One of the great lies of so-called libertarianism is the concept of a level playing field. You know, the bullshit about if we all work equally as hard, we each have the same chance for “success.” This delusion allows the free market crowd to convince themselves they’ve earned their place while others have lazily squandered their birthright.
Well, the level playing field myth remains alive and well in a wide range of milieus. It rears its ugly head, for example, every time a person claims to be “colorblind,” every time a victim of privilege is accused of “overreacting,” and every time someone howls about “reverse racism.”
Most recently, we are witnessing male entitlement in action related to the UCSB shooting and the ensuing #YesAllWomen movement. “It’s not all men,” we hear…over and over. “Don’t make this about gender,” goes one of my favorites, “because people are people.”
To engage in the reductionism of “people are people” is to ignore centuries of deep-seated, institutional patriarchy, white supremacy, sexism, racism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and more. It is to sustain the level playing field myth.
However, as long as women across the globe fear the sound of footsteps behind them on a dark street, there is no such thing as a level playing field.
As long as 17.6 % of women in the U.S. have survived a rape or attempted rape (of these, 21.6% were younger than age 12 when they were first raped, and 32.4% were between the ages of 12 and 17), there is no such thing as a level playing field.
As long as a woman is battered (usually by her intimate partner) every 15 seconds; 75% of all rapes are committed by a man that the victim knows; and in 95% of reported domestic assaults, the female is the victim and the male is the perpetrator, there is no such thing as a level playing field.
As long as 25% of girls will be sexually assaulted by the time they’re 18 years old; 14% of all American women acknowledge having been violently abused by a husband or boyfriend; and 28% of all homicides of women are domestic violence related, there is no such thing as a level playing field.
As long as a woman is raped every 46 seconds in the U.S. (78 rapes per hour) and every day, four women are killed by their abusive partners, there is no such thing as a level playing field.
Instead of defensively debating whether or not all men are abusers and/or rapists, let’s instead focus on the reality that all men can play an important role in the struggle for justice by:
a) recognizing and exposing misogyny
b) checking our privilege 24/7 (see postscript)
c) calling out other men on their behavior 24/7
d) not blaming the victims of privilege and/or downplaying their experiences
#shifthappens
(Order Occupy this Book: Mickey Z. on Activism here)
Postscript: The most common response I get – even from (cis)male activists – is an attempt to prove that male privilege doesn’t exist on the scale I describe. “Give me examples!” they smirk, knowing full well they’ll challenge and deny anything I say.
Thus, I urge you all to consider the 46 examples of male privilege listed HERE but for now, ponder these:
If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won’t be seen as a black mark against my entire sex’s capabilities.
If I choose not to have children, my masculinity will not be called into question. If I have children but do not provide primary care for them, my masculinity will not be called into question. If I have children and provide primary care for them, I’ll be praised for extraordinary parenting if I’m even marginally competent. If I have children and a career, no one will think I’m selfish for not staying at home.
Every major religion in the world is led primarily by people of my own sex. Even God, in most major religions, is pictured as male. Most major religions argue that I should be the head of my household, while my wife and children should be subservient to me.
Complete strangers generally do not walk up to me on the street and tell me to “smile.” I do not have to worry about the message my wardrobe sends about my sexual availability. Sexual harassment on the street virtually never happens to me. I do not need to plot my movements through public space in order to avoid being sexually harassed, or to mitigate sexual harassment.
The most fundamental male privilege is remaining unaware of male privilege.
