#DontManscriminate Is A Huge Gender Equality Fail

For every step forward for gender equality, there are three steps backward and a detour to the left. This week, we took a step straight up into the air with #DontMancriminate, the hashtag created by Indian lifestyle magazine Maggcom in favor of "gender equality." By gender equality, of course, they mean maintaining the patriarchal status quo, but also whining about how unfair it is that men are expected to hold doors open for women. You know, the important stuff. According to Mashable, the hashtag started in late June as a response to the "rampant discrimination against men and festering misandry" men face in our ever-so-matriarchal society, as the website's campaign page describes it. Although it isn't affiliated with the Meninist movement, #DontManscriminate rails against perceived injustices against men that the men's rights group frequently cites: holding the door open, paying for dinner, being able to "blame PMS for everything," and so on. Men's obsession with women's hormonal cycles aside, it's all pretty typical stuff, unremarkable save for the author's tone-deafness. That very lack of self awareness, however, is what elevates an average man whining about privilege into art. I'll let him explain himself:

Why should men have to give up their seat if they see a lady standing? Why should he have to hold out a door for a lady passing by? Men don’t get free entry in clubs. Men unlike women don’t get periods (yes don’t be so ashamed of it girls, you do that!) and so men can’t work their way out of the problem saying they are PMSing. Men certainly do not get the sympathy votes.Why should men not cry? Why should men do the heavy lifting? Why not girls?

WHY INDEED, GOOD SIR? Forget workplace discrimination and rampant sexual assault. The real issues are basic manners (guess what? Anyone can, should, and do hold the door for others, no matter who they are. Imagine that!) and giving up your seat on the bus.

It quickly veers into crazy-person territory, however, with a campaign poster that appears to promote domestic violence (???), reading "When you slapped me I was wrong. When I slapped you, I have anger issues."I'm pretty sure if you and your partner are slapping each other that much, you both have more than just anger issues. The other posters are equally insane, albeit less terrifying.

Unsurprisingly, Twitter has been having an absolute field day with the campaign, and the hashtag was quickly taken over.

That last one, by the way, is the official slogan of the campaign, but somehow I feel like the user was being sarcastic.

Never change, Twitter. Never change.

Image: Giphy