Gender Equality...

Alright, so anyone who knows me, will probably agree that I can be annoying sometimes. I have this desire to understand everything. Even if I don't have a strong grasp on a subject, I will learn as much as I can about it, ask questions, and discuss it until people have no interest in hearing from me ever again on the subject. Today's topic is Gender Equality, what it means, where it's at, and how to fix it.

According to Websters dictionary the definition of Equality means:
1. The state of being equal.

The state of being equal... that seems like a simple enough thing, two or more sides having the same amounts. But what does this mean when we look at it from a societal perspective. Typically this comes up in several different ways. Let's examine two of the most common, Men vs. Women, Hetero vs. GLBT.

I find it easiest to break things down when I understand the comparisons between two similar arguments. So let's compare Men vs. Women and Hetero vs. GLBT. I fall under the GLBT flag on this one, so I thought it would be easier for me to understand the prior once I could draw a line between the two. 

Women often feel that men disrespect them solely based on the fact they are women and thus somehow are inferior. Okay, that is something that I can definitely relate to. It's a pretty common thing for heterosexuals to assume that because I am gay, that I am less of a man. Thus don't deserve the same respect/rights that he or she has. This is not the case however, while yes, I am a man who likes men, I still think, I still feel, and still bleed when beaten. Not to mention that this discomfort almost always relates to sex, which is nobody's business but our own. There is no strong grounding for the inequality that exists here. So maybe there is some grounding of truth within that argument. With that being said, how do we fix this issue?

My belief is that to fix an issue, and understanding has to be had. After all, how can you understand that an issue exists if you have never been exposed to it. So I started involving myself in conversations, and asking questions to women surrounding this disrespect issue. What I find is that many of them talk about the problems they experience, but when I have pressed them, or tried to look at it from a different angle, I'm told that I can't understand because I don't have boobs. If you aren't able to explain the problem in such a way that someone who is looking for an understanding can comprehend, then how do you expect people who don't realize the issue exists in the first place to change. Then we come full circle to the women who use this inequality to their own accord.  They flaunt their sexuality to get a heads up on men, (because men think with the wrong head a lot of the time.) which I'm told gives women as a whole a bad name. So right there we have a separation within that argument on the same half, and it changes the equation. No longer are we fighting for equality 1-1, suddenly it is women vs. women vs. women vs. men. How are we ever going to find equality that way? (Especially because it get's more complicated when you throw in the men who are on the women's side. It then becomes: women vs. women vs. women vs. men vs. men vs. men, and you end up with a problem that requires the use of chaos mathematics to figure out.) It's just a mess. This holds true with pretty much any issue relating to equality. No one understands what the other is experiencing, and this causes friction because it is so clear to one side that the other has to be stupid to not grasp it. 

Where does that leave us? 

Absolutely divided. Not down the middle as previously thought, but split within our own genders. No wonder we are so far from world peace. We can't even get a long within our own groups. Now comparing history, we have definitely come a long ways in regard to the balance of power. Widows without child are no longer required to marry their brother in-laws to produce offspring, they can hold positions within government, they are able to vote, and work within every industry in society. So sure we have made some progress. Is it enough? Not yet, but I believe we are getting there thanks to many strong feminists. (One of which I can call my best friend. Depending on how she takes this post....) So what are we really fighting for at this point. From what I ascertain, it has become less of an equal rights issue, and more of an equal respect issue. While the two are similar, there are some major differences. Equal rights reflects those freedoms that were writ into the American Constitution. (There are still many issues in our country regarding equal rights, but I believe it is less of a gender issue now, and more of a sexual orientation issue.) What seems to be lacking is respect between the two genders. Men thinking they are better than women, or inclined to try and instill their needs over a woman's. 

A lot of this mentality finds it's roots in the very thing many people are afraid to remove themselves from. Religion, in fact if you read the bible, it's pretty harsh towards the female half, and with these beliefs being passed down from generation to generation, it has become bred into our societal views. But it's quite possible that it goes back even further to our first ancestors, the Neanderthals. Testosterone gave man the edge in these times because it made him stronger, and faster, thus he was the hunter and gatherer in a time where we were the menu and not the chef. Women would stay and nurture the young and protect the home. So it's possible what we are trying to do is create equality, not find it. This once again changes the route one must take to find a solution. Things don't happen just because. First you find an issue that needs to be solved. (In this case Gender Respect) Then you set out to create the tool to build the solution. (Understanding.) The you mass produce the solution, and because we live in a capitalist world., You market the solution so that every person agrees that they need it, then sell it to make a pretty buck. (Wait... is that right? Yes... yes that's how it works here.) 

What's the solution?

It is common knowledge that an army will always be more powerful than the militia. (Just don't say that too loudly in Texas.) So we need to create an army, to do that we will need to increase the understanding within our own cultures. We need to simplify the equation, women vs. women has to stop before you can take on the bigger issue of women vs. men. Once you have bridged those boundaries, you can really start to fight the war. Currently it's individual battles happening with mixed results. Once you find unification, the war will win itself. Why? Because we have made huge steps towards the balance already. Hence why this has become a battle of respect as opposed to a battle of rights. (That isn't completely over yet, but we're getting close.) 

Once the half finds a common understanding, we have to find a way to communicate the problem to the other half. (I would say women snagging men on the street and forcing themselves on them might not be the worst idea. Give them a taste of their own medicine.) After all we preach do unto others what you would have done to yourself. I'm just throwing that out there... 

I really don't know what the final solution is. And as I wrote this post, I realized that it isn't black and white, there is no absolute right answer. The fact is we are all different, and thus will always come to different conclusions. Also, the disrespect issue happens on both ends of the spectrum. We need to unite against a common enemy to really find a credible solution. I'm voting rocks.. let's blast the hell out of those disrespectful bastards, the way they mock us all stone like.