining facility here minding my own businesss, too lost in the root beer float I’d made to worry about anything surrounding me …when I was tapped on the shoulder by another soldier, pointing out to me a conventional good-looking airman who had just walked by. Already, soldiers sitting at my table are talking about what they’d like to do to her.

“That’s nice,” I said, getting back to my root beer float.

“Sergeant, when it comes to talking about women, you’re at the level of a 7th-grader,” a soldier told me, then went back to talking about the woman.

My unresolved masculinty almost got the best of me; I wanted to defend my manhood by talking about the women I’ve been with in the past – and join in on the conversations, as if somehow it would prove that I am, indeed, a man.

But my feminism got the best me and rather than joining in the exercise of objectification, I kept quiet. On the walk back, however, I began to think about the incident, and what the soldier had meant when he, because of my refusal to join in to an obvious male-bonding moment of objectifying women, equated misogyny with manhood.

Perhaps I should have been insulted; but perhaps, just perhaps, the world would be a more equal, pleasant place where women weren’t objectified and raped if everyman were to look at women through the eyes of a 7th-grader. After all, as children, we saw our opposite genders as equals and friends. For the most part – and as long back as I can remember, boys and girls go along. There were no such things as misogyny, and groups of boys never sat around and insulted groups of girls or turned them into objects.

As children, boys also looked up to their mothers, believing them to be the women who could do anything; not only did they look to their mothers for comfort and care, but these young boys, and I remember my days as a boy, genuinely loved their mothers, without regard as to their gender.

So, what changed? Where along the road to adultthood do males turn from loving, respectful boys to men who objectify? What are the social forces and rites of passage that turned them from lovers to objectifiers? To be sure, not all men objectify, but those who do objectify, it seems, assert more “masculinity” than those who do not.

For me, the masculinity can be attributed to several thing – and porn being among them. After all, pornography is almost every boy’s rite-of-passage. This means, then, that on masculinity, the objectification of women and the consumption of porn go hand-in-hand. That is, where porn paints the picture of women as always readily available, always desiring the same types of sex men want, and never saying no, it also turns women into an accessory. Rather than an equal partnership where sex and pleasure are negotiated and shared, porn makes men assume that he can have sex with women whenever, however and wherever.

Further, as boys and young men sit around in front of a television screen, viewing pictures of women in various stages of sexual conducts, the one thing that’s removed from porn is the humanity of sex. Thus, at a young age, men are conditioned to believe not only are women there to pleasure them, but that there is no emotion in sex. It’s no wonder why some men can readily objectify and rape women. After all, if women are viewed as ‘less-than-humans,’ and if it’s assumed that all women want sex all the time and that no women ever says no, then the protestations of women mean very little, and further, even when women are drunk and unresponsive, the man would assume (having been conditioned to do so) that she wants sex.

Add this to the belief that sex defines a man and the result is what we see everyday – young men, fueled by their own beliefs in masculinities, objectifying and raping women – often without knowing what they’re doing is wrong.

So what’s the solution here? To be sure, it’s not censorship; but I do believe the feminist movement needs more male presence. Often times, we focus on ensuring that young girls have role models who teach them the values of being strong and assertive, yet, even in our movement, we lack the male presence to teach young men to deconstruct their masculinities and deal with women not as objects, but fellow human beings.

Further, given that the major source of women’s oppressions and plights are the actions of men, there also needs to be more focus on men’s studies – that is, how men fit within patriarchy and what gender roles require of them. After all, if men’s actions are causing women pain, then we need to figure why men are taking those actions.

While there are resources out there (NOMAS as an example), they are far and few between – and if we want to take the next step into not only empowering girls and women, but also teaching boys and men to be loving, caring human beings toward women and themselves, then we need to include them in on not just the social justice movement, but also the academic movement. After all, not only are women’s humanities, but also the humanities of men, are depended on it.

“Craigslist’s Killer” and questions of objectification and misogyny

In the past week, I’ve been following the “Craigslist Killer” story with great interest. For those who may not have heard the story, 23-year-old medical student Philip Markoff is under arrest, charged with the murder of 26-year-old masseuse Julissa Brisman, whom he met via the Internet service. In addition, Markoff has also been charged with the robbery of another sex worker in Rhode Island.

Despite around-the-clock coverage of the story, it appears the media has once again gotten it all wrong. Not only are the articles written about this story – which should serve as a chance to have an open dialogue about violence against women – written with sexist slants, writers also fail to examine the story through feminist lens. Of course, I am not asking that every article be a feminist discourse, but now and then, it’d be nice to see stories written that will positively affect women’s lives.

For starter – I am extremely offended that in this story, Brisman is described as a “Bronx-beauty.” It seems, rather than focusing on the fact that a human being is dead as a result of, no doubt, violence against women, the media is focusing on Brisman’s looks.

But it just isn’t Brisman who is being viewed by the media based on looks. Markoff’s fiance, Megan McAllister, too, is being described by reporters as a “love-struck bombshell,” who “stands by her man,” in supporting him through the ordeal. Again, what does McAllister’s looks have to do with possible Stockholm Syndrome or that fact that millions of women are currently in relationships with violent men?

Shortly after Markoff’s arrest, prosecutors described him as one who “preyed on women,” and “had no problems hurting them.” Yet, where are the stories about men’s propensity to hurt women? Where are the stories that examine misogyny in every day life?

I am a military journalist – and often times, I’ve been angry at the fact that my civilian counterparts will report on the death of a Soldier – but fail to talk about the humanity of it all – the reverence of a military funeral, and the Soldiers left behind to mourn their buddy’s death. The same thing applies here. A human being is dead as a result of violence against women, yet in it all, the media missed the humanity aspect of it, and instead, will focus on “warning signs.”

Most importantly, instead of focusing on the “Erotic Service,” section on Craigslist and whether its owner plan on shutting down the section, where are the articles that examine men’s need to buy women’s bodies? I’ve said this before – but if men view women’s bodies as objects that can be bought and sold, it is much easier to hurt those “objects” than if they saw women’s bodies as belonging to a human being. Better yet, why aren’t we examining the economic discrepancies between women and men, and ask why women are driving to become sex workers? Sometimes, it just seems we’re alone and on our own in our feminist fight – that the rest of the world doesn’t get it.

Surely, a better world for women starts with feminist education – but how are we to do that when the world has grown callous to violence against women? How do we do that when the commodification of women’s bodies are an accepted way of love?

At a speaking engagement a while back, Gloria Steinem said perhaps the way to undo misogyny and sexism is to go back thousands of years, before such factors permeated our culture. That, for me, is impossible. Sometimes, I really don’t know what to do. I see the problems, we see the problems, yet there seems to be more of them then there are solutions. Sometimes, I wonder if we’ll ever win this uphill battle.

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