True stories:
Guy in my office was on the phone with an upset client. He'd been as patient as can be with her but after he hung-up he exclaimed, "She should go back to mowing the lawn!" Another woman overheard that remark, decided it was sexist, and reported him to personnel for sexual harassment. He was fired. She was promoted.
Just this month I was at a resort with my family and I was detained by security for taking my 6 year old nephew to another building to see a movie. They wanted to make sure I was really his uncle because they'd seen him with my brother and his wife earlier but never with me. My sister, his aunt, had taken him all over the place and nobody batted an eye. I've had similar incidents at my other nephew's playground where the very nice women I talked to actually called the police to check me out because I wasn't my nephew's father or mother. Both times my nephews were upset thinking I or they had done something wrong.
Air New Zealand and Qantas have initiated a policy where they will not place adult men in seats next to an unaccompanied minor.
Sign at the health club in the next town over states that boys under 16 must use the single changing room set aside for that purpose and are not allowed in the men's changing room. There is no similar sign on the women's changing room.
I certainly do not blame feminism for these attitudes. I blame a culture where those in power cultivate fear among the people to keep them in control. God knows how I managed to survive being a kid. I had no idea there are pedophiles hiding behind every tree, in every airline seat, or in every locker room.
In a sense, as much as a man can be, I am a feminist. I believe in the right person for the job and equal rights for everyone. My mom's an Emma Willard girl and even before she graduated in the 50s Emma Willard was teaching girls to go out and compete in a sexist world. No braces on the brains for these girls; they were taught everything that was taught in boys' private schools. As a result my mom worked before working mothers were the norm and let me tell you, the comments I heard from the other moms in the neighborhood were less than flattering. My mom worried about it but I told her I was proud that she worked if she wanted to. I liked having a mother that was well-educated and used her talents out in the world. It was different and I knew my mother was smarter, though likely just better educated, than the other moms. Both my parents and both my sisters have advanced degrees and I'm very proud of their accomplishments. In my household, and despite my father having some old fashioned ideas of women being barefoot and pregnant, I didn't follow his example. His luddism also had much to do with my parents getting divorced :wink:.
For every story you have about women getting over on men, I am sure there are countless I could tell you about men getting away with literally murder, while women don't. The example about the guy getting fired, if soley for that, is extremely sad, and isn't the norm.
In terms of the people assuming you are a pedophile, I have never had the experience of someone assuming I am a stranger kidnapping a child, so I really can't relate, and if that has happened that is truly sad, but unfortunately the world we live in, and I say as long as your nephew and you know what is going on, damn the other people. In terms of your aunts and sisters walking with the child and people not batting an eyelash, typically speaking, people make the assumption they are the mother or a care taker, as traditionally women fill those roles in our society, it doesn't make it right, but it is assumed. Kind of like people assuming when I am shopping based upon being black I am wanting to steal from them or the store I am in. It sucks, but unfortunately, I am used to it.
In terms of health clubs, men's locker rooms are known for cruising, the club maybe had too much cruising going on, or someone's parents got uptight and they implemented the rule, the gym I attend I don't think have that rule, but they also have employees constantly in BOTH locker rooms, so it is hard for anything too risque to occur in the locker rooms.
In terms of equality, in America it is very subjective. We have too warped of a history, and too much ignorance of others cultures to ever be completely equal, I have just learned to accept it, and try to counter it when ever I see it.