Maneaters

Hashtags of "LikeAGirl", "LikeAWoman",
But...what if you're not a woman?  
I don't mean to belittle what we've been through,  
But what about this "gender equality" though?  
How can we be the same,  
If everything a man says and does brings him shame?  
And everything spouted out of a woman's mouth brings her spontaneous, temporary, communal, fame?  
I feel utter shame,  
Belonging to this gender (or at least only partially),  
But somewhat fearful and on guard physically,  
For what others have done,  
Though any wrong that I've done, is none.  
  
But they would not have it,  
If a man were to throw over me the blanket  
Term of female (for my gender is more of a feeling),  
And accusing me of what others have caused,  
What this "feminism" has caused.  
   
I fear for the feminism attrition that I do see,  
Feminism is not what it used to be,  
Women banding together to help all,  
Now it's women banding together to watch the fall    
Of anyone who's the opposite of women,    
To humiliate, belittle, laugh at, interrogate, despise, and suspect all men.  
   
I fully understand not being able to see the gender I feel,  
Especially when I feel  
Both female and male,  
And the signs not being so telltale,  
When I present differently on different days.  
Misgendering me purely on accident is no concern to me anyways,  
As long as, if/when you find out my gender, you try your best to respect me,  
That's all I can ask for, but still it's kind of tricky.  
   
Some would still be so upset over an honest mistake,  
But souring interactions is not a chance I will take.  
I know full well the backlash I will receive,  
For the way I perceive  
The world around me,  
And my society.  
Please I ask you this,  
Don't shut me down just because you don't believe this,  
Just because my opinion differs,  
And I don't hate all men and think of them all as oppressors.  
Yes, there are some things we still need to work on for women and girls,  
No humans are perfect angels,  
But the same can be said for the other side,  
Buckle up buttercup, this is going to be a bumpy, emotional, ride.  
   
Stop putting us on a pedestal,  
This is too radical,  
Sorry for my lack of tact....  
But...I hate how just having a vagina is enough to let me win arguments, and validate my opinions as facts,  
I hate how just putting the word "woman" or "girl" on a product automatically equals radical change,  
I hate how a man just telling a woman he thinks she's pretty, or has a crush on her, is enough to send her into a flying rage,  
Do you know how hard it can be to tell someone that?  
Do you realise the humiliation and emotional scarring he has been put through, just for that?  
I hate how men think all feminists are the "special snowflakes" that they see on TV, news, and social media,  
In all this media mania.  
I hate how just looking at a woman wrong can get the police called on you,  
Or as a woman, just looking at a man wrong, can lead to being shouted at as a man hater, even when It's not true,  
And the male-bashing on TV commercials and in movies too.  
   
Oh, and don't get me started on how any product that's pink,  
Is supposed to automatically be bought by every woman and girl, because they think  
That that can only be their favorite color,  
And that any product in that color,  
Is automatically a tool of social justice,  
Little do they know that's prejudice,  
Can't a girl's favorite color be blue, orange, black, cream, amber, brown, white, red, ect?  
Companies can't be bothered to think, or go the mile extra...  
Stop with your "girls have more fun" products,  
It's just fearful byproducts  
Of a backlash fearing, populous.  
It is becoming dangerous,  
It has gone from the simple, sweet, politeness of "ladies first", or pulling out her chair or holding her car door for her,  
Or when she's cold, handing your jacket to her,    
To absolutely fearing and being subservient to her.  
   
Stop putting us on a pedestal,  
Forgive me if this seems too cynical,  
But all this damage, collateral.  
It is becoming dangerous just to be a man,  
Always fearing that any type of interaction with a woman,  
Accidental,  
Or urposeful,  
Will land you in jail, and make you a social pariah,    
They should not worry about being hurt or seen as inferior.  
   
Stop putting us on a pedestal,  
Just because our products can be a social justice tool,  
Stop treating us as goddesses,  
And let us be mortals without your queenly injustices,  
No one should be given this much power,  
We may very well be witnessing the birth of the feminism monster...  
   
...Maneaters who chew them up, and spit them out.