Confessions of a former sexist pig. [View all]

This post is about change and hope.

I'm a 39 year old man. Up until 9/11/2001 I was a very narrow minded person. We all know that date and what it signifies. What does that have to do with being sexist? When those towers went down, the framework of my limited world view went down with them. After those events I started seriously looking at U.S. foreign policy from different perspectives. That exposed me to many intellectuals, a lot of them women, and from there a broad range of ideas on other issues including feminism.

It took some time, though, and I am still learning. But looking back to where I was, I am proud of who I am today.

The women here at DU are in large part responsible for changing my attitude toward women. I joined DU in March of 2003. If you look in my profile, it says 2009, but I used to post under a different account. I wasn't banned. I just needed a name change. Anyway, after reading many of the women here and elsewhere I started to take women seriously. Before then, I did not have this conscious idea in my mind that I, as a male, was superior to women and that women were silly emotional creatures who didn't think very well. It was more like an attitude that had been so ingrained in me since childhood that I wasn't even aware that there was something wrong. I still see that attitude here at DU sometimes from some otherwise intelligent men. I've seen some of those men bite the dust, too. And that attitude is still prevalent among conservative men- probably damn near 100% of them.

But, yeah, I didn't even know that there was something wrong. I was missing so much. I was deaf to women who challenged my view of them. I was just plain dumb a lot of the time. When some woman would manage to pierce the veil of my ignorance I would become defensive and sometimes mean. My ego would not allow me to admit to myself that I had been wrong, especially about women.

But people can change and change I did- for the better. And I have gained so much because of it. First, I gained my mind. When I began to open up to other ideas my mind began to grow. I'm proof that people can become more intelligent as they age. Even long after the school books have been closed. Second, I have a strong, intelligent, wonderful woman for my wife. I never would have attracted her had it not been for the feminists that I have read over the years.

Peace to you all and I hope this evening finds you well.