Gender

[Paddy™]

This may very well be true, and if it is I will gladly eat my own words, but right now I would say the balance is tipped somewhat in favor of men - not a lot mind you, but are you completely sure you can literally counter any evidence for male privilege with evidence for female privilege? I ask as humbly as I possibly can.

It would be a fun experiment, that's for sure! In terms of discrimination based solely on gender, I think the scales are certainly closer to being horizontal than they are when compared to discrimination against people based on their sexuality, race and even their religion.

The perception of women being under-trodden (in the West, that is) is one which is whipped up and kept alive by activism and lobbying, not by data. The examples which have already been discussed include the wage gap between genders, the rates of domestic violence and the victimhood of random street violence. Add to that the asymmetrical attitudes toward circumcision, the overall value placed upon the lives of women versus men, the expectations of men to self-sacrifice and internalise their own disposability, the treatment of men versus women in courts and prisons, the fact that the vast majority of homeless people are male, etc. etc. etc...

It sounds like I'm trying to make it seem that men have it really hard. I'm not, I'm just pointing out that to call them privileged at all, let alone privileged over women, is stretching the definition of the term. If there is a patriarchy it's doing a pretty shitty job of uplifting its prized male subjects.

Valerie Solanas must be rolling in her grave...