Objectifying Men

I believe a lot of men objectify women and enjoy it. While it’s disgusting and discomforting, I sometimes wonder, how often do women objectify men? I find that it rarely happens. Even with the rise of the male romper trend (it’s not a good look lol), men in Speedo’s, shirtless men with ripped abs featured in various ads, in addition to male strip clubs and the whole Magic Mike thing (you know, the film with Channing Tatum who’s a dreamer by day and a stripper by night?) Oh, and how could I forget all those guys on the abc reality show, The Bachelorette? The sexualization of men does happen. I can only write from my perspective as a young woman, but most of the women I’ve been around don’t frequent male strip clubs, make inappropriate comments or gestures, or use improper pick up lines to get at guys the way some guys do with women. At best, I usually hear things like, he’s cute, he’s hot, he’s a babe, or he’s sexy. The same way I don’t like being objectified, I can’t imagine that guys would enjoy it, however, if the tables were turned, it’d be interesting to see what the reactions would be like.

While I can always appreciate an attractive guy, I believe in exercising self-control. Complimenting men is fine, but I’m not into the objectification thing. Even as a modern day feminist, I don’t think its okay to objectify anyone, male or female. There’s nothing wrong with finding someone attractive, so as long as things don’t go into the land of objectification.

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

Ditching Dating And Decentering Men

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The Day I Took A Concealed Carry Course

Ability, opportunity, and intent are three words I’ll never forget after taking my first concealed carry course. Learning about firearm safety, how to properly purchase and use a firearm, and obtaining my concealed carry license were goals I set for myself and accomplished at the end of last year. Although I felt completely outside my comfort zone, I knew taking these steps were important to me. Mainly because of the current state of our world and society in general. During the course with Concealed Coalition, our instructor began by stating that the world seems more hostile than ever. He shared how you could be an innocent person minding your own business and suddenly find yourself in a situation where a firearm is present or needed. When he asked, “What made you take this course?” I responded, “For protection.” The course was filled with men and women there for the same reason and others. We all learned about specific laws in place surrounding firearms, the steps to purchase them, ho...

Making Waves