Feminism is About Human Rights Both Men and Women Would Benefit From a Society of Equality

Author: Nahal Batmanghelidj

In last week's Campus Kevin King attacked an editorial written by Elizabeth Brookbank and me, as well as "pop quiz" posters that were displayed around campus. He referred to both the editorial and the posters as a form of "gender bashing" that borders on harassment.

His editorial is problematic for a number of reasons. Firstly, he contradicted himself more than once. He claimed that our editorial intended to "remind us all of thinking before we speak." Yes, Mr. King, that was exactly our intention. Thank you for the clarification. That said, what evidence can you provide for your assertion that our editorial functioned to "divide, rather than unite men and women"? Put differently, if our editorial simply intended to request that students consider what they say before they say it, then how could our writing be construed as a form of "gender bashing"? Our editorial was a plea to all students.

Just so there is no confusion, we did direct our response more towards the men on this campus than the women. Does that mean that the sentiments we expressed were limited to men? Certainly not. But let's not kid ourselves. How many times do you hear women aspiring to "be dirty old men when they grow up" or advocating "throwing girls in the back of trunks"? By condemning these comments we were not condemning all men on this campus. That Mr. King perceived our editorial as a form of "gender bashing" reflects more on him as a person than the feminists on this campus. The questions he asks should be directed more at why he and so many others misconstrue our sentiments, rather than the content of our editorial. Similarly, rather than attack the "pop quiz" posters, he should consider what motivated a student who was sexually victimized to plaster posters all over campus documenting the event, rather than seek redress through the College administration.

I have no idea who was behind the "pop quiz" posters. But I formulated an entirely different conclusion than he did about the purpose of the posters. I saw the pop quiz as attacking the cultures that give rise to sexual violence, not men in general. I read the posters as a plea for people to unite and address the problem of violence against women and not as an effort to "gender bash", as you, Mr. King, so eloquently point out.

Finally, Mr. King, you referred to the person who created the posters, as well as Elizabeth and I, as "of the feminist persuasion." Not only is that statement a poor attempt at humor, but it indicates your failure to understand what feminism is. I am a feminist. And lest there be any confusion, allow me to inform you that feminism is concerned with human rights, not just women's rights. Consider a society where all women are not reduced to their value as sex. Don't we all, men and women alike, stand to benefit from such a society? Your failure to understand that as being my point, indicates your inability to make distinctions at the most basic level.