Do people in the Humanist movement live up to their stated ideals? How does sexism and misogyny persist within Humanist circles? Srishti Hukku has been a humanist activist for close to two decades, and shares her experiences and insights with me in a personal and penetrating conversation.
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Biologically, the purpose of life is to reproduce, and as women have expensive wombs and eggs, and are always scarce for reproductive purposes (there are always some women who are pregnant, nursing, menstruating or menopausal), they always have value, whereas men, with their cheap, plentiful sperm, do not, until they prove that they do. Genetic evidence shows that whereas most women who have ever existed have reproduced, most men have not. Hence misogyny.
ReplyDeleteMen must go into the world to compete with other men for resources and status, to prove their worth, which leads to reproductive opportunities and having something to offer the best mates. They have no interest in dealing with women on equal terms, as this would not only double the competition, but also remove the most desirable women (beautiful, smart) from the pool of potential mates their achievements could impress. So they hound women, especially the best women, out of spheres they see as the proper domain of men, and try to relegate them to milieux that ensure dependency, so women have no choice but to accept men they don't want in exchange for the resources and reflected status they are prevented from obtaining on their own...
Hi Leslie. You hosted a good discussion on a difficult subject. I am glad for the reminder from Srishti Hukku that humanists are ordinary people and not done the work of learning and becoming better at being human.
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