The historic echoes of sexism are going to be prevalent for a long time. Things are better but most will agree that in order to find true equality in society we still have some way to go. Most of the problems that remain are thankfully ingrained rather than legislative; although harder to be rid of, at least we have an infrastructure in place to make people conscious of the challenges still ahead. There are still challenges though, so what is it that keeps us from embracing true equality?
You have to draw parallels to other forms of prejudice such as racism, the idea that somehow another race is different and therefore less able or less worthy. It bears striking resemblance to how gender differences are exposed and exploited. The thing is I don’t think the two sexes are all that different, in fact I think far too much is made of imagined differences between men and women, most obviously when it comes to sex. The myth that women don’t think or need sex as much as men, or that only men like porn or the worst double standard, that promiscuous men are to be applauded while their female equivalent are virtually to be burned at the stake is both morally wrong and inaccurate. Both men and women want and need sex, be it vanilla, kink or something else – after all sex is practiced by both men and women usually together so how can both genders not be interested in it equally? I am naturally suspicious of anyone who assumes women somehow humour men’s disproportionately feral appetite for all things carnal, as if both men are unable to control their lust and women are amused yet somehow begrudging volunteers. Both genders deserve more credit than that.
Men and women aren’t that different, I know plenty of people belonging to both genders who prove at least to me that sex on the mind is a welcome affliction dished out in equal doses. We are as a society beginning to open up about this kind of thing but it will take generations before sexual equality is a mainstream view and with sexual equality you will start to achieve equality elsewhere, for how we view members of the opposite sex will forever be linked with courtship.
What we need are people willing to expose sex for what it is, a communication between two or more equally minded people, consensual and honest. – you are the front line against the tirade of titilating nonsense unfortunately peddled by the media because the idea of women liking sex as a novelty will always sell papers. Everyone should be making the effort to be upfront and honest about sex. If we normalise the idea culturally it will loose its lustre and cease to have the commercial intrigue required to sell sex scandals, kiss and tells and sensationalism. It’s true, sex sells – but let’s lift it to place which is noble, relatable and attractive rather than sully it with sleeze, embarrassment and fakery. Ignore the ignorant calls of slut, the sooner sex is seen for what it is and its devilish taboos are exorcised the better. All that will be then required is for men to prove that we can fall in love just as acutely as women do.
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