“Women demand….”

Is the beginning of a sign I saw today but couldn’t catch the rest of it. I know the intention was a good one and related to something financial. But I didn’t really need to see the rest because I just found “women demand” to actually be really offensive. I see it a lot. Women demand equal pay. Women demand equal playing fields in work, education, etc. Women demand to be taken seriously. Women demand to have the same rights as men. Women demand the constitution be amended with ERA for women.

When you see the word “demand” you automatically sense a negative connotation. I demand you clean your room. I demand you put that phone down at the dinner table. I demand you come home at curfew. When it’s in the context of women, why is demand the word of choice? It feels similar to labeling us shrill, bossy, rough around the edges, pushy, overstepping our bounds. Me and a man could separately approach a boss asking for a raise. He’d be considered confident. I’d be considered abrasive. Demand is just a really poor word choice considering all the similar words used to describe women when we are actually forced to request something we shouldn’t have to ask for.

That’s an even bigger point. Why are we proud to point out women are finally demanding what we deserve? That’s deplorable. We shouldn’t even have to politely ask or subtly point out. Discrepancies should just be getting actively addressed and fixed without anyone having to demand it. Those are just basic morals but money makes “the man” greedy and he is going to hang onto it until his last breath if he can….therefore, forcing us to demand equality. It’s offensive to be in a place of having to demand anything in this day and age. It’s offensive that it was first introduced to be added to the constitution in the 1970s and still hasn’t been. It’s offensive to have to ask and even worse to have it referred to as a demand. I think for the most part, we are on,y just getting the courage to politely point it out.

If I were a man, I’d be offended that something must be demanded of me in order for me to finally do it. Doesn’t that deflate the masculinity a bit? Isn’t that your marriage complaint? We nag you? Haven’t you figured out yet that you should take the trash out without having to be asked or demanded? It’s the same when it’s money. For every dollar you give yourself, you should want to be sure it’s happening for everyone else. Isn’t that a prouder place to be? Don’t you feel insulted if someone has to demand something from you? What does that say about your moral code if you can’t see it and fix it on your own? Why don’t you “suggest” and then we don’t have to “demand?” How about that for a fucking change?