Can Men Wear Skirts???

So, on my sisters blog she posted a video about feminism. What she particularly enjoyed about it was how inclusive it was. typically when we think about feminism, it's partial to women because when we think of the concept of feminism, or femininity, we place it in a category that only applies to females. Which makes sense to a certain extent. And what I appreciate about the video IS how inclusive it is. But the whole point of the video is not about truly about feminism, it's about men and women being equal and throwing out the gender separations of who is strong and who is weak. It's all about equality.

However, There is one question that has been bugging me, one very important question that eats and nibbles at my brain like a vampire all strung out a caffine. We say everyone is equal, or should be. We constantly try to break down the gender barriers so that neither side is greater than the other. And both have been trying to to say "it's ok for a women to work in construction" or "it's ok for the man to stay at home and take care of the kids while the wife is at work." Traditional gender roles are becoming not so much gender roles anymore. But still the question haunts me and tears away at my soul! That question that defines the very nature of the issues surrounding the arguments pertaining to your sexuality and your gender....Can men wear skirts?

Now of course, thanks to people like Michael Kugler, the answer is of course yes. But of course, the correct term is "kilt." But the question is not so much about the specific item "the skirt," rather the issue of what is acceptable. Yes it is acceptable for men to be feminists, but it is not socially acceptable for men to behaive like women in their mannerisms and the way they carry themselves.

Take, for example, the professional setting. Say a group of people at a business firm haold a meeting and it is appropriate, or even required to dress professionally. So this would mean very sharp looking clothing like business suits or dresses. Now here we have the issue! Men would come in Suits. Women would come in either business like skirts , dresses or even suit pants and suit coats. (Specifically designed for women of course.) Now what would happen i, say, a male decided to come in a skirt with high heels, like something you might find a woman wearing? Would it be deemed appropriate or inappropriate? And lets say the male is honestly dressing this way not to make a spectacle of himself, but because he honestly feels like this is a nice way to dress and is business like atire? Still, this male would be looked down apon and would probably be asked to go change cloths, or to leave the premisece and not to come back. yet the women there who are wearing what the men might be wearing are told they "look nice" or "look professional."

Im not trying to say that men are oppressed like women are, nor am I saying that a dress is something that interests me. Rather Im trying to point out that men have this "unstated" standard that we try to live up to or maintain. Women have moved themselves up the ladder by being able to do the things that men do, which include havig the same type of work, dress, and attitude and it be socially acceptable. However, because we are men, it is looked down upon us if we start behaiving and doing the things that women can do. In the case of attire, men truly can't dress like women without being called a "cross dresser" or a "homo." It is a sign of weakness for crossdressing men, but when women dress as a man might, it's not looked upon as anything but NORMAL.

Why is it Women can reach the standards of men in all areas, but Men are unable to reach the standards of women? Why is the phrase "be a man" equated to strength, but the phrase "be a woman" (as little as that phrase is heard or spoken) is equated to something completely different? When we are speaking to men and we say "be a man" means to be tough! But when men are weak we say "you're a woman!"

It's very interesting to me to think of this issue like this. All we have focused on is women fighting the gender barriors, women pushing themselves foreward, women becoming great contributers to society, women doing everything that men can do and much more....but why haven't we been pushing men to be like women? Why is it that Women have had to climb the ladder to reach the level of men, as if the standard MEN have set is the standard that everyone should reach? Is it this standard, the standard of men, that is what is at the top of the ladder? Why can't the men shoot for the standard of women, in all areas? Why can't we say "be a woman!" in the same sense that the phrase "be a man!" is used?

I think women have done things throughout history that have change the way people think. Women are the ones have actually been setting standards of how to live for hundreds of years. And all men have done is sit down on our ass and watch the women do great things. It's the women who have been perservering, the women who have been trying to reach the level that men are at. This is the mindset, for women to do what men can do. Why can't it be turned around? Why can't men strive to do what women can do? When are we going to take out the notion that being feminine is weaker than being masculine?

So I ask again, can men wear skirts? Only when the answer to this question is "yes," and it isn't a sarcastic, or negative, or still not considered normal type of "yes," will I feel that gender equality has finally reached it's goal!