Let’s talk about equality

On Tuesday, I attended an event called “Let’s Talk About Feminism.” I do not consider myself a feminist because of the connotations associated with it, but I am an advocate for equality.

Sometimes we get nervous when we start throwing around the word equality because we have preconceived notions of what equality looks like in a practical sense, simply because it challenges our traditions and the status quo. While I can see that side and see how equality could be unequal when we try to enforce it, I still believe that we should strive for equality in all things.

Like Claire Gause and Katelyn Fabrie said at the meeting, people should be viewed as people and not as a role a gender has placed on them. They should be seen for their specific talents. For instance, while most mechanics are men, there is not a reason why a woman cannot learn to be a mechanic, just like men can also learn to cook well. And just because someone is a woman and is able to get pregnant, should not mean they get less compensation for the same work.

Now, to address another issue: roles are weird things. Although humans are very different than animals, we still have instincts. Several men have told me that they have an instinct to protect women. And from my experiences, I personally have an instinct to protect children and care for them. These are roles I believe are sewn into the fabric of our gender.

You can disagree with me all you want, but the average man, when sitting with his significant other, has his arm around the woman and not the other way around. Is that not a remnant of this role that is intrinsic in our nature? It’s not because they think they’re better or are trying to dominate, but because they intrinsically have a desire to protect, and I would argue that women naturally have a desire to be protected and cared for. Similarly, children desire to be cared for and nurtured by their mothers.

We all have roles to play in life. Some are employees, some are bosses, some are editors, some are writers, some are construction workers, and some are professors or students. While we should not try to fit people into little boxes because we are unique, there is something to be said for traditional roles. They are not wrong, but they are not gospel. If you can cook well and your wife can’t, for goodness sake cook. But at the same time, don’t try to reverse roles just for the sake of feminism. If a man wants to work and a woman wants to raise children, they should not be confronted with any scorn from the extreme feminists.

So I will leave you with this: while I agree that equality is important, roles are not evil. People should use their talents, and if that happens to align with stereotypical roles, or if it doesn’t, there is nothing bad about that.

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