http://thefbomb.org/2012/01/let-me-buy-you-dinner/
Ashley B wrote about denying a free dinner in the name of Feminism. In the current state of gender stereotypes, women usually get away with paying on dinner dates because it is expected that the guy pays since he’s the “stronger” one. Many women, in this situation, would have taken the offer. Hell, most anybody would have taken it, no matter the gender. They wouldn’t have had to shell out twenty bucks for a meal, and that’s the end of it. Ashley, on the other hand, noticed the principle. Her date wasn’t just paying because he wanted to be generous, he offered to pay because “he has to pay.” In his mind, its wasn’t up to question. The man has to pay for the woman, regardless of what she says. However, if you DO disregard the stereotypes and expectations of genders in today’s society, you’ll see the reality of this situation. It wasn’t a “guy and his date,” it was two individuals on a date. One of which happened to be male and the other happened to be female. They are both people, they both have minds, they both can make decisions, and both can certainly pay for their own meal. Ashley is a Feminist because she knows this and stops it when she recognizes it. Feminists can create Conscious Raising groups, make signs, make TV programs, or any other type of awareness, but the best way to stand up for Feminism is to do what Ashley did. We must learn to recognize these minute examples of oppression, and stand against them in our own lives one step at a time.
