Equality is Inevitable

It's been a while since I've posted here.  But I felt the need to discuss the recent news that the US President has tweeted that transgendered people can't serve in the Military.

Why?

Because soldiers might get "uncomfortable"?  More uncomfortable than being shot at?  Really?

Sound logic there.

There was a time, not too long ago, where it was actually illegal for gays and lesbians to be in the Military (the Canadian Forces included).  One of the excuses used was that it would make straight soldiers uncomfortable.

That proved to be false, as gays had been secretly serving for years- and doing a good job as soldiers.

Then the "uncomfortable" excuse was trotted out when women started to campaign for the right and chance to serve in combat roles.

Today, men are just as comfortable fighting alongside women as they are with gays.

And it's being trotted out AGAIN.  Give it up.  It's a weak excused used by weak people to deny people their rights in order to feel like they have strength and power over others.

It's fucking bullshit.

The only really logical reason I have heard to oppose transgenders serving is the fact that the Military will pay for the gender reassignment surgeries.  I understand that this was implemented to encourage transgendered people to serve their country- just as the Military paying for college was meant to get college students to join.  And I agree with this policy to a point.  I don't think the Military should pay for the entire surgical procedure.  It should/could pay for the hormone treatments, etc leading up the surgery, and accommodate them with medical leave for the recuperation period- but maybe not the surgery itself.

Too bad this logical argument is made less logical by idiots painting a picture of a "flood" of transgenders swarming to the Military for free surgery, bankrupting the country.

I doubt that'll happen.

If anything, what bothers me most is that this is the sort of fight Society has to fight so often.  It's like the bigots and close minded asshats trying to deny people their rights can't seem to learn that they can't win this "war".

Equality is inevitable.  Deal with it.

#Society: Equality & Snow Shoveling

It snowed yesterday.

Really snowed.

ALOT, really.

Which meant that snow had to be shoveled.

I never thought I'd experience hypocrisy when it comes to shoveling snow, but I did last night when I came on Shift at work.

The woman that was on Shift before me looked a little miffed.  I asked her what was wrong, and she told me.

It seems that the woman on Shift before her told her to leave the snow shoveling to me.

Since I'm a man- and snow shoveling is "a man's job."

That thought by itself is simply sexist, since it's stereotyping and assigning a job based solely on gender.

That's bad enough to irritate me.

But what made it into full blown hypocrisy is the fact that this same woman eagerly jumps onto a man's case at the slightest whiff of potential sexism.  She has no problem with screaming about getting equal pay and benefits, while at the same time using "traditional gender roles" to escape equal responsibilities.

Don't get me wrong.  I believe in equality- though I don't consider myself a "feminist".  Now, before I get hate mail asking how I can believe in equality, but not be a "feminist", I'll explain what I mean.

It has to do with the fact that I don't separate equal rights into categories such as "Women's Rights", "Black Rights", "Gay Rights", "Asian Rights", "Hispanic Rights", "First Nations Rights", "Left Handed Rights", "Colour Blind Rights", etc.

I'm what I would call an "Equalist".

I'm fond of breaking things down into "simple equations"- and if I were to describe Equality in those terms, it would look something like this:

Equality = (Equal Pay + Equal Benefits + Equal Opportunities + Equal Duties + Equal Responsibilities) X Everyone

Saying you believe in equality while using traditional social roles so you have the advantage doesn't make you a supporter of equality.  It makes you a hypocrite.

And it pisses off the guy who's likely to bury your car while shoveling all the snow you were too damn lazy to do yourself...