Dear Men (And Other Haters)...

Dear men (and other haters),

I’m a feminist—

Wait! Don’t cut me off just yet.

Please just hear me out.

We ain't enemies but I need to give y'all a piece of my mind.

In this society, you might think equality isn't at all hard to find.

Ilhan, AOC, Ayanna, Rashida—

Sharp Squad of women, all straight up angular.

And you're telling me to look at Queen Bey and RiRi,

You say, “look at their money, gender pay gap ain't real, it can't be!”

But if you use your eyes to see below the surface,

past the rose-tinted glasses,

there's oppression, stigma, violence in all its forms,

pulling females down the fastest.

Still hearing demeaning cat calls piercing the sounds in the street.

Still hearing stories of male eyes that look to rape and to beat.

Still seeing girls tied to the pimp, helpless, chains on their feet.

Still seeing abandoned single mothers, with the burden of shame, sharp and cold like sleet.

Tears in our eyes for those women

who bear the brunt of our pain.

Frustration like small storms for girls

who live with permanent stains.

But a feisty fire in our hearts against society's frame,

because fuck all this inequality!

We're going to succeed

against the grain.

Step up, everyone step up—

Just trying to preach empowerment.

Everyone below, step up!

No, I ain't got no endorsement.

Don't hesitate, please, don't step down

from our battle this moment.

"Feminism, did you say!? Fuckin' feminism again!!?" I hear you say.

No, I didn't mean to cause no offense.

"You call yourself fighters for equality, but you're trying to place females above?"

No, c'mon man, it's not all about that militant stuff!

"Why is it called feminism, if you're striving for equality?"

Yes, this is always a point of controversy.

We're just trying to balance the already unbalanced scale, this is our story:

Don’t you see,

society’s seesaw is already on one side heavy, steadily unbalanced, don’t you agree?

We're just trying to raise the lowered side, trying to fulfill a prophecy

envisioning a balanced board, a straight one, a leveled stage, not a parody.

Now that's finally equality, not the other gender as our lord.

Bring down this patriarchy, this hierarchy, why aren't you on board?

Oh, I see.

Is that cos you can't afford to get rid of your privileges?

Your subtle advantages?

Of being the proud as hell bread winner,

The Bigger Man

out there basking in that glimmer and shimmer,

while your wife waits, an angel in the wings of the kitchen, warming up your dinner?

To give up a little of your over-sized ego?

To stop feeling a little too regal?

Too difficult to just be a little bit more compassionate?

Too hard to wear our shoes, fear of contaminants, and walk a mile?

Subtle daily things putting us in our rank and file—

"Don’t wear that skirt at work, guys get tactile."

"Don't punch like a girl, they're weaker in style."

"Don’t work out, you’ll get bulky, look hostile.”

Prejudices in the face of maternity leave, strength, periods, being top dogs in office (and not just your pretty-faced bitches)...

Too much to compile.

My female boxers out there can punch the lights out of you.

My female rappers, black widows, can spin words out of thin air faster than you.

My female entrepreneurs, female moguls, definitions of Boss Lady, make as much cash rain as you do.

We're as good as you, and shock horror, sometimes even better than you.

So why don't we just drop the precursor of female, somehow letting gender make success uncrossable?

When we jump those obstacles, we’re not show-dogs, not spectacles.

Why so surprised, how come y'all think we defied the impossible?

Why can't this all be probable?

We're also people, human beings

exactly like you.

If we're talking biologically, as in our physicality, we may differ.

But does that excuse society to make girls suffer?

So you insult those you find weak and inferior

as “pussies”.

As if women and their genitalia are far from being tougher.

Instead, for some, they’re places of danger, places to seal and to cut her.

Listen up, sorry to intrude, here's an awakening you may or may not find rude:

Vaginas, with real contracting muscles, belonging to real women, with real feelings, are actually REAL strong.

Without our uteri bleeding monthly anew,

pain during childbirth, and all the other shit your mothers went through,

You wouldn't even fucking be here now, would you?!

So own up, have some respect for the women you encounter:

Your momma, your sister, your co-worker, your girl-

be grateful you found her.

No, I'm definitely not a man hater.

No, I’m not saying one sex is better than the other.

I'm just tryna get through to your heads, creating a stir.

So many great guys I've met who proclaim that they support equality.

But when I start talking bout lifting up women, they cover their ears, roll their eyes, sigh, as if this is blasphemy.

You might not like what you hear

and I get it, it's hard to understand, a maze confusing to steer.

But I've got to tell you, can't we just communicate, can't we just discuss?

We're not trying to ‘overthrow you’, we’re just here to kick up a fuss.

To shift around the system, that seems to have remained stuck

in a paradigm where we women are told to walk a straight line,

don't speak out or whine,

shut the fuck up!

We're not trying to degrade you here boys, we just want to be on the same level.

We just want to assimilate in a man's world, make it a world for the people,

not here to kick you guys into the gravel.

It appears like we've already completed so many miles to travel.

But is that enough?

Hell no—there are still so many barriers to straddle.

"The husband to be dominant over the wife." Well shit, why's that even a thing?!

Why can't we have a seal of mutual respect, when we're wearing identical rings?

No longer satisfied with the queen being subordinate to the king.

Just want true respect, unity, equal opportunity that run both ways in this world while we're still living.