We live in a world that calls itself inclusive and open and representative of all people, no matter who they are, or where they come from.
It’s a world that sets its sights on destroying gender norms; creating languages, finding words, and using perspectives that treats all people as equal, free from prejudice.
And yet, amongst the firefighters, police officers, chairpeople and postal workers, we still literally name everything bad in the world after the male sex.
Yes the big blundering sledgehammer, the giant vague stick to hit men with, the ultimate one word answer to all of our ills, the queen of hashtags, the dominator of discourse, and the unwelcome guest who just never knows when it’s time to go home.
‘Patriarchy’
Call me radical, but personally I think naming everything bad after men and boys, blaming them for all the problems in the world, here, everywhere and for all of time – probably isn’t great for their mental health, self worth, their willingness to talk and their comfortability with their gender.
And so the hand that points and condemns the gendered language of others, clutches its favourite toy. And like a big baby, reluctantly refuses to change, let go, update its ideas, nor join the rest of the world in grown up and modern political discourse.
No. For them, blaming men and boys as a group is simply too important.
So is there a place to have these frank discussions that isn’t so blatantly gendered and needlessly divisive, and what does that look like to you?
Images by maksy mvlasenko and tobias-rehbein from Unsplash.