Let's talk about feminism.
By lets, I mean I'm going to type about feminism and after you skim through what I type you're free to make some kind of sexist, humorous, or non-sequitur comment. Perhaps all three at once. This will probably be a long one, so I suggest those that wish to do so skip to the end now...
Ahem. For those still with us, I would have to classify myself as 'radical' feminist. Not that I go around stabbing men in the mommy daddy sack to punish them for having been born male, no. It just means that I think the basic structure of the social system we have up needs to change for true equality to be reached.
My perspective stated, I will now delve into the title of this post.
"You have a vagina, you will do fine here at Newgrounds."
This was a response to a post of mine. Joking or not I have found it to be a common opinion. There seems to be an assumption that based on the gender box I checked during profile creation here at newgrounds I have some kind of unfair advantage.
I am a mass of floating text, flash animations, and pixel art. My identity to you consists of that, a handle, a male female designation, and a statement that I am 'a liver of life'.
All things considered my gender should have no bearing on anything, and this is most important because... you and I will never have consensual sex. It isn't going to happen. You might, Thor protect me, hunt me down and do very illegal things. This could indeed happen. But as long as we're in the realm outside of my worst nightmares and horror movies, no. We will never have sex.
On the internet I have had many handles. I have had female handles, male handles, and gender neutral handles. All three have given me drastically different experiences. When the name I use has no gender attached people get angry. They get offensive and standoffish. They refuse to talk to me and communicate with me as a human being. Gender to them is an important part of communication. They need to judge who I am so they know what to talk about.
I don't like being judged, or I don't like being judged on unimportant aspects. Such as what gender the floating wall of text is.
We're on the internet. I'm a floating wall of text! I could be an AI, or a panda. An awesome typing panda. With amazing panda powers. Such as the power to type. Which for a panda would be very impressive.
I have used male names. As someone using a male handle on the internet I have found, and of course this is only me - all of these things are only personal experience, that people found me funny, interesting, odd, and annoying. The strange thing was that I found as a whole the things I wrote would get read more. Not looked at more, READ more, then given serious, or not so serious, responses that show the reader was engaged in the material. Also sometimes I would be accused of being a woman because I don't make a bunch of porn or sex jokes very often, and also sometimes do other weird things I can't even remember that apparently 'all men do'.
Gay was also assumed often. I would never disagree with any assumptions by anyone.
Using a female handle much of the same was true. I was found to be funny, interesting, odd, and annoying. Also, a bitch. Oh, and 'emo'. Or and a drama queen. Also I found that allot of the things I wrote would not actually be read by people. Or just not engaged as often. Also things were more likely to be taken seriously. Considering I often have a dry sense of humor and the written word can make tone problematic, it as occasionally made things interesting. Also I would sometimes be accused of being a woman.
Or being gay. I would never disagree with any assumptions by anyone.
More curiously thought, is that when writing with a female name I often see things like this.
"You have a vagina, you will do fine here at Newgrounds."
"Wow. Are you really female? That's amazing."
"All these fags are just responding to get in your panzt."
"you're such a stereotypical girl in this community you're making my girlfriend dryheave."
When writing with a female name there has been this strange vibe. A vibe that somehow any success I have made was because of the female nature of my handle, and any further success would be because of it. Not only that, but any negativeness was somehow a discredit to womankind.
I do not flirt. You are unlikely to see me in a chatroom and watch as I type things like...
*hugs!* Hey~! haven't seen you in awhile? *sits in your lap*
That's freaken weird.
I generally don't make posts or comments that by themselves have any real gender bias. My post about becoming a prostitute was made because prostitute was the silliest and most commonly used word that summed up the general idea. (For those that want to go read about me being a prostitute, it's in the archives of this webnetthingambob. It's not very interesting. I made like 400 bucks though.)
Yet apparently having my name with a suggested hyphenated F in front of it makes all the difference. It changes the very nature of people's response. Incredulous ness that I can't be a woman. Insistence that being a woman means people will like me better. And assertions that as a woman I am not doing what a woman should.
It seems strange that I need to constantly be reminded that my profile says female. Even in a place like newgrounds where it is assumed most people are predominantly male. Though thanks to internet anonymity you might all be gals for all I know.
Really it seems like an effort, conscious or otherwise, to shame me for it. To remind me and never let me forget I'm apparently different. Or at very least not standard. A constraint dig to make sure I can't forget for a second what suggestion of a physical body my internet persona brings up.
I find it strange that using a male handle I have never had this happen. Ever.
Once again this is just my experience. I know plenty of men have been reminded their men or held accountable for their entire gender's actions.
Still though, I doubt anyone has shown amazement at the suggestion they were male, as if being male was some kind of miracle for which a holy power should be thanked.
What does any of this in itself have to do with feminism? I always thought the best quote about the nature of feminism was pretty simply just "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people." On the internet I rarely feel like a person. I often regret my choice of gender regardless of which I choose. Something people in the real world don't get the luxury of slipping between willy nilly.
So in a sense, this is all at the heart of why I am a radical feminist.
I went on in a verbose way. Thank you those that bothered reading it.
Also, nyaaah, I might be a guy, or a girl, or a panda, nyaaah nyaaah!
That is all.
For those that skipped to the end, it is now time to post your inane sexism for kicks. It's more fun than it sounds, try it!
acmeDyne
You are a panda, you will do fine here at Newgrounds.
Emptygoddess
Pandas have a great track record.