People on social media have found yet another reason to criticise The Slumflower’s brand of feminism.
Chidera Eggerue, also known as The Slumflower, is an author and blogger who is well known for tweeting about the need to destruct patriarchy, and for starting the ‘Saggyboobsmatter’ hashtag.
Many people think that The Slumflower’s condemnation of CIS men for the privileges they enjoy through patriarchy amount to a desire to orchestrate ‘male genocide’.
She recently faced serious backlash online for saying that male suicide isn’t an issue that should concern her. “Men are murdering us and abusing children and you think I have time to theorise on why they can’t cry?” was part of a response to someone who posted that male suicide was an issue that needed addressing.
Most of the people outraged by her response argued that downplaying the lack of support that men receive for their mental health problems was not correct feminist behaviour. “Maybe other people’s feminisms are about making the world better for men” she replied, “…as for me, I don’t don’t have time to think about the reasons why the system you created at my expense to benefit you is now choking you.” She went on to remind people where her loyalties lay. “Until men are systematically disadvantaged by patriarchy, women will always be my priority”.
As for me, I think that everyone should be treated equally and have equal opportunities. But that’s a human value, so I wouldn’t label myself a feminist. As for men’s problems, I differ from The Slumflower in that I think there’s a danger that because men are privileged through patriarchy, those problems might get ignored. Being systematically privileged doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll also have great mental health and emotional support. If anything, I think that men ‘having it easier’ than women could result in them feeling pressured to hold in their emotions because they don’t feel as if they have the right to complain about anything.
Having said that, I don’t believe that The Slumflower deserved the attack she received for simply saying that she personally doesn’t feel the need to address male suicide – though I do admit that the way she expressed herself could have been been more sensitive.
I also wonder why anyone was surprised by what The Slumflower said? Anybody who knows her knows her position so why attack her? Expecting her to use her platform to address an issue that affects the people who she feels oppress the women she sets out to support on her site is unfair. Any time spent by her writing about men’s problems would just delay and detract from the conversations she could be having with other women about how to make the world better for women.
She puts it very well: “Men have a responsibility to show up for themselves and each other and should no longer wait for women to nurse them before we nurse the wounds they inflicted on us.” Instead of waiting for feminists (who are women) to speak on the issues that face them, men should use the power they have to bring attention to these issues, because if we’re being honest this will probably have more impact anyway.
