I have never described myself as a feminist. This surprises some of my more liberal acquaintances, as most are feminists. The reason is simple and two-fold, I think feminism has taken on the right agenda in the wrong way, and its basis for the source of the problem seems to me to be unfounded.

Feminism by definition has been a fight for women's rights. Its creed is that women are oppressed, down-trodden, underrepresented, (insert whatever verbiage you are thinking of here) etc., and that the root cause of this for the better part of human history there has existed patriarchy--a rule by men in power for power.

I agree that women need a bigger voice--that the laws should not be written to favor men over women. However, I wish to take a more broad approach to all weighing of issues by speaking for both genders and raising the standard for both men and women. Both genders have their own issues, and they are serious.

This was my viewpoint and was solidified in my mind when I watched an insightful documentary, The Red Pill.

The Red Pill plays on the clichéé from the movie The Matrix where Neo is offered the choice between a red and blue pill--the red pill, of course, which reveals the truth and Neo accepts. Director and writer, Cassie Jaye, explores the world of the Men Right's Movement (MRA) and falls into that wonderland. Going in a feminist, her findings change her mind and she no longer calls herself a feminist.

I really like the documentary. It made a lot of interesting points without being too "in your face" about them. The documentary brings up many of the statistics and issues the MRA has talked about for years, in particular:

• Infant circumcision - whereas female genital mutilation is railed against, circumcision is allowed without recourse and yet has no lasting benefit and causes severe nerve and psychological damage (see more in this post here).
• Family courts - the number of times the court awards custody of a child to the mother over the father, when the father is innocent, set up, or denied access to his child is gut-wrenching.
• The expectation that men be the breadwinners, that they are judged by their performance
• Men are seen as less valuable - that men are disposable in today's society

More than anything, this film taught me how much of a wedge we have driven between the sexes, and this wedge should not exist. This is why I advocate for gender equality, because there should be no competition between the sexes.